Passport of Saint Kitts and Nevis: Key Advantages

Chandra Shekar

Direct flights from America and Europe go to the insanely beautiful islands of St Kitts and Nevis in the Caribbean. The local citizenship-by-investment program is the oldest such program and the most secure one. The country is as famous for its economic citizenship opportunities as it is for its white sand beaches. Passports of no other Caribbean country running citizenship-by-investment programs give visa-free access to so many destinations. A passport of St Kitts and Nevis will let you enter 156 countries without visas. Another unique opportunity that St Kitts and Nevis offers is accelerated application processing: for an additional fee, you can become a citizen of the country within a couple of months only. If you need to obtain a second passport fast and you have enough money for that, St Kitts and Nevis should certainly be your choice.

Main reasons to choose St Kitts and Nevis as your second home country

The main reasons why you should opt for St Kitts and Nevis and disregard all other citizenship-by-investment opportunities include the following ones:

An accelerated application processing opportunity: your application for citizenship of the country can be processed within 2 months;
A unique opportunity to add dependent children of up to 30 years of age to the application for St Kitts and Nevis economic citizenship;
A unique opportunity to add dependent parents of at least 55 years of age to the application for citizenship;
You don’t have to permanently live in St Kitts and Nevis to remain a citizen of the country;
You can file the application documents remotely;
Since recently, a personal interview is required but it can be held at diplomatic missions of St Kitts and Nevis in foreign countries;
No education certificates are required;
Visa-free entry to 156 countries, which is more than any other Caribbean passport can offer (of those available for money);
0% tax on global income;
Regular flights to a large number of countries;
Perfect climate;
Living in St Kitts and Nevis is comfortable (especially if you choose St Kitts, the larger of the islands);
Low crime rates.

Financial routes to citizenship of St Kitts and Nevis

The following two options are most popular with foreign investors acquiring economic citizenship of St Kitts and Nevis:

Sustainable Island State Contribution (SISC)

This is a non-returnable contribution and the required amounts have been as follows since July 27, 2023:

Main applicant: US$ 250,000.
Main applicant and spouse: US$ 300,000.
Main applicant, spouse, and two dependent children: US$ 350,000.
Every extra dependent family member below 18: US$ 50,000.
Every extra dependent family member above 18: US$ 75,000.

Returnable investment in real estate:

US$ 400,000 – an apartment in a condominium;
US$ 800,000 – a detached house.

If you are buying an apartment in a condo, it has to be approved by the Government of St Kitts and Nevis for citizenship-by-investment purposes. No such restrictions apply to detached houses: you can buy any house that you like provided that its price is above the set minimum.

Additional expenses associated with ‘buying’ citizenship of St Kitts and Nevis

Please bear in mind that the contribution/ investment is not going to be the only cost that you will incur when applying for citizenship of St Kitts and Nevis. The following fees are also going to be involved:

Due diligence fees

Main applicant – US$ 10,000$;
Each family member above 16 – US$ 7,500.

Application processing fees

Single applicant – US$ 50,000;
Main applicant’s spouse – US$ 25,000;
Each extra family member – US$ 10,000 .

Park Hyatt: a possible investment option

A Park Hyatt Hotel was built in St Kitts and Nevis in 2017. It sits at Banana Beach in Christophe Harbour. It is a five-star hotel with 126 suites each of them overlooking the sea.

You can buy a time-share at the hotel: one week will cost you US$ 220,000. We admit that time-shares have earned themselves a bad reputation but this is an international hotel chain and you can count on a 2% to 5% annual return on investment if you decide to make use of the opportunity.

After seven years, you can sell the time-share to another investor in St Kitts and Nevis economic citizenship while retaining your passport of the country.

Downsides of St Kitts and Nevis citizenship-by-investment program

We have to be fair and say that St Kitts and Nevis citizenship-by-investment program has some disadvantages in addition to its numerous advantages. The main downsides of the program include the following ones:

Required contribution/ investment amounts are relatively high (passports of other Caribbean states that ‘sell’ them cost less);
Application processing can extend over quite a few months unless your pay extra for accelerated processing;
Direct flights only from Great Britain, the USA, and Canada.

In spite of these disadvantages, the citizenship-by-investment program administered by St Kitts and Nevis remains one of the most popular such programs. Besides, it is the oldest program and it has been well tried out, fine-tuned, and adjusted over the years. The ‘price’ of the country’s passport used to be lower, as a matter of fact, but the Government of St Kitts and Nevis decided to raise it a couple of years ago. Why? Because the demand for citizenship of St Kitts and Nevis has also been growing.

FAQ about St Kitts and Nevis citizenship-by-investment program

Below we answer some FAQ related to acquiring citizenship of St Kitts and Nevis by investment. We hope that the answers will give you a better idea of the second citizenship opportunity offered by a small but beautiful Caribbean country.

How much time does it take to become an economic citizen of St Kitts and Nevis?

If you are reluctant to pay extra for accelerated application processing, the process of acquiring citizenship of St Kitts and Nevis will take between 5 and 9 months.

What obstacles might I encounter when applying for citizenship of St Kitts and Nevis?

The authorities of St Kitts and Nevis issue passports only to those foreign investors who abide by the law and have a spotless reputation. Citizenship may be denied to you if you have a criminal past. If you are unable to prove the legality of your investment capital, your application may also be declined. If you have been denied a visa to a foreign country that has visa-free arrangements with St Kitts and Nevis, you will be ineligible to apply for citizenship of the country unless a visa to that country is granted to you when you apply again. In general terms, foreign applicants for economic citizenship of St Kitts and Nevis should pose no potential threats to the security and international reputation of the country.

Can I hand citizenship of St Kitts and Nevis down to my heirs?

Yes, you can.

We are going to have a baby in two or three years after acquiring economic citizenship of St Kitts and Nevis. Is our child going to be a citizen of the country?

Children born to citizens of St Kitts and Nevis automatically become citizens of the country. So yes, your child is going to be born a citizen of St Kitts and Nevis. No additional investments are going to be required.

It is commonly believed that Caribbean citizenship-by-investment programs are not as attractive as a similar program available in Malta, for example. Is this correct?

It is true that a Maltese citizen enjoys some advantages that a Caribbean citizen does not. In particular, a Maltese passport holder is free to live and work in any of the EU countries as Malta is a member of the Union. However, becoming an economic citizen of Malta is a much more costly enterprise in comparison to acquiring Caribbean citizenship. Besides, the process is much longer.

I’ve heard that citizens of St Kitts and Nevis need visas to enter Canada. Is that so?

Yes, citizens of St Kitts and Nevis have to apply for visas to enter Canada. However, they are eligible for long-term (10-year) visas to the country. You should realize that citizens of most European countries are also issued 10-year visas to Canada. The country does not have very many visa-free access agreements with other national states.

Are the authorities of St Kitts and Nevis going to inform the authorities of my home country about my acquiring second citizenship?

No, they are not. St Kitts and Nevis allows dual citizenship and the authorities of the country don’t actually care how many other passports you have. On the other hand, you may be obliged to report acquiring a second passport depending on the country of your original citizenship.