How to get Saint Kitts and Nevis Golden Visa

Visa-free travel to six continents. Citizens of St Kitts and Nevis can visit 156 countries and territories worldwide visa-free or with a visa on arrival. The list includes the Schengen states, Great Britain and Hong Kong.

Visa-free countries to travel with the St Kitts and Nevis passport

Travel opportunities of this passport are higher than of passports of India, China, RSA, and Azerbaijan.

Long-term US visa. Holders of Saint Kitts passports can get a US B‑1 or B‑2 visa for 10 years. This type of visa allows one to travel around the country, visit friends and family, participate in business meetings and receive medical treatment in American clinics.

Business climate. St Kitts and Nevis tax residents can register international companies. They do not pay tax on dividends, interest or royalties. There is no tax on wages, capital gains or inheritance in the country. And the social security contributions for employees are just 6%. Learn more about taxes for companies and individuals in St Kitts and Nevis.

Educational possibilities. Enrolling in British universities for St Kitts citizens, in general, is more straightforward. For example, St Kitts residents are exempt from requirements to prove language knowledge. Parents can easily visit their children because of their visa-free access.

Recreation opportunities. The country consists of two small islands in the Caribbean, with less than 50,000 people. Beautiful nature with mountains, forests, “Paradisus” beaches and Victorian architecture. The average annual temperature is 29 degrees Celsius. There are also two airports, seaports and transport infrastructure on both islands.

The most important thing you should know: Saint Kitts and Nevis doesn’t grant a residence permit by investment. If you invest in St Kitts, you obtain a passport and citizenship directly.

It is good if your first-citizenship country allows dual citizenship. If the legislation of your native country doesn’t provide an option of dual nationality, it is better to search for an investors’ program with a residence permit, not a passport. For example, the Portuguese program gives you a residence permit for investments.

If we talk about requirements, we should know that the Saint Christopher and Nevis Citizenship Act, 1984 (Act No. 1 of 1984) allows getting citizenship by foreigners:

• above 18 years;

• without criminal records;

• with an opportunity to prove the legality of the income;

• enough level of income or stable financial position;

• good health status.

An investor’s spouse can claim citizenship if they are of the opposite gender and have no criminal records in biography. Children, investors or spouses' parents over 55 can claim St Kitts and Nevis passport if they are financially dependent on the investor.

Why the St Kitts and Nevis citizenship program and the country's tax system are attractive for investors

And lastly, the main reasons for refusal of citizenship are:

• misinformation in the application;

• criminal records or prosecution in any country;

• a threat to national security or business, which can cause a bad reputation for St Kitts;

• visa refusals of countries with which St Kitts citizens have visa-free entry.

Get a St Kitts passport for citizens of any country except Iran, Afghanistan, North Korea, and Syria.

There are three options for participation in the St. Kitts investors' program:

1. $250,000 or more — contribution to the state’s Federal Consolidated Fund.

2. $325,000 or more — buying a share or whole property in a real estate project. An amount depends on the type of real estate.

3. $250,000 or more — investing in a public good project.

Both options give almost the same opportunities for the investor and his family. The main difference is about refundability of investments:

The first option is non-refundable: you give the money to FCF and get the passport.

The second option is refundable: so you invest, get the passport, hold the property for 7 years and then sell it if you want.

One more difference between the options: investments in real estate can give you a passive income during the period of ownership. Of course, if the managing company or the investor rent the property out.

If you choose to contribute, the amount depends on the number of family members.

There are required payments. Due Diligence fee, starting from $10,000 for the main applicant, depends on the number of family members. Other charges, such as notary services and legal checks, starting from $1,161, also depend on the number of family members.

If you choose to buy real estate, you have a choice between the types of property.

Additional payments start at $25,000.

Let’s observe the costs for a family of 4, including a married couple and their children of 9 and 17 years old.

The number of applicants does not affect timing but affects the price of Golden Visa. An investor can add relatives after passing Due Diligence, but it costs higher because of an extra fee: a married couple "costs" $40,000, children — from $10,000 each.

Individual cost calculation for St Kitts and Nevis citizenship

Get the cost calculation

There is the list of documents you should provide in the process of obtaining citizenship:

1. Application forms.
   Form C1 — application for registration as a citizen.
   Form C2 — photograph and signature certificate.
   Form C3 — medical certificate and HIV tests no older than 3 months.
   Form C4 — investment confirmation form, only if you contribute to the FCF.

2. Original Birth certificate.

3. Certified copy of national ID card and passport.

4. Police certificate proving that you have no criminal records.

5. Six photographs: 35×45mm.

Additionally, you should provide supporting documents and a detailed list depending on your situation. It can be bank statements or reference letters, docs about your military experience, and employment letters.

The significant feature of the St Kitts and Nevis citizenship program is an application — you can only claim it with the support of authorized agencies. In general, there are five steps to getting a passport:

1. Apply to an authorized agent and get the preliminary check. A Compliance Anti Money Laundering Officer checks the documents and gives the prognosis of chances of success. In Immigrant Invest, this step takes one business day.

2. Prepare the documents. The authorized agent gives you the list of the documents, including passports, marriage certificates, and statements from the bank. This step can take from two to four weeks.

3. Pass Due Diligence. The agent sends the pack of documents to St Kitts, and they start a verification procedure. It takes from two to six months.

4. Approve the fulfilment and the investor conditions. After completing Due Diligence, you have three months to comply with the program requirements, so you should contribute to FCF or buy a share or whole property of the real estate.

5. Obtain the passport. After fulfilling program conditions, you get the passport and certificate of naturalization. Courier will deliver it within four weeks.

Obtaining St Kitts Golden Visa takes at least 6 months.

Samvel, 43 years old

A plant owner from Yerevan

Fast-track to citizenship

Children enrolled in the Universities in Austria and Germany, and Samvel and his wife wanted to visit their sons in the Schengen area and help them settle into a new place.

Three months after contacting Immigrant Invest, the family got citizenship and paid a $160,000 contribution for five because the discount was valid until 2021.

Learn a case

You have no duty to live or regularly visit islands after obtaining the passport of St Kitts.

The passport is valid for ten years. After that, you should renew it. Passports for children above 16 years are valid for five years.

Learn more about the rights and duties of St Kitts and Nevis citizens.