19 The Harbour Rodney Bay, St Lucia, St Lucia

Buying a property in St.Lucia where there is a tax haven with no VAT, no capital gains tax, no inheritance tax and no estate tax makes a great deal of sense. St.Lucia is one of the worlds top destinations for weddings and honeymoons making a holiday rental property potentially lucrative. St.Lucia has really embraced the worldwide taste for health spas with the first St.Lucia Health & Wellness Retreat, supported by the government and private businesses, being established and opening soon on the island. Being one of the most accessible islands in the region with the lowest crime rate St.Lucias affordable properties offer an ideal opportunity for investment. Comparable in many ways to neighbouring Barbados but with house prices ranging from 40-60% lower this beautiful island should not be overlooked as an investment opportunity.

With a total land area of just 620 sq miles St.Lucia, often called "The Helen of the West Indies" because of its natural beauty, sits in the ocean like a shimmering jewel. Pristine white sandy beaches, tropical forest populated by rainbow-plumed birds and acres of orchards filled with sweet smelling tropical fruits such as mango, papaya and banana are crowned by the islands twin peaks the Gros & Petit Pitons.

There are certain rules and regulations you must comply with as a non domicile of St Lucia in order to purchase a St Lucia property. For instance, you will need to apply for an Alien Landholding Licence. Generally the cost of purchasing a property on St Lucia will come out at between 6-8% on top of the purchase price. This will cover stamp duty, the Alien Landholding Licence, Treasury receipt, legal costs and registration fees. If you are taking out a mortgage, lenders tend to charge a set-up fee.

Foreigners must apply to the Ministry of Planning for an Alien Landholding Licence which costs EC$1,500, is non-refundable and does not need renewing. The process takes up to 16 weeks as the application is vetted by the Physical Planning Office of the Ministry of Physical Development, Environment & Housing, approved by the Prime Ministers Office and finally by the Office of the Attorney General.

Your locally appointed lawyer will make the application for the Alien Landholding Licence on your behalf. Along with your completed application you will need to provide the lawyer with the following information:
• Certificate of character for each applicant (from your local police station)
• A bank reference
Your CV
• A copy of your passport data page
Full set of fingerprints (from your local police station)
Statutory declaration
• 4 passport size pictures of each applicant
• Full details of the proposed property or land purchase (including a survey plan and land register of the property (from the Vendor) and a value assessment of the land or property (although the value assessment may not be necessary
• Receipt proving payment of application fee
• Initial approval from the Development Control Authority (this may not be necessary.

In addition to the application fee for the Alien Landholding Licence, the following fees are applicable depending on the land area of your property:
Land Area (in acres)/ Price (in EC$)
Under 1    $5000
1-10 / $10,000
10-20 / $20,000
20-50 / $30,000
50-100 / $40,000
100+ / $50,000