Investment property: British Virgin Islands (BVI)

Updated 5 October 2026

A foreigner can buy a villa, flat or plot in the British Virgin Islands, but not as freely as in most of the Caribbean.

Anyone without local belonger status must obtain a non-belongers land holding licence. Without it the deal cannot complete. The official currency is the US dollar; the market is small and expensive, with demand centred on seafront villas on Tortola, Virgin Gorda and the smaller islands.

The land holding licence

The licence is granted by the islands' government under the non-belongers land holding law. The application is filed once the parties agree the deal, usually through a local lawyer, with documents on the buyer, their finances and plans for the property. The licence may carry conditions, such as building a house on an empty plot within a set period or using the property only as a home. Breaching them can cost the licence. According to the government, 148 such licences were issued in 2023 and 2024.

Taxes and costs on purchase

• Stamp duty: 12% for a buyer without belonger status and 4% for belongers, on the price or market value, whichever is higher. On a $2 million villa that is $240,000.
• The buyer's lawyer and the title search at the land registry.
• The licence fee and related documents.

Rates were checked against several independent sources. The high stamp duty is the main cost and is budgeted before the deposit.

Owner's taxes

The islands levy no income tax on individuals' investment income and no capital gains tax. If the villa is let to holidaymakers, a tourist accommodation licence and local levies on rentals apply. Income details are sent to the owner's country of tax residence under information exchange.

Does buying give the right to live on the islands

Owning property does not by itself grant residence. Staying beyond the tourist period requires a residence or work permit, obtained separately from the purchase.

What is checked before the deal

The islands' land registry is checked for the owner, mortgages, easements and boundaries, and for a developer sale, building permits and utility connections. For a seafront villa, access to the beach and road is checked separately: on small islands it is not always obvious.

How the purchase works

1. Shortlisting a villa, flat or plot for your goal: living, holidays or letting.
2. Contract and deposit, usually 10%, conditional on the licence.
3. Licence application and waiting for the government's decision.
4. Title search at the land registry.
5. Completion, payment of stamp duty and registration.

Risks

• The licence is refused or comes with conditions that do not suit the buyer, so the contract must allow for this.
• A building condition on a plot is not met in time.
• The seller's local tax and utility arrears surface at registration.
• Hurricanes: construction and insurance matter.
• Low liquidity: buyers for the islands are few, and a sale can take a long time.

What we do

We shortlist a property, check the title, prepare the licence application with a local lawyer, make sure the contract protects you if it is refused, and support the deal and registration with locally licensed partners. If you need an account on the islands, we open it in parallel.

What we do

• Property shortlist for your investment goal
• Legal due diligence on the property
• End-to-end transaction support
• Ownership structuring (company, trust)
• Property management and letting

See also

Company formation · Business account · Personal account

FAQ