St Kitts and Nevis Citizenship by Investment

The First. The Finest. Pioneer of the global investor immigration industry since 1984. The St Kitts and Nevis Citizenship by Investment Programme stands as the oldest and one of the most trusted programmes of its kind. Since 1984, it has allowed investors and their families to legally obtain citizenship of one of the Caribbean’s most idyllic locations.

Successful applicants under the St Kitts and Nevis Programme are registered as citizens of the nation and may apply for a St Kitts and Nevis passport*.

*Note: while the Citizenship by Investment Unit and the Passport Office work in unison, obtaining citizenship and applying for a passport are two distinct processes.

Applicants have access to a huge range of benefits including:

For successful applicants, the St Kitts and Nevis Citizenship by Investment application process consists of seven main steps, which are:
 
Step 1: Pre-approval by CS Global Partners and preparation of the application.

Step 2: Submission of the citizenship application.

Step 3: Wait for the CIU to process your application and carry out all due diligence checks.
 
All main applicants are required to attend a mandatory interview. Dependants aged 16 years of age may at the discretion of the CIU be required to attend an interview.
 
Once your application is vetted, within 120 days of acknowledgment from the Citizenship by Investment Unit (CIU) of submission of a CBI application, the CIU will issue a letter advising whether an application is:

• Approved-in-principle;
• Denied; or
• Delayed for cause and is still being processed.

Step 4: Make your chosen investment from the four CBI Options after you receive the approval-in-principle letter.

Step 5: Certificate of Registration issued and available for collection in St Kitts and Nevis or at specified Consulates or Embassies approved by the St Kitts and Nevis CIU Board of Governors.

Step 6: Passport application.

Step 7: Enjoy this sustainable solution with the exclusive benefit of obtaining citizenship of St Kitts and Nevis for you and your family.

There are four ways in which an applicant can apply for citizenship under the St Kitts and Nevis Citizenship by Investment Programme:
 
1. By making a Sustainable Island State Contribution (SISC) to the Federal Consolidated Fund;

2. By making a real estate investment in an Approved Development;

3. By purchasing an Approved Private Home, or

4. By contributing to an Approved Public Benefit Project

The Sustainable Island State Contribution (SISC) provides discerning investors the option to contribute to their new nation. It’s a sustainable and secure solution for intelligent investors who want to make a smart move.
 
The SISC is used to support the economic and social development of St Kitts and Nevis following seven pillars of prioritisation:

• Increasing local food production
• Transitioning to Green Energy
• Diversifying the economy
• Attracting and supporting sustainable industries
• Evolving the Creative Economy
• Recovering from the impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic
• Expanding social protections and safety nets to protect the most vulnerable 

The minimum SISC required by law are as follows:

A trusted and strategic diversification strategy for your portfolio. Discerning investors may apply for citizenship through the purchasing of a designated real estate unit of an Approved Development. The minimum real estate investment in an Approved Development is US$400,000 (resaleable after seven years) for each main applicant.
 
In addition to these fees, real estate buyers should be aware of purchase costs (mainly compulsory insurance fund contributions and conveyance fees).
 
A list of Approved Developments can be found here.

A distinctive choice for the unique investor. Applicants may qualify for citizenship through an investment in an Approved Private Home.
 
The minimum investment in a condominium unit designated as an Approved Private Home is US$400,000.
 
The minimum investment in a single-family private dwelling home designated as Approved Private Home is US$800,000.

Resale:

A property purchased under the Private Home Sale Investment Option shall not be resold for a period of at least seven (7) years.
 
The Approved Private Home does not qualify for purchase in a subsequent CBI application, unless the Federal Cabinet is satisfied that substantial further investment was injected into the real estate unit by way of further construction, renovation or otherwise.

The Public Benefit Option provides the Government with the means of achieving its capital investment goals.
 
Discerning investors who would like to develop a project which brings substantial benefit to the people of St Kitts and Nevis can apply to the CIU to be designated as an Approved Public Benefactor. They can then apply for their projects to be designated as Approved Public Benefit Projects qualified for sale under this option.
 
Approved Public Benefit Projects designated by the CIU can not only maximise local employment, but also make it possible to embark upon projects including transfer of technology and capacity building.
 
Under the Public Benefit Option, each main applicant is required to make a minimum contribution of US$250,000 in a unit of an Approved Public Benefit Project, to be paid to the relevant Approved Public Benefactor.
 
A list of Approved Public Benefactors can be found here.

The following basic fees apply to all four CBI Options:

Due Diligence Fees

The following due diligence fees apply to all CBI applications:

Post-approval CBI application fees

On approval-in-principle of an application, the following post-approval application fees apply to applications made under the Real Estate, Private Home and Public Benefit Options: 

• Application Processing Fees – Per applicant: US$250

• Bank Due Diligence Fees

• Certificate of Registration Fees

• Passport Fees

• CS Global Partners Professional Fees

Once an individual’s application for citizenship by investment is approved, an economic citizen can apply for a passport at the Passport Office.

What are the Benefits of a St Kitts and Nevis Passport?

St Kitts and Nevis passports are CARICOM passports that are issued to citizens of St Kitts and Nevis for international travel. They are biometric documents, ensuring a greater level of safety and facilitating cross-border procedures.
 
Ordinary St Kitts and Nevis passports are valid for 10 years if issued to a person aged 16 or over and are valid for five years for children under the age of 16. They can be renewed at the Passport Office at the Government Headquarters in Basseterre (St Kitts and Nevis’ capital city) or at a St Kitts and Nevis High Commission, Embassy, or Consulate.

What is the St Kitts and Nevis Passport Application Process?

