St. Lucia is an east Caribbean paradise in the Lower Antilles that has been luring tourists and expats alike for many years. With a low cost of living, great weather, and some very attractive residency and second passport options, it’s easy to see why so many people are choosing to live abroad in St. Lucia.
What Type of Documentation Do You Need?
If you would like to visit St. Lucia as a tourist only, you can do so from the U.S. or Canada for up to six weeks without any form of documentation apart from your passport. It is possible to extend this time frame by applying at the Immigration Department in St. Lucia. After extending this form of temporary residency for a designated amount of time, expats living abroad in St. Lucia can apply for permanent residency (two years) or citizenship (seven years) in the country.
Types of Longer Stay Visas
- Single Entry Visa – The single entry visa allows foreigners to stay for three months abroad in St. Lucia. This visa will cost around $46 USD and takes about 5 weeks to process. Holder’s can study or live abroad in St. Lucia with this document. They will, however, need to apply for a work permit to seek employment in the country.
- Multiple Entry Visa – The multiple entry visa allows expats abroad in St. Lucia to live up to a full year in the country. This costs about $70 USD and takes up to a week to process. Holder’s can study or live abroad in St. Lucia with this document. They will, however, need to apply for a work permit to seek employment in the country.
Each of these visa types come with their own application form and requirement variations. Contact the St. Lucia Immigration Department for up-to-date paperwork, as these requirements are subject to change. Similarly, if you would like to renew one of these visa forms, you can do so for around $75 USD for each additional month.
Permanent Residency
Through an application process at the Ministry of Labour in St. Lucia, those who have extended their temporary residency for a minimum of two years can apply for permanent residency in the country.
Citizenship in St. Lucia
If gaining a second passport abroad in St. Lucia is the endgame of your relocation, foreign residents in the country can qualify after living seven years on the island (five years if you are from the Caribbean Commonwealth originally and hold a passport from one of the nations).
Required Documents Include:
- Completed application form
- Clean criminal record
- Bank statements to show good standing
- Original copy of birth certificate
- Clean bill of health from an approved doctor
- Four passport-sized photos
- A reference letter from a local St. Lucian citizen
- A letter of intent detailing the purpose of your visit
Citizenship Through Investment
Higher net worth individuals looking to fast-track the process of attaining citizenship abroad and a second passport in St. Lucia can do so through certain overseas investment endeavors. This can be done in one of four ways:
1. Monetary Donation to the NEF (National Economic Fund)
a. Single Applicant Requirement: $100,000 USD
2. Investment into St. Lucia Real Estate
a.Minimum real estate investment of $300,000 USD
3. Investment into Government Bonds
a. Single Applicant Requirement: $500,000
4. Enterprise Project Investment
a. $3.5 million enterprise endeavor creating 3 new jobs, or two investors creating a joint enterprise of $6 million USD and creating 6 jobs.
Some of the perks of acquiring a second passport abroad in St. Lucia include the ability to process the application from overseas, no tax on worldwide income, legal residency for dependent children below 25 years old and seniors above 65 years old, no interview process, and no need for physical residency in the country to qualify.
Perhaps one of the most attractive parts of receiving citizenship by investing abroad in St. Lucia is visa-free travel to the Schengen countries of the EU (26 nations in total, including Switzerland), Hong Kong, and the United Kingdom. This makes the St. Lucia passport (ranked 37 in the world) incredibly valuable for its price tag.
