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St. Kitts & Nevis Citizenship & Passport Application

St. Kitts and Nevis is also nicknamed as Sugar City, thanks to the vast plantations of sugar cane that once filled these Caribbean gems. The islands are located in the Leeward Islands and are officially known as the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis. Christopher Columbus discovered St. Kitts and Nevis in the late 1490s, Nevis being found in 1498 to be specific. St. Kitts and Nevis, by extension, are the members of the Organisation of the Eastern Caribbean States and Caricom. St. Kitts is an abbreviation of Christopher while the title Nevis comes from the Spanish phrasing ‘Nuestra Señora de las Nieves’ which means ‘our lady of the snows’, likely referring to the heavy white clouds surrounding the mountain peaks of the island. St. Kitts and Nevis experience fresh tropical weather all year round. The economy of these countries is based primarily on tourism, financial services, and real estate. Agriculture remains to be relevant to the economy of St. Kitts and Nevis, but the development of hotels and resorts all over the islands have developed tourism as a vital revenue earner. The manufacturing sector is equally important to the economy and contributes significantly to the making of jobs. Some of these industries include food processing, light assembly, textiles, beverages, and construction.

The St. Kitts Citizenship by Investment Programme started in 1984. Who has the opportunity to living in St. Kitts and Nevis? And Why is St. Kitts & Nevis EU Citizenship for Sale? The basic idea of a citizenship by investment programme is to provide a means by which individuals and families can apply for citizenship by financially contributing to St. Kitts and Nevis. The legal system of St. Kitts and Nevis is based on Common Law and citizenship by investment is one of the excellent pieces of legislation presented to the global public. St. Kitts and Nevis is competing for offshore havens for quality business services. The St. Kitts and Nevis law for second citizenship helps the development in real estate, economic diversification, and infrastructural development. A St. Kitts and Nevis second citizenship, includes the passport of the nation through which citizens can travel visa-free to 102 countries and with visa on arrival to 35 other countries, boosting global access.

St. Kitts And Nevis Citizenship Benefits

These sister islands enjoy rays of warm tropical sunshine all year round, which invites visitors from near and far. Clear, calm blue seas embrace thousands of bathers, divers, water sports lovers, and fishers to their coasts, which glisten in the sun as a result of their radiant white shells and coral bits. A second citizenship planning with St. Kitts and Nevis means making a home in a place that guarantees serenity and peaceful living. As one of the longest-established programmes of its kind, the St. Kitts & Nevis Citizenship by Investment Programme gives applicants a lot of unique benefits. Here are a few of them:

  • The overall time frame for processing is fast and takes around four months.
  • The option of Accelerated Application Process helps the applicant get approved in merely two months.
  • In one application, dependent children under 30 years of age and dependent parents or grandparents over the age of 55 years can be included.
  • There is no need for physical residency requirements.
  • There is no requirement to travel to St. Kitts and Nevis during the St. Kitts and Nevis passport application process.
  • There are no interviews. The St. Kitts and Nevis passport application does not demand any education or managerial experience.
  • The privilege of visa-free travel to more than 135 countries, including Schengen member states, the United Kingdom, Singapore, Hong Kong, and more.
  • There is no need to pay tax on foreign revenues.
  • St. Kitts & Nevis accepts dual citizenship, so applicants can still take all the benefits from their current passports.

Citizenship For Descendants

A major benefit of the St. Kitts and Nevis citizenship by investment programme is that not only does the application extend to current children and dependents, it is also bestowed upon any future descendants. A one-time investment in the programme can ensure that future generations will have the wonderful option of a citizenship of St. Kitts & Nevis which comes with a powerful passport enabling easy global travel.

