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BASIC COUNTRY FACTS

Antigua and Barbuda

Saint John's

  • Antiguan and Barbudan Creole
  • English

96,286

Eastern Caribbean dollar

.ag

+268

Eastern Caribbean dollar

STATUTORY LABOR REQUIREMENTS

Probation Period

  • A new employee's probation period may not exceed 3 months in duration, unless there is provision for a greater period in a collective agreement between an employer and a registered trade union acting as sole bargaining agent for all employees in an appropriate bargaining unit.

Annual Leave

  • Each employee who has successfully passed his probationary period shall be entitled to, and each employer shall give him, vacation leave without loss of at least the basic wage, including the cash equivalent of payments in kind, he would have received had he not taken the leave, in an amount of at least one day per month of employment.

Public Holidays

  1. New Year's Day (1st January)
  2. Good Friday (10th April)
  3. Easter Monday (13th April)
  4. Labor Day (4th May)
  5. Whit Monday (1st June)
  6. Carnival Monday (3rd August)
  7. Independence Day (1st November)
  8. Vere Cornwall Bird Snr. Day (9th December)
  9. Christmas Day (25th December)
  10. Boxing Day (26th December)

Maternity Leave

  • Maternity allowance is paid for a maximum of 13 weeks, commencing as early as 6 weeks before confinement or as late as the week of confinement.

Paternity Leave

  • Male employees have the right to paternity leave 
  • During the period they are entitled to cash paternity benefits under the Social Security Act.

Sick Leave

  • Each employee is entitled to leave on workdays, or parts thereof, during which he is ill or otherwise physically incapacitated for work
  • Each employee, for at least the first twelve days of sick leave taken during any twelve consecutive months, calculated from the date of commencement of employment and any anniversary date thereof, shall be entitled to that basic wage, and the employer shall give him that basic wage, which he would have received had he worked on those days.

Work Hours

  • The law provides for a maximum 48-hour workweek, but most people work 40 hours on the average.

Overtime

  • Employees are entitled to a compensation of 25% over his salary for overtime work performed between 06h and 21h, and 50% if the overtime work performed between 21h and 06h, for non-agricultural activities.

Notice Period

  • With respect to a person who has been engaged for a specified term of employment of less than one week's duration, the employer need give no further notice of his intention to terminate said employment at the end of the specified term, unless the terms of his employment specify otherwise.
  • In all other cases, the employer must give advance notice to the affected employee of an intention to terminate that person's employment, as follows
    • with respect to an employee within his probation period, an employer must give at least 24 hours’ advance notice of his intention to terminate said employee's employment
    • with respect to all other employees, the period of said advance notice shall be at least equivalent to the interval of time between the affected employee's paydays; 
    • in no case need the period of said advance notice exceed 30 days unless an employment contract calls for a longer notice period.

Severance

  • Severance pay shall consist of at least one day's pay, at the employee's latest basic wage, for each month or major fraction thereof of his term of employment with his employer and any predecessor employer.

13th Month Salary in Brazil

  • Yes
  • There is no statutory requirement to pay the 13th or 14th month salary.
  • However it is customary for the government to pay its employees a Christmas Bonus.
  • There are different payments that workers may receive including holiday pay and vacation pay which suggests that there the 13th or 14th month may be customary also in other industries.

INCOME TAX

Antigua and Barbuda do not levy income tax on individuals

DEDUCTIBLE EXPENSES

There are no deductible expenses.

IMMIGRATION

  • The government encourages employers on Antigua and Barbuda to recruit workers from the local population.
  • If an international worker is recruited, the employer must make an application for a work permit and pay a substantial, non-refundable fee. 
  • The prospective employee has to supply an identification, health and criminal record evidence, and must also provide substantial documentary proof that they followed the correct procedure.
  • They must show evidence that they advertised and interviewed in the area, and that they had good reason not to select any of the local applicants who came forward.
  • This means if the job you’re interested in is low skilled and doesn’t require specialist qualifications, your work permit is unlikely to be successful. 
  • Once you have lived in Antigua and Barbuda for at least four years, you can apply for residency.
  • This allows you to remain in the country permanently along with any named dependents. You will also be free to accept employment with any employer for any job without having to obtain a work permit.
  • If you have married an Antiguan citizen, you only have to wait one year before making your residency application.

