Last week, Antigua and Barbuda strengthened their ties with China by signing several cooperation agreements. Prime Minister Gaston Browne met with Premier Li Qiang to formalize these agreements, which aim to boost the development of Antigua and Barbuda. Several MOUs were signed by government officials, including support for Antigua’s healthcare system and Water Rehabilitation Project. One area of particular interest to foreign investors looking to apply for Antigua’s Citizenship by Investment programme is the mutual visa exemption agreement that was signed between both countries. A visa-waiver agreement between China and Antigua and Barbuda will strengthen Antigua’s passport power and attractiveness to prospective investors looking to enhance their global travel access. While the MOUs have been signed, we are still awaiting further confirmation on when the visa-free access will kick in and what the validity period will be.

Other Caribbean nations, including Grenada and Dominica, already hold visa-waiver agreements with China, which has no doubt helped them attract foreign investors. Antigua’s passport is already considered a strong prospect for many, with visa-free access to 161 countries and territories worldwide. This represents 44.4% of the world’s wealth measured by GDP and 71.4% of worldwide travel popularity based on international visitors. La Vida’s Unique Passport Ranking data not only considers a simple count of destinations, as some other Passport Rankings do but also considers more valuable data measures, including additional access to the world’s GDP.

Considering China’s attraction as a major global destination and the size of its economy, this additional access not only increases Antigua’s visa-free access to 162 destinations but also enhances GDP access to 60.3% and 75.9% of worldwide travel popularity. This increase makes Antigua and Barbuda’s Citizenship by Investment programme an enticing option for investors who may be looking to increase their travel and business prospects with China.

La Vida is monitoring the situation closely and will post further updates when this exciting news comes to fruition.

Tags: antigua, Caribbean Citizenship by Investment News, citizenship by investment 2024

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