Antigua and Barbuda for Digital Nomads

• No personal income tax. Antigua abolished personal income tax in 2016, which makes it simple for anyone whose tax home is elsewhere.
• English everywhere. Leases, banks, doctors and officials all work in English.
• A stable currency. The East Caribbean dollar is pegged at about EC$2.70 to US$1, and US dollars are accepted in most shops.
• Connections. V.C. Bird International Airport has direct flights to the UK, the US East Coast, Canada and the rest of the Caribbean.
• US-friendly hours. On UTC-4, you share the working day with New York for most of the year.

Antigua suits higher earners who want a few months of sea, sailing and quiet, people working US or Canadian hours, and anyone who can live happily on a small island with a car. It’s a natural fit for sailors, divers and kitesurfers.

It suits you less if you want a nomad community, cheap living, nightlife beyond beach bars, or a long legal stay without paperwork. Now that the nomad visa has closed, multi-month stays depend on extensions granted case by case. Public transport is limited and specialist healthcare is thin.

• St John’s: the capital and only real town, with the banks, government offices, supermarkets and the main hospital. Most people live in the residential areas outside the centre rather than downtown.
• English Harbour and Falmouth: the yachting south coast around Nelson’s Dockyard, with restaurants, marinas, hiking and the Sunday sunset at Shirley Heights.
• Jolly Harbour: a marina and villa development on the west coast near Bolans, with a supermarket, beaches and plenty of long-let homes.
• Dickenson Bay: the north-west beach strip near St John’s, with hotels, apartments and calm water.
• Barbuda: the flat, quiet sister island with a pink-sand coast and one village, Codrington. Beautiful for a short stay, but services are minimal.

Our where to base yourself in Antigua and Barbuda page compares them in more detail.

• Nomad Digital Residence: the two-year visa for remote workers earning US$50,000 a year has ended, according to its official site, and isn’t taking new applications. Existing holders should contact the Immigration Department about their status.
• Visa-free entry: citizens of the US, UK, Canada, EU countries and many Commonwealth states don’t need a visa. The officer stamps your entry period at the border; UK government advice puts the maximum visa-free stay at 90 days.
• Extensions: visitors can apply to the Immigration Department for an extension of up to three months at a time, in person, with proof of funds and an onward ticket. Approval is at the department’s discretion, and visitors may not work for local employers.
• Longer stays: residence permits, work permits with a local employer, CARICOM free movement for qualifying Caribbean nationals, and citizenship by investment are the remaining routes.

Our visas, taxes and money page explains the options in more detail.

A comfortable month for one person costs about US$3,000 to $4,500, depending mostly on rent and how often you eat out. A lean budget is about US$2,200 to $2,800. A one-bedroom apartment on a monthly let runs about US$1,200 to $2,500, more on the beach in high season, a local lunch such as a roti or saltfish plate costs US$8 to $15, and a restaurant main in English Harbour US$25 to $45. These are ballpark figures.

Costs that catch people out: imported groceries, air-conditioning on top of rent, car hire (close to essential), the temporary local driving permit, and higher rents from December to April.

Antigua and Barbuda is on Atlantic Standard Time (UTC-4) all year, with no daylight saving. In the northern summer that’s the same time as New York; in winter, it’s an hour ahead. London is four hours ahead in summer and five in winter, so European mornings overlap with your early start.

Antigua is one of the drier Caribbean islands, with no rainforest and few long downpours.

Flow, Digicel and the state utility APUA provide fibre and broadband, and the same three run mobile networks with island-wide 4G LTE. Speeds in villas vary a lot, so ask for a speed test before you rent, and keep a mobile data plan as backup. Prepaid SIMs are sold at the operators’ shops in St John’s and at the airport with your passport. Power cuts happen, so a laptop battery and a small UPS for the router help.

Antigua drives on the left. Most long-stayers hire a car, which needs a temporary local driving permit, usually arranged by the rental company or issued at police stations on showing your home licence. Taxis run on fixed, government-set fares between zones; agree the price, in EC or US dollars, before you set off. Minibuses run from St John’s to the villages but stop early in the evening and are sparse on Sundays. Barbuda is about 90 minutes away by ferry or 20 minutes by small plane.

The main hospital is the public Sir Lester Bird Medical Centre in St John’s, with private clinics around the island. Serious or specialist cases are often flown to Miami or another larger island, so get nomad health insurance with medical evacuation cover. Use repellent against dengue.

Antigua is generally relaxed, but violent crime does occur. Avoid isolated beaches and roads after dark, use licensed taxis and don’t leave valuables in cars. Currents can be stronger than they look, and many beaches have no lifeguards. The emergency numbers are 911 and 999.

• Camouflage clothing is illegal for everyone, including children.
• Work: visitors may not take paid or unpaid work for local employers.
• Drugs carry severe penalties.
• Overstaying your entry stamp is illegal; apply for an extension before it runs out.
• Dress: swimwear is for the beach, not for St John’s or shops.