Saint Lucian nationality law

A person born in Saint Lucia is automatically a citizen of Saint Lucia at birth if either one of his/her parents are citizens of Saint Lucia.[1]

A person born in Saint Lucia is not a citizen of Saint Lucia in the case of the following:

• Neither of the child’s parents is a citizen of Saint Lucia.
• The child’s parent is a citizen of a country which Saint Lucia is at war with.

Any child born outside of Saint Lucia is a citizen of Saint Lucia at birth if either one of his/her parents are citizens of Saint Lucia.

A person may register to be a Saint Lucian citizen in the following situations:[2]

• They are a spouse of Saint Lucian citizen.
• They are a person under the age of 21 who was adopted by a Saint Lucian citizen.
• They are the stepchild of a Saint Lucian citizen.

Saint Lucian law considers any person who is not a Commonwealth citizen or an Irish citizen an ‘alien’. Any person who has resided in Saint Lucia for 7 years can apply for naturalisation as a Saint Lucian citizen. They are required to:

• Renounce any previous citizenship.
• Take an oath of allegiance.

Commonwealth citizens or Irish citizens are not treated as foreigners under Saint Lucian law therefore they are not required to renounce their previous citizenship or take an oath of allegiance for their application of naturalisation.

In 2016 the Saint Lucian government enacted the “Citizenship by Investment Act” which sets out a number of ways a person can become a citizen of Saint Lucia by some form of investment into the country. These ways include:[3]

• A non-refundable contribution to the National Economic Fund of USD $100,000 for a single application (this minimum contribution is higher for families).
• An investment of at least USD $250,000 into 0% Covid-19 Relief Bonds (until 31 December 2020), holding period of at least 5 years.
• An investment of at least USD $300,000 directly into an approved real estate development to be held for at least five years.
• An investment of at least USD $500,000 directly into St. Lucia government bonds to be held for at least five years.
• An investment of at least USD $3,500,000 into an approved corporate business project that creates at least three local jobs.

A citizen of Saint Lucia may voluntarily renounce their Saint Lucian citizenship provided it doesn’t render them stateless.

There are no provisions for the involuntary loss of Saint Lucian citizenship except in the following circumstances:

• Where citizenship by registration, naturalisation or investment was obtained by fraud, false representation or the concealment of any material fact.