About St.Kitts & Nevis
St.Kitts & Nevis, also known in the country’s constitution as Saint Christopher and Nevis, has been independent since 1983 and forms part of the group of islands known as the Lesser Antilles, located some 2,000km to the south-east of Miami. The Federation comprises two islands: Nevis with an area of some 93.2 km2 and St.Kitts with 168.4 km2. St.Kitts, the larger of the two islands is roughly oval in shape except for a long, narrow peninsula to the south-east while Nevis is a circular shaped island surrounded by coral reefs. The official and business language is English. St.Kitts and Nevis have a pleasant climate, particularly during the cooler months from December to March. Humidity is relatively low, and constant north-east trade winds keep the islands cool.
St.Kitts and Nevis is a well-functioning democracy based on the British parliamentary system with the Queen of England as the Head of State. The Federation is a member of the United Nations, the Organization of American States, the British Commonwealth and many other international organizations. The Eastern Caribbean Central Bank has its headquarters in St.Kitts and it maintains the stability of the Eastern Caribbean Dollar, which is the national currency of most eastern Caribbean countries and is tied to the US Dollar.
The Government of St.Kitts & Nevis has introduced extensive legislation to attract financial services business to the island. The Federation offers good opportunities for investors, the workforce is well educated, English speaking and friendly. In addition, there are no income or capital gains taxes and no inheritance or gift taxes in St.Kitts & Nevis.
St Kitts Citizenship by Investment
The Citizenship Program of St.Kitts & Nevis was established in 1984 and requires an applicant of at least 18 years of age to make an economic contribution to the country. This makes it the oldest citizenship by investment program in the world. The St.Kitts & Nevis passport is very well regarded, as only relatively few passports have been issued under this program. As a result, St.Kitts & Nevis passport holders enjoy a passport with an excellent reputation and very good visa-free travel.
Under current regulations, to qualify for citizenship of St. Kitts and Nevis under its Citizenship-by-Investment Program, the Government requires:
- An investment in designated real estate with a value of at least US$ 400,000 plus payment of various registration and other fees (the Real-Estate Option), or
- A contribution to the Sustainable Growth amounting to US$ 150,000 which includes the main applicant, US$195,000 covering a family of four. The contribution for each additional dependent is US$10,000 regardless of age.
To qualify for citizenship under the real estate option, the government requires applicants to make an investment in designated, officially approved real estate with a value of at least US$ 400,000 plus the payment of government fees and other fees and taxes. As the application procedure under this option involves the purchase of real estate, this can lengthen the processing time depending on the chosen property. Real estate can be re-sold 5 years after the purchase and may not qualify the next buyer for citizenship. Acquisition of citizenship under the SIDF option requires a contribution to the Sugar Industry Diversification Foundation. While the donation to the SIDF is non-refundable by the Government, the real estate investment is a recoverable investment, as this can be sold after 5 years.
Dependents
Dependents of the Main Applicant include:
- A spouse of the main applicant.
- Children of the main applicant or his or her spouse under the age of 30 years old
- Parents or grandparents of the main applicant or his spouse above the age of fifty-five years living with and fully supported by the main applicant.
Ineligibility
- An applicant who has been denied a visa to a country with which St.Kitts & Nevis has visa-free travel and who has not subsequently obtained a visa to the country that issued the denial shall not be eligible to apply for citizenship by investment.
- An applicant with a criminal record.
- An applicant who is the subject of a criminal investigation.
- An applicant who is a potential national security risk to St.Kitts & Nevis or to any other country.
- An applicant who is involved in any activity likely to cause disrepute to the Federation of St.Kitts & Nevis.
Restricted Countries
St.Kitts & Nevis does not accept applications from the following countries:
- Iran
- Afghanistan
Advantages
- Citizenship can be passed to future generations by descent
- Visa-free travel to more than 135 countries inc the EU Member States, UK & Russia.
- Dual Citizenship allowed
- Fast processing between 4-6 months
- No income or wealth tax.
- No physical residency requirements.
- Direct flights from London, Toronto, New York and various parts of the world.
Taxation
- No personal income tax
- No wealth tax
St Kitts Passport
A St.Kitts & Nevis Passport is valid for 10 years and can be renewed afterwards.
Deprivation of Citizenship
- Where an applicant makes a false statement or omits information requested on any of the forms
- Where an applicant is subsequently found to have provided false or incorrect information
Government Authority Responsible for the Program
The St Kitts & Nevis Citizenship by Investment Programme is administered by the CIU, Citizenship by Investment Unit.
