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Saint Lucia Alien Landholding Licence
A practical guide to the Certificate of Eligibility, property-specific licensing, statutory fees and the questions foreign buyers should put to their attorney.
Two approvals. Different purposes.
The Act separates the buyer’s eligibility assessment from the licence tied to the proposed landholding. Your attorney should confirm whether the legislation applies to you and whether any exemption is available.
Certificate of Eligibility
The eligibility application addresses the buyer’s identity and supporting due-diligence information. The Act allows applications for one-year or ten-year validity periods.
Alien Landholding Licence
Once the land is identified, the property-specific application addresses the parcel or interest the buyer proposes to acquire or lease.
Government fees by application and landholding
These statutory amounts are published in Schedule 3 of the Alien Landholding (Licensing) Regulations, 2020. Last verified 10 October 2026. Professional fees, disbursements and transaction costs are separate.
US$3,000
One-year Certificate of Eligibility application.
US$10,000
Ten-year Certificate of Eligibility application.
US$100
To hold a subdivided lot.
US$2,500
To hold one acre or less.
US$5,000
More than one acre and up to five acres.
US$10,500
More than five acres and up to ten acres.
US$20,000
More than ten acres.
US$2,500 or 2%
Whichever is higher, based on aggregate rent over the lease.
Documents commonly required
Passport and civil records
Expect certified identity documents and civil-status records. Requirements differ for individuals, companies, partnerships and trusts.
Police and bank references
The legislation includes police-clearance and bank-reference requirements for the eligibility application.
Ownership and control details
Company applicants should expect incorporation, good-standing, director, shareholder and beneficial-ownership information.
Land particulars
Once the property is identified, the application must address the relevant landholding and supporting property information.
Attorney submission
Use a Saint Lucian attorney to confirm the current forms, certification standards, fees, sequencing and transaction conditions.
What the licence doesn’t automatically do
An Alien Landholding Licence is a landholding approval. Don’t treat it as automatic citizenship, automatic permanent residence, tax advice or proof that a property can be developed or operated commercially.
Immigration permission, planning approval, tax treatment and business or tourism compliance are separate questions.
Before signing
- Confirm whether you qualify as an alien under the Act.
- Identify any exemption.
- Agree suitable approval conditions.
- Verify title, boundaries and access.
- Confirm planning and intended-use restrictions.
- Obtain a complete written cost estimate.
Straight answers for foreign purchasers
Does every foreign buyer need a licence?
No. The legal test is whether you fall within the Act’s definition of an “alien”, not simply whether you are overseas. That definition can include foreign-controlled companies, and a Gazette exemption may apply. Have a Saint Lucian attorney confirm your position before you sign.
Can a company acquire property?
Potentially, but a company with foreign control may itself fall within the definition of an alien. Incorporation is not an automatic exemption.
Can I apply before choosing a property?
The Act permits an eligibility application without identified land. A property-specific licence application follows when the landholding is known.
Does the licence replace planning approval?
No. Development and operating approvals are separate from permission to hold the land.
Get the structure right before the deposit.
Tell us what you’re considering. We’ll help you organise the property search and connect the transaction with appropriate independent legal advice.