Talbot House, Saint Kitts, 1982 by Taft Architects

Saint Kitts and Nevis: Dual Nationality, Second Citizenship by Investment, Naturalisation and Golden Passport for Investors in St. Kitts

Apply for the St. Kitts and Nevis passport

Description of the St. Kitts Citizenship by Investment Program

Since its independence from the UK in 1983, Saint Kitts and the neighboring island of Nevis offer citizenship for life in a British Commonwealth Country against a non-refundable investment into their economy.

The dark blue Saint Kitts and Nevis passport is valid for 10 years.

Do I Need to Travel to St. Kitts to Apply for a Second Passport

Key Benefits of St. Kitts Citizenship

• Citizenship for life in a British Commonwealth country passed on to future generations by descent
• St. Kitts and Nevis recognize dual citizenship
• Robert L. Bradshaw Airport near St. Kitts and Nevis's capital Basseterre provides direct flights to Toronto, London, Atlanta, and New York
• The St. Kitts economic citizenship program gives permanent residency rights in most of the member countries of the Caribbean Community - CARICOM (here), which includes 15 Caribbean nations
  

Key Downsides of the St. Kitts Passport Program

• In 2014, Canada revoked its visa-free access for St. Kitts passport holders following a case of abuse (here)
• The US Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) issued an Advisory in 2014 (here) warning financial institutions against the risk of illicit financial activity linked to St. Kitts passport holders, saying that "[FinCEN] believes that illicit actors are abusing this program to acquire St. Kitts citizenship in order to mask their identity and geographic background for the purpose of evading U.S. or international sanctions or engaging in other financial crime"
• The St. Kitts citizenship program is among the CBI/RBI schemes which were identified by the OECD in November 2018 (here) as "potentially posing a high risk to the integrity of the CRS" warranting enhanced bank due diligence
• Starting from 01.01.2022, all visa-free non-EU citizens wishing to travel to the Schengen area (here) must apply online for a 3-year travel authorization via the European Travel Information and Authorisation System - ETIAS (here), similar to the American ESTA, involving (i) a fee payment of €7 (ii) background questions relating to public health risks, criminal records, previous refusals of entry (iii) background checks against relevant EU (and not only national) databases (such as SIS, VIS, Europol, Interpol, Eurodac, ECRIS), as part of a major move to strengthen Europe's external borders (here)

Personal Income Tax in St. Kitts

Corporate Income Tax in St. Kitts

Real Estate Tax in St. Kitts

> Non-resident buyers must obtain an alien landholding licence at 10% of the property value.

How to Get the St. Kitts and Nevis Passport and What Are its Costs

1) Non-refundable contribution of $150,000 to the country’s Sustainable Growth Fund (SGF):

• Main applicant | $150,000
• Main applicant and spouse | $175,000
• Family of 5 persons   $195,000
• Extra dependants (under 18) | $10,000 (per person)
• Siblings of the main applicant (any age) | $25,000 (per person)

OR

2) Real estate investment of $200,000 (property resalable only after seven years) or of $400,000 (property resalable after five years) into approved St. Kitts property:

Government Fees (only real estate option)

• Main applicant | $25,000
• Spouse (of the opposite sex) | $15,000
• Dependant under 18 | $10,000 (per person)
• Dependant over 18 | $15,000 (per person)

> Additional real estate closing costs apply.

Non-refundable Naturalization Due Diligence and Processing Fees in St. Kitts

What is a Dependant under the St. Kitts CBI Program

(in effect since November 2020)

A dependant is (i) a biological (or legally adopted) child of the applicants under the age of 18 or (ii) a child between 18 and 30 (enrolled as a student and/or supported by the applicants) or (iii) a child of any age who is physically or mentally challenged (iv) a parent above the age of 55 of the applicant or spouse or (v) since 6 November 2020, a sibling of the applicants who is under 30, unmarried, childless and financially dependent on the applicants.

What are the Steps to Get the Golden Passport on St. Kitts

1. Application pre-approval, submission of the entire file
2. 90 days: CIU checks and third-party due diligence
3. Approval in principle, qualifying investment to be made within 1 month
4. Citizenship Certificate issued, collection of passport in Saint Kitts or at one of its foreign embassies (here)

> St. Kitts and Nevis is the only CBI program to offer an Accelerated Application Process (AAP) with time to approval of 60 days against a surcharge of $35,000 (main applicant), $25,000 (spouse),  $25,000 (dependant over 18) and $15,000 (dependant under 18).

