Saint Lucia Citizenship by Investment Unit announced on September 15 in an official statement that it has started again to consider applications from Iranian nationals.
The official statement has mentioned that “The Unit has been able to secure relationships with due diligence service providers who are able to perform the usual thorough standard of due diligence on Iranians.”
Considering Saint Lucia’s reopening to Iran, only Russians and Belarusians are currently subject to an outright ban. The only Caribbean CIP that continues to reject Iranian candidates is Saint Kitts & Nevis. Iranians continue to be unwelcome in Malta’s MEIN policy.
On August 2018, The Citizenship by Investment Unit of the Government of Saint Lucia has notified all authorized agents that citizens from Iran will no longer be eligible to apply to the country’s Citizenship by Investment Program.
Saint Lucia citizenship by Investment Program was established after parliamentary assent to Act No. 14 of 2015 on August 24, 2015. Regulations of the citizenship program are cited in statutory instrument no. 89 of 2015 with subsequent amendments being introduced in statutory instrument no. 1 of 2017.
A Saint Lucia citizenship by investment and passport are granted to qualified applicants within 4 to 5 months with no residency requirements. Once the applicant is granted citizenship, he or she becomes a citizen for life.
To qualify for a Saint Lucia citizenship by investment and citizenship, applicants need to undergo a strict due diligence process, in addition to making a contribution via one of the following channels: a non-refundable contribution (donation) to the Saint Lucia National Economic Fund or purchase of real estate in a government-approved project AND payment of applicable government fees.
Saint Lucia is an island country located in the Eastern Caribbean and forms part of the Lesser Antilles. It is a parliamentary democracy with Queen Elizabeth II as its head of state. Today, Saint Lucia is a full member of the Commonwealth of Nations (British Commonwealth), United Nations, and the Caribbean Community (CARICOM).
Due to its strategic location and abundance of natural resources, Saint Lucia was a target for French and British settlers who frequently battled over rule of the island until Saint Lucia finally gained its independence in 1979. Saint Lucian culture is very rich with influences of Carib Indian, African, English, and French heritage. With a population of 178,000, Saint Lucia is the 11th most populous country in the Caribbean, with one third of its population residing in the capital, Castries.
Saint Lucia also has a strong indigenous folk music tradition. Each May, Saint Lucia has hosted an internationally renowned Jazz Festival, as well as many other cultural festivals throughout the year.
Saint Lucia is blessed with natural beauty because of the country’s spectacular setting and breathtaking flora and fauna. The volcanic rock island is blanketed in vegetation and unique species of tropic animals. The result is a robust tourism industry that attracts approximately 350,000 visitors each year. A major reason contributing to the growth of Saint Lucia’s tourism industry is the country’s international airport, which is served by regular international flights from the U.S., Canada, and Europe.
Apart from that, the introduction of the Saint Lucia citizenship by investment program in 2015 has also played an important role in the booming economy of the country. The currency in Saint Lucia is the Eastern Caribbean Dollar (XCD). The manufacturing sector is the most diverse in the Eastern Caribbean area, and Saint Lucia is an excellent location for offshore banking.
Learn more about Saint Lucia citizenship program and its investment options by visiting this page.
