St Kitts and Nevis citizenship by investment: 3 recent changes investors need to know about

1. The real estate investment threshold has been reduced to $325,000. Previously, investors could obtain citizenship by purchasing government-approved properties valued at a minimum of $400,000.

The requirements for private real estate investments have also been relaxed. Now, investors need to invest at least $600,000 instead of the previous $800,000.

The government of St Kitts and Nevis offers applicants three options for real estate investment:

• at least $325,000 — purchase of a share in a hotel, resort, or residential condominium approved by the government;

• at least $325,000 — purchase of a condominium approved for participation in the programme as an Approved Private Home;

• at least $600,000 — purchase of a standalone private home approved for participation in the programme as an Approved Private Home.

How to obtain a St Kitts and Nevis passport by investment

2. Parents over the age of 55 can now obtain a passport alongside the investor. Previously, investors were allowed to include parents aged 65 and above in the application.

One of the advantages of the St Kitts and Nevis programme is the opportunity to obtain second citizenship for the entire family. In addition to parents, the investor can also obtain a second passport for their spouse and children up to the age of 25.

3. A government fee has been introduced for adding a newborn child to citizenship. The fee is set at $7,500 and applies to the investor’s children under the age of 3, born after the main applicant obtained a St Kitts and Nevis passport.

The fee for children aged 4 to 18 remains the same at $10,000.

Another change: investors can no longer obtain a passport if they have been declared bankrupt within 10 years prior to submitting their citizenship application.

One of the reasons for the changes was a decline in demand for St Kitts and Nevis citizenship following an increase in the investment threshold to $250,000 in the summer of 2024.

Prime Minister Terrance Drew reported that revenue from the programme had dropped by 60%, amounting to 218 million Eastern Caribbean dollars in September 2024.