Comparison of St Kitts and Nevis & Dominica passports

Opportunities for St Kitts and Nevis or Dominica citizenship holders

Wealthy people get second passports by investing to have vacations abroad and make business visits visa-free. To achieve these goals, they participate in St Kitts and Nevis and Dominica state citizenship programs.

The St Kitts and Nevis passport by investment was the most in demand only a year ago. But Dominica signed a visa waiver agreement with China, and its CBI program became popular, too. 

To date, St Kitts and Nevis citizens freely travel to 156 states, and there are 144 destinations for Dominica.

We list visa-free countries for the Caribbean passports in the tables below and highlighted different destinations with icons:

• ❌ means visa-free countries for the Dominica passport with restricted entry for St Kitts and Nevis citizens or the other way round;
• ⚠️ means that the entry conditions are slightly different. For example, visa‑free countries for Dominica citizens require visas on arrival from holders of St Kitts and Nevis passports. 

Europe

Asia

Africa

Oceania

North America

South America

Entry to the US. The popular destination for travelling and business contacts is the United States, but the country isn’t listed as visa-free for citizens of St Kitts and Nevis and Dominica. 

The Caribbean passport holders can get 10-year B-1/B-2 visitor visas to the US within 2一3 weeks. For comparison, citizens of countries with complicated geopolitical situations wait for US visitor visas for over half a year or can't get them at all.

Relocation. Holders of St Kitts and Nevis and Dominica second passports can relocate to their citizenship countries anytime. They are eligible to live, study, work, and run a countrywide business.

Comparison of CBI programs

To choose a second passport between St Kitts and Nevis’s and Dominica’s, investors compare the conditions of the CBI programs: time frames and costs that include investment and fees. 

If an investor decides to get citizenship with their families, they will check the age limits for relatives.

The time frame for a passport obtaining depends on a continuance of Due Diligence; it's the main step of each citizenship program. 

The Dominica government check lasts at least 3 months; the longest is up to 6 months. 

St Kitts and Nevis Due Diligence takes up to 6 months too, but the program has a fast‑track procedure that lasts 2 months.

Samvel

Investor from Armenia

St Kitts and Nevis citizenship with an accelerated application processing

Samvel’s family got Saint Kitts and Nevis passports in about three months: to have the life-long right to enter the Schengen countries visa-free, they benefited from the Accelerated Application Process.

Now the family no longer have to extend European residence permits every year. Samvel can freely visit his children who study in Europe.

Read the full story

Program costs include investments and fees determined by choosing an investment option.

The Dominica program has two following options:

1. A non-refundable contribution to a state fund is at least $100,000. Investors who participate in the program with their spouses will pay $150,000. For a family of 4, the investment is $175,000.
2. A refundable investment in real estate is $200,000. Investors buy shares in government-approved projects, for example, five-star hotels, and return money 5 years later.

The principal applicant is eligible to sell the real estate after 3 years of ownership. But a buyer can also participate in the CBI program if the share is sold 5 years after the purchase. Thus, investors keep real estate ownership for 5 years.

The Due Diligence fee for the investor is $7,500 and $4,000 per family member over 16. In addition to this charge, the main applicant pays other insignificant fees, for example, per issued passport. If the investor chooses the real estate option, they will defray a special state fee of at least $25,000.

Individual cost
calculation of the
Dominica citizenship

Get the cost calculation

The St Kitts and Nevis program has three following options:

1. Until June 30th, 2023, a non-refundable contribution to a state fund is at least $125,000. It is planned that from July 1st, 2023, the minimum contribution will grow to $150,000.
   Extra contribution for an investor's spouse is $25,000, $10,000 for children and parents, and $20,000 for siblings.
2. A refundable investment in real estate is at least $200,000. Unlike the Dominica CBI program, the St Kitts and Nevis program allows investors to buy not just shares in government-approved projects but also villas. The villa value must be at least $400,000. Investors return their money after 7 years of ownership, but a villa can be sold in 5 years.
3. Investment in socially significant facilities is $175,000 and is the least popular option.

Fees under the St Kitts and Nevis program, including a special state fee per property, are almost the same as under Dominica's. The fast-track procedure fee is $25,000 for the investor and $20,000 per family member over 16.

Individual cost
calculation of the St Kitts
and Nevis citizenship

Get the cost calculation

Age limits. Also, investors’ relatives can participate in programs with the principal applicant: a spouse without age limit, children under 30, parents over 55 under the conditions of the St Kitts and Nevis program and over 65 under Diminica’s.

Siblings can only get second passports with the principal applicant under the St Kitts and Nevis program. They have to be under 30, unmarried, and without children.

