Foreign buyers in St. Lucia face several mandatory expenses in addition to the property price. These costs are higher than those for local buyers and are essential to budget for when planning a purchase.

Main Expenses

• Alien Landholding License (ALHL):
  • Required for all non-citizens to legally own property.
  • Application fee: around EC$1,500 (approx. US$556).
  • License fee: EC$5,000 (approx. US$1,852) for properties under one acre, EC$10,020 (approx. US$3,711) for properties over one acre. Some sources note the fee can range from $100 to $10,000 depending on lot size.
  • The process takes 4–8 weeks and is property-specific.
• Stamp Duty:
  • 10% of the property value for non-citizens and non-residents.
  • This is significantly higher than the 2% rate for local buyers.
• Legal Fees:
  • Typically 0.5%–2.5% of the property value, with a minimum flat fee.
  • Legal fees are calculated on a sliding scale: 2.5% for properties up to EC$50,000, 1.5% for EC$50,000–100,000, 1% for EC$100,000–850,000, and 0.5% for over EC$850,000.
• Health and Security Levy (HCSL):
  • 2.5% of the property value.
• VAT:
  • 12.5% VAT is applied to legal fees.
• Bank Transfer and Administrative Fees:
  • Banks may charge a transfer fee; other minor administrative costs may also apply.

Optional and Ongoing Costs

• Property Registration Fees:
  • Typically included in legal fees or as a minor separate charge.
• Annual Property Tax:
  • 0.25% of the property’s market value, paid yearly.
• Maintenance and Management Fees:
  • If renting out, management fees can be 40–50% of rental income for managed properties.

Special Case: Citizenship by Investment Program

• Buyers using the Citizenship by Investment Program for approved properties (minimum US$200,000–$300,000) are exempt from stamp duty and the ALHL fee, but must pay due diligence, administration, and processing fees, which can total tens of thousands of US dollars depending on family size.

Summary Table