Can foreigners buy property in Saint Lucia?
Yes. Foreigners can own Saint Lucia property outright, but non-CARICOM buyers need an Alien Landholding Licence first: a Certificate of Eligibility (US$3,000, or US$10,000 for ten years), then a licence per property, US$100 to US$20,000 by acreage. Budget three to six months; six weeks is the fastest on record.
Last checked 27 Aug 2026
The process, in two stages
The law: the Alien Landholding (Licensing) Act, No. 1 of 2020 (commenced 20 March 2020) and its Regulations, SI 2020 No. 70. It replaced the old Aliens (Licensing) Act; holding land without a valid licence is prohibited (section 14).
- Certificate of Eligibility. Introduced by the 2020 Act. You apply to the board with your documents; the certificate is valid for 1 year (US$3,000, non-refundable) or 10 years (US$10,000).
- The licence itself. One licence per property, applied for by you or your attorney, with the purchase particulars, a survey plan and a statutory declaration (section 15). Both applications can go in together once you have a property.
Documents: certified passport bio-data page, birth certificate, two certified passport photos (within 6 months), proof of address (within 3 months), an original bank reference from an internationally recognised institution (within 6 months), and an original police certificate of good character from your country of residence and nationality (FBI for US nationals, RCMP for Canada, ACRO for the UK). Companies file the same for each director and 25%+ shareholder plus incorporation documents. An attorney is not legally required but is customary and strongly recommended.
Licence fees (Schedule 3, current law, in US$)
| What | Fee |
|---|---|
| Certificate of Eligibility, 1 year (non-refundable) | US$3,000 |
| Certificate of Eligibility, 10 years | US$10,000 |
| Licence: lot in an approved subdivision | US$100 |
| Licence: one acre or less | US$2,500 |
| Licence: over 1 up to 5 acres | US$5,000 |
| Licence: over 5 up to 10 acres | US$10,500 |
| Licence: over 10 acres | US$20,000 |
The gazetted SI prints the 5 to 10 acre fee as "US$10,5000", an obvious typo; the revised laws render US$10,500. Beware old fee tables: an EC$ table (EC$5,000 to EC$50,000 by acreage) still circulates on agency sites; it is the repealed pre-2020 regime.
Who is exempt
CARICOM citizens are generally treated as non-aliens under declaration orders made in 2005 on a reciprocity basis (your country must extend the same right to Saint Lucians). Published sources conflict on the order's SI number, and the carry-over into the 2020 Act is not spelled out anywhere public: have your attorney confirm your country's current status before you rely on the exemption.
How long it takes
Published claims conflict, honestly: the fastest on record is about six weeks; two 2026 guides say three to six months is typical; one long-running guide says four to six months and notes past cases stretched much longer. What drives the difference: whether your documents are complete first time, how fast your home country issues the police certificate, the board's meeting cadence, and how actively your attorney follows up.
Taxes on the transaction
Buyer: stamp duty of 2% of the price, resident or not. Seller: vendor's tax, graduated 2.5% to 5% for residents and a flat 10% for non-residents. Saint Lucia has no capital gains tax. Rates were not verifiable at Inland Revenue source level; confirm current rates with the Inland Revenue Department or your attorney before completion.
Regulated territory. We publish the public facts; we never advise. For anything that binds you, use the professionals and offices below.
- A Saint Lucia attorney-at-law files the licence and checks title. Never skip this.
- Licence applications: the board under the Ministry responsible for physical development; Invest Saint Lucia guides investors.
- Transaction taxes: the Inland Revenue Department.