 

Type of Visa/Permit

Documentation

Validity

Eligibility

Work Permit

  • Valid passport
  • Recent color photography (45mm x 35mm)
  • Return ticket in a maximum of 6 months from the entrance to the country
  • Confirmation of accommodation
  • Travelers who come for business will need a letter from their company explaining the purpose of their trip
  • Produce evidence of their ability to maintain themselves in Antigua and Barbuda, for example, the status of your bank account
  • Criminal record
  • Birth certificate

1 year

  • Work permit is issued to foreigners with a valid employment contract

Residence Permit

  • An approved work permit signed by the Minister at the time of application
  • Receipts showing his/her contribution of taxes.
  • A police certificate of Character
  • A health Certificate
  • Proof of insurance 
  • A return ticket
  • His/her passport

3 years

  • A Resident Permit can be granted to a person who, by virtue of a residency, has lawfully resided in Antigua and Barbuda for four years without interruption.
  • Furthermore, the applicant must meet the requirements set for the granting of a resident permit.

VALUE ADDED TAX (VAT)

  • Taxable activities for purposes of the Antigua and Barbuda sales tax are sales of goods or supplies of services within Antigua and Barbuda and the import of goods
  • The standard rate is 15%, with a reduced rate of 12.5% applying to hotels
  • Certain goods and services may be zero rated or exempt

VAT

Standard Rate

15%

Reduced Rate

12.5%

WITHHOLDING TAX

Dividends

  • There is no withholding tax on dividends paid to residents; a 25% tax is withheld on dividends paid to nonresidents

Interest

  • The withholding tax on interest paid to nonresidents is 25%

Royalties

  • The withholding tax on royalties paid to nonresidents is 25%

Technical Service Fees

  • The withholding tax on technical service fees paid to nonresidents is 25%

WHT

Dividends

25%

Interest

25%

Royalties

25%

Technical Service Fees

25%

TERMINATION

  • With respect to a person who has been engaged for a specified term of employment of less than one week's duration, the employer need give no further notice of his intention to terminate said employment at the end of the specified term, unless the terms of his employment specify otherwise.
  • In all other cases, the employer must give advance notice to the affected employee of an intention to terminate that person's employment, as follows
    • with respect to an employee within his probation period, an employer must give at least 24 hours’ advance notice of his intention to terminate said employee's employment
    • with respect to all other employees, the period of said advance notice shall be at least equivalent to the interval of time between the affected employee's paydays; 
    • in no case need the period of said advance notice exceed 30 days unless an employment contract calls for a longer notice period.
  • Severance pay shall consist of at least one day's pay, at the employee's latest basic wage, for each month or major fraction thereof of his term of employment with his employer and any predecessor employer.

STATUTORY BENEFITS

  • These are mandatory benefits as postulated by law
  • These include probationary period, annual leave, public holidays, sick leave, maternity leave, paternity leave, overtime pay, notice period, and severance pay
  • Statutory benefits also include social security benefits

Statutory Benefits

Probationary Period

Annual Leave

Public Holidays

Maternity Leave

Paternity Leave

Sick Leave

Overtime Pay

Notice Period

Severance Pay

Social Security Benefits

PAYMENTS AND INVOICING

  • There is no personal income tax
  • Hence, no obligations of payments and invoicing

EASE OF DOING BUSINESS

  • The ease of doing business index is an index created by Simeon Djankov, an economist at the Central and Eastern Europe sector of the World Bank Group.
  • Higher rankings (a low numerical value) indicate better, usually simpler, regulations for businesses and stronger protections of property rights.
  • According to the World Bank Antigua and Barbuda ranked 113th in the World in 2019 in terms of ease of doing business.

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