Taxes Benefits For Citizens Of St. Kitts And Nevis

The benefits of having a St. Kitts and Nevis passport are many, but one of the significant ones is the taxes. The government of St. Kitts and Nevis, in 1980, eliminated individual personal income tax. There is no personal income tax, inheritance tax, or gift tax, and no capital gains tax in St. Kitts and Nevis. Among all of the available Citizenship by Investment Caribbean programmes in the market, St. Kitts and Nevis is the single country that is entirely tax-free. While the other nations may sell themselves as tax-exempt, the truth is that they have residential- or territorial-based systems and believe that investors will prefer not to live or earn money in the country and thus bypass becoming subject to their country’s taxes. St. Kitts and Nevis boasts of its zero-tax system and have even declined to endorse any tax treaties with other countries.


St. Kitts And Nevis Passport Requirements

To start the application for the St. Kitts and Nevis citizenship by investment, the applicant must make two investments, namely a non-refundable donation to the Sugar Industry Diversification Foundation (SIDF) of St. Kitts and Nevis and a real estate investment. There are two options for real estate investments, based on the number of years the property must be held for.

The table below highlights the cost of the donation options for a St. Kitts and Nevis citizenship.

ApplicantAmount
Single ApplicantRequired to make a contribution of $ 250,000
Applicant up to three dependentsRequired to make a contribution of $ 300,000
Applicant up to five dependentsRequired to make a contribution of $ 350,000
Applicant up to five dependentsRequired to make a contribution of $ 450,000
Each dependent (regardless of age)Required to make a contribution of $ 25,000

The amount of the contribution does not include due diligence, processing or agent processing fees. The term ‘applicant’ refers to the primary applicant, or the person in whose name the St. Kitts and Nevis passport application process is being carried out, as one application can include his/her entire family.

The table below highlights the real estate investment costs involved in the St. Kitts and Nevis citizenship by investment process.

Cost InvolvedMinimum Period The Property Must Be Maintained
Applicants can make an investment of $200,000 in a government-approved leisure resort.The investor is expected to maintain the property for a minimum of 7 years.
Applicants may obtain government-approved property priced at a minimum value of $400,000 or purchase shares valued at the same minimum amount in a real estate development.The investor is expected to maintain the property for a minimum of 5 years.

In both cases, applicants are obligated to pay extra applicable taxes and fees.

St. Kitts And Nevis Citizenship Programme Government Registration Fees

In addition to the required investments for the St. Kitts And Nevis citizenship by investment programme, government registration fees are also applicable as follows:

  • Single Applicant: $50,000
  • Spouse: $25,000
  • Every dependant under 18 years of age: $25,000
  • Every dependant, who is unmarried, and between the ages of 18 to 25 years: $50,000
  • Due diligence expenses: Main candidate $7,500; every dependant under the application $4,500

Payment Of St. Kitts And Nevis Citizenship Fees

Depending on the investment option that has been chosen, the price for the economic contribution and fees required will be confirmed, along with the transfer details. The donation amount is calculated according to the size of the applicant’s family and the number of dependents. The exact amount would be known during the process.

Documents Required For St. Kitts And Nevis Citizenship Application

For smooth processing of the citizenship application, it is imperative that all the documents be duly collected and filled as per the requirements. Any mishap in the filing of documents can risk delays in the citizenship process or even rejection.

The following documents are required from the applicant and each dependent applying on the same application:

  • Original excerpt of the full birth record or certified copy of the full birth certificate
  • Photograph and signature certificate.
  • Medical Certificate (Form C3) including first results of an HIV test. An HIV test is a must for all the people applying for citizenship. Children also have to undergo this test. The HIV test results must be recent, not older than three months.
  • Certified copy of current passport displaying the name, photo, citizenship/nationality, date and place of issue, expiry date, passport number, and the issuing country.
  • Certified copy of the current national identity card.
  • Six original passport-size photos of the applicant taken within the past six months.
  • Original police certificates from the country of citizenship (unless the applicant can provide satisfactory evidence that he/she has never lived there) and from any country where he/she has lived more than one year over the past ten years. Police certificates must be not more than six months old at the time one lodges the application. Each main applicant and all dependents 16 years and above are required to produce a police certificate.