*** Visa-Free Countries for St. Kitts and Nevis Citizens - strong on Latam

ETIAS required since 2023 for Schengen entry (calculator here)

Albania (90 days), Andorra, Anguilla (90 days), Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina (90 days), Armenia (120 days), Aruba (30 days), Austria (90 days), Bahamas (90 days), Bahrein, Bangladesh (90 days), Barbados (6 months), Belarus (30 days), Belgium (90 days), Belize (6 months), Benin (30 days), Bermuda, Bolivia (90 days), Bonaire (30 days), Bosnia and Herzegovina (90 days), Botswana (90 days), Brazil (90 days), British Virgin Islands, Bulgaria (90 days), Canada (opted out in 2014), Cape Verde, Cayman Islands, Chile (90 days), Colombia, Comoros (45 days), Costa Rica (30 days), Croatia (90 days), Cuba (30 days), Curacao (30 days), Cyprus (90 days), Czech Republic (90 days), Denmark (90 days), Djibouti (31 days), Dominica, Dominican Republic (90 days), Ecuador (90 days), Egypt (30 days), El Salvador (90 days), Estonia (90 days), Ethiopia (90 days), Eswatini (ex-Swaziland), Faroe Islands (90 days), Fiji (120 days), Finland (90 days), France (90 days), French Guiana (90 days), French Polynesia (90 days), French Southern & Antarctic Lands (90 days), Gabon, Gambia (90 days), Georgia (90 days), Germany (90 days), Gibraltar, Greece (90 days), Greenland (90 days), Grenada, Guadeloupe (90 days), Guatemala (90 days), Guinea-Bissau (90 days), Guyana (6 months), Haiti (90 days), Honduras (90 days), Hungary (90 days), Iceland (90 days), India (60 days), Indonesia (30 days), Iran (30 days), Ireland (90 days), Israel (90 days), Italy (90 days), Jamaica, Jordan, Kenya (90 days), Kiribati (90 days), Kosovo (90 days), Kyrgyzstan, Laos (30 days), Latvia (90 days), Lebanon (1 month), Lesotho (90 days), Liechtenstein (90 days), Lithuania (90 days), Luxembourg (90 days), Macedonia (90 days), Madagascar (90 days), Malawi (90 days), Malaysia (30 days), Malta (90 days), Martinique (90 days), Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Micronesia (30 days), Monaco (90 days), Montenegro (90 days), Montserrat, Mozambique (30 days), Nepal (90 days), the Netherlands (90 days), New Caledonia (90 days), Nicaragua (90 days), Niue (30 days), Norway (90 days), North Macedonia (90 days), Pakistan, Palau (30 days), Panama (180 days), Peru (183 days), Philippines (30 days), Pitcairn Islands (14 days), Poland (90 days), Portugal (90 days), Reunion (90 days), Romania (90 days), Russia (90 days), Saba (30 days), St. Lucia, St. Vincent, Samoa (60 days), San Marino (90 days), Senegal (90 days), Serbia (90 days), Seychelles (90 days), Sierra Leone (90 days), Singapore (30 days), Slovak Republic (90 days), Slovenia (90 days), Somalia (30 days), South Korea (90 days), Spain (90 days), Sri Lanka (30 days), St. Barts (90 days), St. Eustatius (30 days), St. Helena (90 days), St. Maarten (30 days), St. Martin (90 days), St. Pierre and Miquelon (90 days), St. Vincent & Grenadines, Suriname (6 months), Sweden (90 days), Switzerland (90 days), Taiwan (30 days), Tajikistan (45 days), Timor-Leste (30 days), Tanzania, Togo (7 days), Tonga (31 days), Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia (90 days), Turkey (90 days), Turks and Caicos, Tuvalu (30 days), Uganda, Ukraine (90 days), United Kingdom (6 months), Uruguay (90 days), Uzbekistan (30 days), Vanuatu (30 days), Vatican City (90 days), Venezuela (90 days), Wallis and Futuna (90 days), Zambia (90 days), Zimbabwe (90 days)

Download factsheet on how to get citizenship in Saint Kitts and Nevis