The passport application process is separate from the citizenship by investment process and requires the applicant to present several documents, including, but not limited to, a certified copy of the applicant’s Certificate of Registration. This is the document that is issued to an economic citizen at the end of the citizenship by investment process.
 
Every time St Kitts and Nevis passport holders re-apply for a passport (for example, because their old one has expired), they must present their old St Kitts and Nevis passport. This will be cancelled upon issuance of the new document.

What are the investment options under the St Kitts and Nevis Citizenship by Investment Programme?

 
There are four ways in which an applicant can apply for citizenship under the St Kitts and Nevis Citizenship by Investment Programme:
 
1. By making a Sustainable Island State Contribution (SISC) to the Federal Consolidated Fund;

2. By making a real estate investment in an Approved Development;

3. By purchasing an Approved Private Home, or

4. By contributing to an Approved Public Benefit Project

Who is eligible to apply under the Programme?

A person applying as a main applicant under the St Kitts and Nevis Citizenship by Investment Programme must:
 

• Be at least 18 years of age;
• Have made, or have agreed to make, a legally prescribed investment or contribution pursuant to the CBI Regulations; and
• Meet all CBI application requirements.

 
Please note that any person who:
 

• Has been denied citizenship of any country; or
• Has been denied a visa to any country to which citizens of St Kitts and Nevis have visa-free travel, and has not subsequently obtained a visa to the country that issued the denial,

will not be eligible to apply for citizenship by investment in St Kitts and Nevis.

Which family members can I include in my application for economic citizenship?

A main applicant may include the following family members as dependants in their application:
• The spouse of the main applicant;
• Children aged under 18;
• Children aged between 18 and 25 who are in full-time attendance at a recognised secondary or tertiary level institution of learning and fully supported by the main applicant;
• Children aged 18 or over who are physically or mentally challenged; and
• Parents of the main applicant or the spouse of the main applicant aged 65 or over, living with and fully supported by the main applicant.

What does the due diligence process in St Kitts and Nevis entail?

All main applicants are required to attend a mandatory interview. Dependants aged 16 years of age may at the discretion of the CIU be required to attend an interview.
 
You will be vetted by multiple entities, including:

• Local authorised agents perform KYC (know-your-client) checks
• The Citizenship by Investment Unit carries out internal checks including AML (anti-money laundering) and CTF (counter-terrorism financing) vetting
• Mandated international due diligence firms perform online and on-the-ground checks
• Regional and international law enforcement agencies conduct checks

Are citizens of certain countries not allowed to apply for St Kitts and Nevis Citizenship by Investment?

In the interest of national security, defence and public safety of St Kitts and Nevis, every citizen of, and persons ordinarily resident in, the following countries shall be excluded from any application for CBI:

• Afghanistan
• Belarus
• Iran
• Iraq
• North Korea
• Russia

Is This Programme for Me?

St Kitts and Nevis Citizenship by Investment is the perfect way to add a sustainable investment to your wealth plan. It offers exclusive and tailored investment solutions. As the pioneer of the global investor migration industry, St Kitts and Nevis Citizenship by Investment is the smart choice for a distinguished investor.
 

This Programme can be tailored for:

• Families wanting to add dependants such as parents
• Single professionals looking to add a trusted and strategic diversification strategy to their portfolio
• Discerning investors looking to expand their businesses on a global level

Where will your investment go?

The Sustainable Island State Contribution provides discerning investors the option to contribute to their new nation. It’s a sustainable and secure solution for intelligent investors who want to make a smart move.
 
Sustainable Island State Contribution resources to priority areas like education, health, climate change and resilience, infrastructure, tourism and culture, and the promotion of indigenous entrepreneurship to benefit all citizens.
 
The SISC is used to support the economic and social development of St Kitts and Nevis following seven pillars of prioritisation:

• Increasing local food production
• Transitioning to Green Energy
• Diversifying the economy
• Attracting and supporting sustainable industries
• Evolving the Creative Economy
• Recovering from the impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic
• Expanding social protections and safety nets to protect the most vulnerable

 
Investments in real estate provide wider benefits for the economy of St Kitts and Nevis through direct and indirect job creation.

Who leads the St Kitts and Nevis Citizenship by Investment Unit?

Michael Martin, Kittitian born, is the recently appointed Head of the St Kitts and Nevis Citizenship by Investment Unit. His task is to drive the St Kitts and Nevis newly evolved Citizenship by Investment Programme which includes a refocus that will cement the twin-island Federations’ standing as a leading player in the investment migration industry.
 
Mr Martin has a wealth of experience in the financial services industry including banking, trusts, insurance, and other lines of work in which compliance plays a critical role. He is the former executive of the National Caribbean Insurance Company, National Bank Trust Company, and Sagicor Life Inc. He has also held appointments as a Director of the Insurance Association of the Caribbean, as Honorary Secretary of the Brimstone Hill Fortress National Park Society Council of Management, and as a Director of First Federal Cooperative Credit Union.
 
Mr Michael Martin has a graduate diploma from the International Compliance Association and Manchester Business School, a certificate in International Trust Management from the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners, and a certificate in Managing Financial Services from the University of the West Indies.

How can CS Global Partners help?

CS Global Partners assists clients who wish to obtain St Kitts and Nevis citizenship, providing them with the guidance and commitment they need to see their application processed seamlessly. Our team then ensures that clients who obtain their citizenship also apply for and receive St Kitts and Nevis passports should they wish to.

Book a free first consultation with one of our citizenship experts and discuss your individual requirements.

Book Free Consultation

*Citizenship by investment programme requires a financial investment into the country.

Have a look at other CBI programmes:

• Dominica Citizenship by Investment
• Grenada Citizenship by Investment
• Antigua and Barbuda Citizenship by Investment
• St Kitts and Nevis Citizenship by Investment