The forms and documents below are required only one time from the principal applicant:

  • Investment confirmation or the escrow agreement along with the confirmation of funds having been wired to an escrow account. A copy of the executed real-estate contract also must be attached.
  • An original bank recommendation letter issued by an internationally recognized bank, not older than six months.
  • One original professional reference that could be from a notary public, an attorney, a chartered account, or any other professional body, not older than six months.

The following documents are needed if married persons are applying together in a single application:

  • The first extract of marriage record or certified copies of marriage certificates.
  • Certified copy of divorce document if it is applicable from previous marriages.

St. Kitts and Nevis Due Diligence Investigations

Background checks are mandatory for every adult who is included in an application for St. Kitts and Nevis second citizenship. Even if the investor qualifies under one of the investment options to apply for a St. Kitts and Nevis second citizenship, he/she must also then take this process to be approved for the second passport. The number of countries the applicant has lived in previous years, and the number of family members the applicant has applied for influences the time taken to carry out background checks on applicants.

The applicant needs to pay the due diligence fees to the government agency which will then contact the investigating agency to carry out the individual background checks. The prescribed fee for due diligence is $7,500 for the main applicant and $4,500 for dependents under the same application.

Interviews are not regularly required for the St. Kitts and Nevis Citizenship by Investment Programme. However, it is recommended that applicants visit the island at any time before or after having transferred the registered fees, primarily when investing in the real estate. A visit will ensure to make a first-hand assessment of the property the applicant intends to acquire.

Completion of St. Kitts and Nevis Citizenship and Passport Application Process

After the approval and successful completion of all transactions, a Certificate of Title for the real estate investment is provided and the Government of St. Kitts and Nevis issues a Certificate of Registration. A letter of acknowledgment of the receipt of the contribution is also given by the government of St. Kitts and Nevis. Applicants take an oath and receive certificates of Naturalization within three weeks of the confirmation and approval of the application.

The citizenship received at the competition of the St. Kitts and Nevis citizenship by investment process is for a lifetime, but the physical passport is valid for 10 years for those above the age of 16 years and valid for 5 years for children below the age of 16 years. When the passport expires, citizens can apply for a renewal, without the need for any investments as the citizenship would still be valid.

Other Useful Information

  • Two or more candidates may apply for citizenship collectively by acquiring one piece of real estate, presented each principal applicant contributes the minimum investment of $400,000.00.
  • The St. Kitts and Nevis citizenship application process may take as little as three months but may get delayed if there is a complication.
  • The St. Kitts and Nevis citizenship application form for Citizenship by Investment cannot be filled online. It can only be filled and submitted to the Citizen by Investment Unit by an appointed authorized person.
  • The Citizenship by Investment Unit rejects any St. Kitts and Nevis citizenship application that is not in English. The form cannot be in any other language.
  • According to the St. Kitts and Nevis citizenship law,  a spouse is identified as a partner of the opposite sex by marriage.
  • There is no digital limit on the number of permitted dependents.
  • All funds will be returned except due diligence fees and processing fees if the applicant is longer interested in becoming a citizen.
  • All applicants are expected to pay processing, due diligence, and Government fees by their appointed authorized person. Wire transfers to the Unit are only relevant for approved applicants for the payment of Sugar Industry Diversification Foundation Contributions.

Securing a second passport from St. Kitts and Nevis comes with travel opportunities as well. In terms of visa-free travel, the St. Kitts and Nevis passport ranks among the thirty best passports in the world. The passport facilitates visa-free travel to 102 countries and visa on arrival to 35 other countries. Not only does St. Kitts and Nevis allow access to many countries, but the quality of the countries one can travel too are very high. The nationals are never taxed on their income, no matter where they live or earn their money. With the offer of dual citizenship, St. Kitts and Nevis surely are in the list of all the wealthy and the rich when thinking of a second passport.

To learn more about St. Kitts and Nevis Citizenship by Investment Programme, understand the St. Kitts and Nevis citizenship requirements better, or to resolve any queries, kindly contact us by booking an appointment today! Our experienced and qualified team would be more than happy to guide you and provide you with the best advice and give you an in-depth understanding of St. Kitts and Nevis passport requirements.

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