St. Lucia: Guide to Buying Costs and Procedures

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Buying costs are very high

How high are realtors’ and lawyers’ fees in St. Lucia? What about other property purchase costs?

How difficult is the property purchase process in St. Lucia?

Development and investment is encouraged by the government through tax incentives and exemptions. Foreign individuals need to procure a landholding license to be able to acquire property freehold. The process of obtaining an Alien Land Holding License can take around 6-8 weeks.

Certain sectors in the economy are reserved only for nationals including real estate and rental agencies for homes, villas, and apartments. Likewise, the operation of guest houses of less than 10 rooms is not open to foreigners.

The procedure for buying property in Saint Lucia is similar to that in the United Kingdom.

Buyers are expected to pay a deposit of 10% during the contract signing, as a standard clause in St. Lucia’s property sale contracts to prevent either party from being ripped off. If the buyer backs out from the transaction, the 10% deposit cannot be refunded. If the buyer’s application for an Alien Land Holding License is denied, the buyer can refund the 10% deposit. If in case the seller backs out, the deposit is doubled and paid back to the buyer.

It is necessary to employ the services of a lawyer in order to register the Alien Landholding License – a process which usually takes six to eight weeks. After the contract of sale has been signed, the lawyer will forward the License application to the Ministry of Agriculture and Lands. Keep in mind that these Licenses are permanent, non-transferable, and property-specific. While waiting for the License to be released, the property survey and conveyance process can begin.

After the License has been granted, the actual transfer takes place. Any outstanding balance on the sale will be settled. The last step is to register the transfer and pay any remaining government duties.

If purchasing property is done through a company, the 10% Future Tax Liability will be taken off from the costs. It takes around six weeks to form a company and costs ECD3,200 (US$1,185.18).

If the buyer purchases land only, the buyer is required by the Government to develop or build on the land within 2-3 years from the date of purchase.

Footnotes to Transaction Costs Table

The round trip transaction costs include all costs of buying and then re-selling a property – lawyers’ fees, notaries’ fees, registration fees, taxes, agents’ fees, etc..

Currency:
St. Lucia uses the East Caribbean Dollar (XCD) which is pegged to the US Dollar (USD) at USD1 = XCD2.70.

Alien Landholding License (ALL):
All foreigners (except for citizens of Barbados, Dominica, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines) must obtain an Alien Landholding License from the government to be able to buy landed property. The lawyer who conveys the property can also apply the license in your behalf. The license fee is XCD5,000 for properties measuring less than one acre and XCD10,020 if the property is more than one acre. There is also a non-refundable license application fee of XCD1,500.

Stamp Duty:
Stamp Duty on registration of the deed of sale is 2% of property value, typically paid by the buyer.

Legal Fees:
Legal fees for conveyance of real estate is around 3% to 5%. The fees typically include the cost of preparing the sale and purchase agreement and securing an Alien Landholding License. It may also include various miscellaneous fees such as the XCD20 registration fee (XCD10 for each copy of the deed, one for the buyer and one for the registry).

Vendor's Tax:
Foreigners who intend to sell their St. Lucian real estate are charged 10% Vendor's Tax. Residents of St. Lucia pay much lower vendor's tax.

Real Estate Agent's Commission:
Agent's commission is negotiable, but most agents charge 6%.

St. Lucia - more data and information

• How high are estate duties in St. Lucia?

Your Comments

posted by Louise | 2008-04-28

Secretary, The Netherlands

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