St Kitts and Nevis Citizenship by Investment: All about the Program and Country

What do investors gain from a St Kitts and Nevis second citizenship

The Nevis and St Kitts passport offers the investor and their family numerous opportunities.

Freedom to travel. St Kitts and Nevis citizens can travel without a visa to 156 countries around the world. They can spend up to 90 days in each half-year period in the Schengen area, up to 180 days a year in the UK, up to 90 days a year in Hong Kong and up to 30 days a year in Singapore.

Travel to the United States. The B1/B2 visa allows holders to visit the United States for tourism, medical treatment or business for up to 6 months a year.

St Kitts and Nevis citizens are issued a visa immediately for 10 years.

St Kitts and Nevis citizens face fewer difficulties in getting a US visa compared to passport holders from many other countries: they can choose to apply for a US visa at the American consulate in any of the 156 countries that they can enter without a visa. The B1/B2 visa is normally issued within a few days.

Low tax rates. St Kitts and Nevis tax residents do not pay taxes on gifts, inheritance, capital gains or dividends.

Businessmen holding St Kitts and Nevis passports can register international companies in the country. They do not pay withholding tax on dividends, interest or royalties, and social security contributions for employees are just 6%.

Benefits for Commonwealth Citizens. St Kitts and Nevis is a member of the Commonwealth of Nations. Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II is its Queen and head of state. There are a number of benefits for citizens of Commonwealth countries: visa-free entry to Commonwealth countries, assistance and protection of the embassies of the participating countries and scholarships for studying at UK universities.

Transfer of St Kitts and Nevis citizenship by inheritance. St Kitts and Nevis is one of the few countries that allows citizenship by investment citizenship to be transferred by inheritance. Thus, the investor’s children or other family members under the age of 18 can become citizens by inheritance.

Expedited process. Only St Kitts and Nevis offers expedited processing of citizenship applications in the Caribbean countries.

The standard processing time for an application is 3 to 6 months, which is reduced to 2 months when an investor chooses the expedited option. However, the government has suspended this service due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

An expedited review of the application for citizenship costs an additional $25,000. The cost for additional family members included in the application is $20,000 per member over 16 years old and $500 for children under 16 years old.

Relatively low cost. A foreign citizen can receive a St Kitts and Nevis second citizenship by investing $150,000 in the state fund or purchasing state-approved real estate for $200,000.

The main applicant’s spouse, children under 30 years old, parents over 55 years old and siblings under 30 years old can also obtain citizenship. The total cost depends on the composition of the family.

Remote registration. The country’s law does not require an investor to reside in St Kitts and Nevis at the time of application or after citizenship has been approved.

Citizenship can be obtained without visiting the islands. The citizenship program’s agent accepts documents from the investor, and after approval of the application, they send the passport and certificate of naturalization to the applicant. This is especially convenient in the current conditions when borders have been closed due to the pandemic.

List of visa-free destinations for St Kitts and Nevis citizens

St Kitts and Nevis is a peace-loving country with a good political and legal reputation. Its citizens can travel visa-free to 156 countries, including the Schengen zone, Britain, Singapore, Hong Kong and members of the Commonwealth of Nations.

The table below is grouped by region, containing the countries that St Kitts and Nevis passport holders can visit without a visa.

St Kitts and Nevis passport : a list of visa-free countries and territories

Who can participate in the St Kitts and Nevis citizenship by investment program

The investor can include the following family members in the application for citizenship:

• spouse;
• children under 30 years old, including from previous marriages;
• parents of the investor or spouse at least 55 years old;
• siblings under 30 years old, without children and unmarried.

Children and parents with mental or physical disabilities can participate in the program at any age.

Children between 18 and 30 years old, parents, and siblings must be completely financially dependent on the investor. Immigrant Invest’s lawyers draw up a notarized affidavit confirming their dependence. The investor must provide documents that confirm material support: checks, bank statements, and receipts for payment of tuition at the university.

Family members can join the citizenship program after the investor’s passport is issued. There is no time limit within which family members can join the program. The cost of obtaining citizenship for a spouse is $35,000 and $10,000 per member for the rest of the family.

In order for the citizenship application to be approved, it is not enough to just make the required payment: the investor and each family member over 18 years old must pass a Due Diligence check. The relevant department of St Kitts and Nevis verifies the authenticity of the documents, the absence of a criminal record and sanctions, as well as rejections of applications for other citizenship programs or residence permits. The government wants to make sure of the legality of the sources of the investor’s funds and their compliance with the law.

How much does St Kitts and Nevis citizenship cost

The costs of St Kitts and Nevis citizenship include investments, administrative and government fees and fees for preparing documents, forwarding documents and notarizing translations.

The St Kitts and Nevis citizenship by investment program offers a choice of two investment options:

1. $150,000: a non-refundable contribution to the state’s Sustainable Growth Fund (SGF).
2. $200,000: investment in government-approved real estate for a minimum period of 5 to 7 years.

