Small Eastern Caribbean financial centre with a split model: domestic banks are licensed by the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank, while international banks, money services, digital asset businesses and offshore gaming are licensed by the Financial Services Regulatory Commission (FSRC). It was one of the first jurisdictions to license interactive gaming and wagering, starting in 1994, and adopted a dedicated Digital Assets Business Act in 2020.
Risk flagStandard
FATFNot listed
EU AML high-risk listNot listed
EU tax listNot listed
Licence regimes6
CurrencyXCD
Next electiondue by 2031
Not on the FATF lists (statement of 19 June 2026), not on the EU high-risk third country list (Delegated Reg. (EU) 2016/1675 as consolidated 29 January 2026), and removed from Annex II of the EU tax list on 17 February 2026 after sitting in Annex I from 20 February 2024 to 8 October 2024. Checked 7 October 2026.
King (represented by Governor-General Sir Rodney Williams)
Charles III · since September 2022
Prime Minister
Gaston Browne (Antigua and Barbuda Labour Party (ABLP))
Governing parties
Antigua and Barbuda Labour Party (ABLP)
Last election
General (parliamentary), snap, 30 April 2026
Next election
General (parliamentary), due by 2031
Legislature
Parliament: House of Representatives (17 elected seats) and Senate (17 appointed members)
Legal system
English common law
Economy and finance
Population
94.2k (2025)
GDP
USD 2.3bn (2025)
GDP per person
USD 21,676 (2025)
Currency
East Caribbean dollar (XCD), pegged to USD at 2.7:1 (Eastern Caribbean Currency Union)
Central bank
Eastern Caribbean Central Bank
Tourism and construction dominate the economy, supplemented by a citizenship by investment programme and an offshore financial sector supervised by the Financial Services Regulatory Commission.
Bank
International Banking Licence (Class I, Class II and Class III)
Minimum capitalUSD 3m
TimelineFSRC must issue or refuse within 3 months of receiving the application, or within 14 days of receiving any additional information requested
AuthorityFinancial Services Regulatory Commission (Supervisor of International Banks and Trust Corporations)
Class I and Class III: at least USD 3 million paid up, of which USD 500,000 deposited with or as approved by the FSRC. Class II (restricted list of customers): at least USD 500,000 paid up, of which USD 100,000 deposited.
Law
International Banking Act, 2016 (No. 6 of 2016)
Passporting
No. An international licence does not permit business with the ECCU domestic market or any passport.
Key requirements
Class I: unrestricted international banking; Class II: restricted list of customers approved by the FSRC; Class III: composite international banking and trust licence
Physical presence: own office in Antigua, open at least 6 hours a day Monday to Friday, at least one full-time employee with relevant experience
Personal history and two bank references plus two professional references for each director, senior officer and 5 percent owner
Business plan with full ownership chart, KYC and AML policies, and explanation of any internet banking
Applicant pays the cost of FSRC due diligence in advance; annual on-site examination and annual audited returns plus quarterly financial statements
Licence to carry on banking business (domestic, ECCU)
Minimum capitalUSD 7.4m
TimelineCentral Bank must grant or refuse within 6 months of a completed application
AuthorityEastern Caribbean Central Bank
Not less than 20 million dollars paid-up or assigned capital for a bank; 5 million for a credit or other financial institution (uniform Banking Act text published by the ECCB)
Law
Banking Act, 2015 (uniform ECCU banking law), s. 44 and Schedule I; Banking (Licences) Regulations, 2019 (S.I. 2019 No. 13)
Fees
Schedule I of the uniform Banking Act text: application fee 20,000; initial and annual licence fee 120,000 (foreign institution) or 80,000 (local institution), in EC dollars
Passporting
No automatic passport; each ECCU member grants its own licence under its own Banking Act.
Key requirements
Application on the prescribed form under the Banking (Licences) Regulations, 2019
Fit and proper directors, senior officers and significant shareholders
Capital adequacy and source of capital assessed by the ECCB
Digital asset business licence (Class A or Class B)
Minimum capitalNot published
TimelineNot published
AuthorityFinancial Services Regulatory Commission
Law
Digital Assets Business Act, 2020 (No. 16 of 2020), ss. 6 to 10 and 17; Digital Assets Business Regulations, 2021 (No. 38 of 2021)
Fees
Application fee and annual fee as determined by the Commission (Act s. 8 and s. 17); amounts are in the 2021 Regulations, which are published only as a scanned image and could not be verified
Passporting
No.
Key requirements
Covers issuing or redeeming tokens, digital asset payment services, exchanges, custodial wallets, custody, digital asset services vendors, lending and derivatives, and special purpose depository services
Class A licence for any or all activities; Class B licence for activities over a defined period set by the Commission
Minimum capitalisation must be maintained; failure is a ground for revocation
Licence may be revoked if business does not start within 6 months of issue
Approved prospectus required for token offerings (valid up to 12 months)
Interactive Gaming licence and Interactive Wagering licence
Minimum capitalUSD 100k
TimelineNot published
AuthorityFinancial Services Regulatory Commission, Division of Gaming (Directorate of Offshore Gaming)
Reserve requirement of at least USD 100,000
Law
International Business Corporations Act, Cap. 222 and Interactive Gaming and Interactive Wagering Regulations
Fees
Per the FSRC Licensing Guidelines (undated): due diligence USD 15,000 non-refundable; Interactive Gaming licence USD 100,000 a year; Interactive Wagering licence USD 75,000 a year; renewal USD 5,000 per licence; key person licence USD 1,000 first year then USD 250; monitoring system fee USD 25,000 for one licence or USD 45,000 for two. The guidelines are undated, so confirm current amounts with the FSRC.
Passporting
No.
Key requirements
Applicant must be an Antigua IBC; probity checks on all investors and key persons
Gaming companies are financial institutions for AML purposes under the Money Laundering (Prevention) Act 1996
Annual external audit certifying solvency, player protection and AML compliance
KYC procedures and control systems per FSRC directives and guidelines
The FSRC international banking page still describes licensing in terms of the International Business Corporations Act, but the FSRC links the International Banking Act, 2016 (No. 6 of 2016) as the governing law. That Act is posted only as a scanned image, so section numbers were not verified. The FSRC page refers to a schedule of fees for international banks but gives no link, so bank fees are left null. Domestic bank figures come from the uniform ECCU Banking Act text published by the ECCB. Amounts are in EC dollars, and the ECCB may vary minimum capital by notice. The Digital Assets Business Regulations 2021 are also scanned, so DAB capital and fee amounts were not verified. EU tax list history from the Commission's timeline: Antigua and Barbuda was in Annex I from 20 February 2024, moved to Annex II on 8 October 2024, and was removed from Annex II on 17 February 2026. The FATF site (fatf-gafi.org) returned HTTP 403, so FATF status was confirmed through official government relays of the 19 June 2026 statement. Antigua and Barbuda is a CFATF member and is not on either FATF list.
General information
About Antigua and Barbuda
Natural Earth boundaries. Map is indicative.
Status
Sovereign state
Capital
Saint John's
Area
443 km²
Official languages
English
Time zone
UTC-04:00
Main exports
Tourism
Refined petroleum
Ships
Shellfish
Main export partners
Suriname
Poland
United States
Dominican Republic
Australia
Sources for the country information(8)
Country information checked 9 October 2026. Licensing data updated 7 October 2026. Information only, not legal advice; requirements change. Regulatory notice.
