British Virgin Islands

The British Virgin Islands – Residency and Citizenship by Investment – Invest and Stay 

The British Virgin Islands (BVI), also known as the “Virgin Islands” are a British Overseas Territory located in the Caribbean, just east of Puerto Rico. Unlike some of its Caribbean neighbours, the British Virgin Islands do not offer a direct citizenship by investment programme.

In June 2018, the Government were considering offering residency and potential citizenship to persons with a ‘substantial business presence’ in the territory, or direct investors who have a net worth of $100 million. However since the opposing political party came into power in 2019, this proposal is no longer being considered.

In 2020, the new government has been discussing the introduction of a different type of programme known as ”Invest and Stay”  The programme will be similar to the digital nomad offering that both the Bahamas and Barbados launched last year, and is aimed to attract remote workers and investors to contribute to economic activity and grant them temporary residency visas in return. Nothing has been officially launched yet, but La Vida is keeping a close eye on the situation.

The BVI has a very attractive tax regime, there is no personal or company income tax. There is also no inheritance tax, death duty, capital gains, capital transfer or estate tax. For investors specifically looking for a tax residency option in the Caribbean, we would recommend considering Anguilla as an alternative. Anguilla is also a British Overseas Territory.

If you are looking for a citizenship programme and a second passport, then we would advise considering one of the neighbouring islands offering Citizenship by Investment, such as Antigua, Grenada or St Kitts.

For more details on your options, please contact our expert team of advisors.