The cost of obtaining a passport depends on the family members included in the application and the number of documents that need to be prepared. The exact calculation of the costs of Nevis and St Kitts citizenship by investment is carried out by Immigrant Invest.

Using the example of a donation to the state’s Sustainable Growth Fund, let us calculate the cost of obtaining citizenship for an investor, a married couple and a family with two children.

Costs for donations to the St Kitts and Nevis State Fund, including fees

Costs	Investor 👨	Investor and spouse 👨 👩	Spouse and children between 12 and 22 years old 👨👩👧👧
Donation to the SGF	$150,000	$150,000	$150,000
Due Diligence fee	$7,500	$11,500	$15,500
Fees for passport, certification and processing forms	$661	$1,322	$2,644
Preliminary Due Diligence	$300	$300	$300
Bank commission	$200	$300	$450
Total	$158,661	$163,422	$168,894

Features of investment in real estate in St Kitts and Nevis

The minimum amount of investment in real estate is higher than the amount of subsidies to the state fund, and it does not depend on the number of family members included in the application or their age.

The option to invest in St Kitts and Nevis real estate is chosen by investors who want part of their investment to be returned. In the past few years, more than 50% of applicants for citizenship by investment have bought real estate.

The investor can sell the real estate after 5–7 years. The minimum ownership period depends on the amount of investment. Investors buying a stake for $200,000 can sell it after 7 years. Investors who buy property for $400,000 can sell it after 5 years.

Investors do not have to be present for the sale: the transaction can take place remotely. St Kitts and Nevis property sales tax ranges from 6 to 10%. The investor receives a double benefit: the money invested is returned, while at the same time the St Kitts and Nevis citizenship is kept.

Elite 5-star hotel complexes and residences have been approved for the program. The government strictly controls contractors in terms of timing and quality during the construction phase. Money is transferred to them in stages and only if all conditions are met.

The constructed hotel complexes are managed by companies with experience in the hospitality business in Europe, the United States and the Caribbean. The management companies find tenants, maintain the premises and grounds in good condition, hire service personnel, and manage the finances.

To invest in real estate, the investor has to conclude an agreement to purchase real estate, choose an escrow agent and open an escrow bank account. Investors do not have to do this themselves; they can delegate this and other tasks to a licensed program agent.

When buying real estate, applicants pay the following state fees:

• for an investor, $35,050;
• for a spouse, $25,050;
• for children under 30 and parents over 55, $10,050 per person;
• for siblings, $40,000 per person.

Using the example of investment in real estate, let us now consider the costs of citizenship by investment for the investor and their family.

Real estate investment costs in St Kitts and Nevis

Costs	Investor 👨	Investor and spouse 👨 👩	Spouse and children between 12 and 22 years old 👨‍👩‍👧‍👧
Minimum investment in real estate	$200,000	$200,000	$200,000
State fee	$35,050	$55,100	$75,200
Fee for Due Diligence check	$7,500	$11,500	$15,500
Fees for passport, certification and processing forms	$661	$1,322	$2,644
Preliminary Due Diligence	$300	$300	$300
Bank charges	$200	$300	$450
Total	$243,711	$268,522	$294,094

Which one is more profitable: contribution to the state fund or investment in property

The minimum contribution to the state fund is $150,000. However, this does not necessarily make it more profitable than buying real estate. Contributions to the state fund are irrecoverable and their amount varies depending on the family members included in the application.

Real estate investments start at $200,000. However, the minimum cost of a stake does not depend on the number of participants. Moreover, the property can be rented and then sold at a profit a few years later.

As an example, we consider the cost of participating in the citizenship program for different investment options for an investor with a family of four.

Calculation of the cost of different St. Kitts and Nevis citizenship by investment programs

For the investor, spouse and children between 14 and 27 years old

Costs	Contribution to the State Fund	Property purchase
Investment	$150,000	$200,000
Due Diligence	$15,500	$15,500
State fee	—	$75,200
Fees for passport, certification and processing forms	$2,644	$2,644
Preliminary Due Diligence	$300	$300
Bank charges	$450	$450
Investment amount returned	—	$200,000
Total	$168,894	$94,094

Tax and business in St Kitts and Nevis

St Kitts and Nevis exchanges information with other states according to the international system of common reporting standards (CRS). Investors with a St Kitts and Nevis second citizenship do not need to pay taxes in both their countries of citizenship.

An investor becomes a tax resident by living in St Kitts and Nevis for at least six months of the year. Tax residents do not pay taxes on income, capital gains, inheritance, gifts or dividends.

Tax rates for individuals:

• 0% on income earned outside St Kitts and Nevis;
• up to 0.3% on real estate;
• from 6 to 10% on the sale of real estate.