Validity of Dominica and St Kitts and Nevis passports

Requirements for Dominica passports are the following:

• to renew the document every 10 years for holders over 16;
• to renew the document every 5 years for holders under 16;

Requirements for St Kitts and Nevis passports are the same as Dominica’s.

St Kitts and Nevis and Dominica taxes

If the investor with a second passport decides to relocate to St Kitts and Nevis or Dominica for over 183 days a year, they will become tax residents and have to obtain a tax ID. 

Sometimes wealthy people get tax residency in Caribbean countries to reduce their tax costs.

Comparison of taxes in Dominica and St Kitts and Nevis

How to become a citizen of Dominica or St Kitts and Nevis

If an investor decides to obtain a second passport, they contact a licensed program agent, for example, Immigrant Invest. Our lawyers assist the investor in comparing the Dominica and St Kitts and Nevis programs and choosing the best one for the investor’s goals.

Before selecting, we always tell investors how to get Dominica citizenship or St Kitts and Nevis passports. The main stage of any citizenship program is Due Diligence which the CBI unit, the program department of the country’s government, conducts. Immigrant Invest has to perform preliminary Due Diligence to prepare for the check qualitatively.

PT9M

1 day

Preliminary Due Diligence

Preliminary Due Diligence

An Anti-Money Laundering Officer of the Immigrant Invest law company conducts the check. Preliminary Due Diligence allows our lawyers to find “red flags” in the investor’s biography. We need only an investor’s passport at that point.

2 to 4 weeks

Preparation of documents

Preparation of documents

The lawyers recommend the best programs for the investor’s goals with consideration of the results of preliminary Due Diligence. When a program is chosen, the lawyers will begin to prepare the investor’s documents.

They collect, translate and notarise them and file affidavits. The affidavit helps get through the Due Diligence of the CBI unit faster. Lawyers will apply to the CBI unit when the document set is ready.

2 to 6 months

Due Diligence

Due Diligence

The CBI unit conducts Due Diligence of investors and their family members over 16. If information about the investor and the relatives is furnished incompletely, Due Diligence time frames may be extended.

Up to 30 days

Investment terms fulfilment

Investment terms fulfilment

The CBI unit approves the investor’s application and notifies the licensed agent. Upon notification, the principal applicant invests within 30 days under the Dominica program conditions and 90 days under St Kitts and Nevis’s.

Up to 4 weeks

Getting passport

Getting passport

After the financial conditions are confirmed, the CBI unit instructs to issue the naturalisation certificates and passports to the investor’s family. Investors get the documents at the licensed agent’s office or by delivery service.

St Kitts and Nevis and Dominica: country profiles

The Caribbean countries have warm climates all year round. Winter is the best season for vacation in St Kitts, Nevis and Dominica. At this time, air and water temperature fluctuates between +25℃ and +30℃, and booking prices for apartments and villas increases by 2一3 times compared to August, for example.

St Kitts and Nevis and Dominica are members of CARICOM, the Caribbean commonwealth. It is a political and economic community of 15 countries with a common currency called the Eastern Caribbean dollar. 1 Eastern Caribbean dollar always costs 37 US cents.

There is no St Kitts and Nevis or Dominica nationality. For the most part, the population of these countries is of African descent. Approximately 10% of the population is Caribbean Indians and Europeans. Christianity is the main religion in St Kitts and Nevis and Dominica. The official language is English.

Antigua and Barbuda, US Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, Guadeloupe, and Martinique are countries near St Kitts and Nevis and Dominica. Their residents can get to neighbouring states by plane or ferry in 2 to 5 hours.

The country of Dominica is officially called the Commonwealth of Dominica. The state capital Roseau with a population of about 15,000, is located on the west seashore of the island

St Kitts and Nevis has two legal names: the Federation of Saint Kitts and Nevis and the Federation of Saint Christopher and Nevis. The state capital Basseterre with a population of about 11,000, is located on the island of St Kitts

Checklist for investors who choose the CBI program of Dominica or St Kitts and Nevis

Reduce costs. If you decide to reduce the costs of getting a second passport, we recommend the Dominica CBI program. Investments under the program conditions are less than under St Kitts and Nevis’s. Fees under both programs are the same.

Fast-track procedure. If you want to obtain a second passport as soon as possible, we recommend the St Kitts and Nevis CBI program. It has a fast-track procedure that lasts 2 months. An applicant who makes an opening to accelerate a program procedure pays an additional fee.

Second passports for siblings. If you decide to participate in a CBI program with your siblings, we recommend the St Kitts and Nevis CBI program. The Dominica citizenship program doesn’t allow adding sisters and brothers to the investor’s application.

Return investment. If you prefer to spend more but return your money, choose a real estate option. You can sell a property after 7 years of ownership under the St Kitts and Nevis program and 5 years later under Dominica’s.

Frequently asked questions