Corporate tax rates are also quite low for St Kitts and Nevis tax-resident organizations:

• 0% on income earned outside St Kitts and Nevis;
• up to 0.3% on real estate;
• from 6 to 10% on the sale of real estate;
• 6% social contributions;
• 33% on income generated in St Kitts and Nevis.

St Kitts and Nevis does not disclose financial information about the beneficial owners of the business. The personal data of the owners is not disclosed when registering companies. The government will provide another state with such data only in urgent cases: for example, if a company is found to be involved in fraud or terrorism.

Most business in St Kitts and Nevis is conducted through companies registered in the form of an international business company (IBC). It is recognized by the jurisdictions of different countries and allows working with foreign partners.

Registering an IBC costs about $2,300 and takes less than two weeks. The total minimum annual cost of maintaining the company is $1,600.

Documents required for registering a company in St Kitts and Nevis:

1. Memorandum of Association
2. Director’s appointment letter
3. Certificate of registration of the St. Kitts and Nevis office
4. Declaration that the owner of the company has reached the age of majority

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St Kitts and Nevis: Facts and Places of Interest

The two small islands of St Kitts and Nevis are located in the Caribbean, covering an arearnof 261 km² with a population of less than 50,000.

The locals speak English making it easy for foreigners to communicate and resolve issues that arise in everyday life. The local currency is the East Caribbean dollar (EC$ or XCD), although euros, US dollars and British pounds are also accepted.

Climate. Humid and hot, with winds constantly blowing from the southeast. It is sunny all year round and the average temperature remains between 25 and 32°C. The period of intermittent rains lasts from May to November, and hurricanes occur from August to October.

Nature. Jagged mountains overgrown with tropical forests, coconut groves, sandy beaches with coral reefs, pink salt lakes and blooming orchids along the river banks abound in St Kitts and Nevis. There are several extinct volcanoes in the country. A lake has formed in the crater of the highest volcano, Llamiuga.

Sightseeing. In the village of Challengers, an ancient rock painting of the Caribbean Indians has been preserved. The country has monuments of architecture from the Victorian era. Brimstone Hill Fortress National Park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Equestrian tournaments and a salsa and jazz music ca ival are held annually in June in St. Kitts. At the end of December, tourists arrive to take part in the most spectacular show, a ca ival with colorful costumes and dances.

Transport. The country has two international airports: Robert Bradshaw is located in St. Kitts and Vance Amory, on the island of Nevis.

Each island has modern ports that accept the largest cruise ships.

Public transport: minibuses, taxis and ferries. Travelling in a minibus costs $3 per 10 miles and in a taxi, $1 per mile. Ferries transport people and cars between the islands in 45 minutes. The fare is $25.

A narrow-gauge railway runs along the perimeter of the island of St Kitts, along which excursions are carried out in double-decker carriages. They last for four hours. The well-informed guides point out the sights of interest on the island and answer any questions that are raised.

Yachting. Christophe Harbor is home to the largest and most modern port in the Caribbean. There are berths for 300 ships and 60 berths for large yachts.

There is a customs office in Christophe Harbor. All amenities are equipped for yachtsmen: showers, cafes, shops and beaches. The prices for goods do not include duties. Spare parts and fuel for yachts are cheaper here than in European or Russian ports.

Only St Kitts and Nevis citizens can register a yacht under the country’s flag. The yacht is registered in one day, while the owners remain anonymous.

5 steps to obtain St Kitts and Nevis citizenship by investment

1. Contact Immigrant Invest. St Kitts and Nevis law does not permit applicants to directly contact the department dealing with the citizenship by investment program. Our company has been issued a government license to apply for citizenship by investment on behalf of our clients.

Immigrant Invest has its own anti-money laundering compliance officer who examines the investor's documents and assesses the risk of the application being rejected. If they consider that everything is in order, the application is taken to the next stage.

2. Sign a contract. The investor and the agent company sign an agreement at the Immigrant Invest office or exchange documents through a courier.

3. Prepare and submit documents. Our lawyers translate documents into English and notarize them. They fill out the relevant government forms, upload scans of documents to the program's website, and mail the originals to St Kitts and Nevis. The investor pays us for reviewing the application review and a Due Diligence fee.

4. Wait for the decision of the St Kitts and Nevis government. The department in charge of the citizenship by investment program begins to consider the investor's application after receiving the original documents. Verification of the application lasts from 3 to 6 months. The expedited service, for an additional fee, reduces the verification process to 60 days; however, this service has been canceled due to the pandemic.

The St Kitts and Nevis government conveys the decision on the application to the licensed agent. If the application is approved, the applicant must fulfill the investment conditions within 90 days.

5. Obtain citizenship documents. Our lawyers hand over the passport and certificate of naturalization to the investor at the Immigrant Invest office or send them by courier.

Frequently Asked Questions