St. Kitts & Nevis Citizenship Department

St. Kitts & Nevis Ministry of Foreign Affairs

In most countries, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs is the government department accountable for the state’s mutual, and multilateral relations and affairs, as well as for providing support and relief for a country’s citizens who are abroad. A foreign minister usually heads the department although the title may vary, such as ‘secretary of state’ who has the same functions. The department of citizenship and expatriate affairs St. Kitts & Nevis is the ministry liable for handling the Federation of Saint Kitts and Nevis’ outside relations and its diplomatic missions abroad. Although St. Kitts and Nevis has formal and friendly ties with many of its neighbors and major regional and world powers, countries such as the U.S. do not have permanent diplomats on the islands.

Department Of Citizenship And Expatriate Affairs St. Kitts & Nevis

The St. Kitts & Nevis citizenship department receives and prepares residence applications of non-St. Kitts and Nevis citizens who intend to reside legally in St. Kitts and Nevis for more than three months. The department of citizenship and expatriate affairs St. Kitts & Nevis handles the full citizenship and residency application process. It is a government body responsible for administering the St. Kitts and Nevis’ Citizenship by Investment Programme – the world’s oldest economic citizenship programme. It maintains the needs of expatriates and is in charge of providing various services to them like issuing of passports, travel-related issues, identity cards, making of work and residence permits, assisting in the registration of land, ownership, and public deeds for the country’s non-citizens. The most crucial role of the department is to allow foreigners to get the St. Kitts and Nevis nationality. A candidate applying for St. Kitts and Nevis citizenship needs to either donate or invest some amount of money to become a national citizen. The St. Kitts and Nevis Citizenship Department is responsible for the administration and the efficient use of funds given. For any expatriate, the Department of citizenship and expatriate affairs St. Kitts & Nevis, is the most critical Government institution that one needs to turn to for any citizenship or residency-related matters.

Ways To Gain St. Kitts and Nevis Citizenship

St. Kitts and Nevis Citizenship Department defines four ways through which a person can become a citizen of St. Kitts and Nevis. There are proper steps to follow and adequate documents needed in each of them to achieve the nationality. An individual can be a national of St. Kitts and Nevis through the following ways:

1.   Citizenship of St. Kitts and Nevis by birth:

An individual born before September 19, 1983, within the territory of St. Kitts and Nevis does not automatically get citizenship. An individual born on or after September 19, 1983, in the area of St. Kitts and Nevis, regardless of the nationality of the parents, gets the citizenship.

2.   Citizenship of St. Kitts by descent:

An individual born before September 19, 1983, residing in St. Kitts and Nevis, who was at that point a British Dependent Territory Citizen (BDTC) or a British Citizen is eligible for the St. Kitts and Nevis citizenship. It also includes their child born abroad and their foreign national spouse. For an individual born on or after September 19, 1983, to become eligible for the citizenship, at least one of the parents needs to be a citizen of St. Kitts and Nevis. Listed below are the requirements the St. Kitts and Nevis Citizenship Department require when applying for citizenship by descent.

• Completed application form. Candidates need to have both the original and the photocopy
• Parents’ and grandparents’ birth certificate, both the original and the photocopy.
• Police clearance certificate stating the individual has no criminal record.
• Applicant’s birth certificate, both the original and the photocopy.
• The individual needs to pay a fee of €68.00, if parents and grandparents were born in St. Kitts and Nevis, or a cost of €280.00 if parents and grandparents obtained citizenship by investment programme.
• Two current photographs.
• Recent complete medical examination stating the individual does not have any contagious disease.
• Any other documents as asked by the approved agent.

3.   Citizenship of St. Kitts and Nevis by Marriage:

An individual who marries someone who is a citizen of St. Kitts and Nevis can apply for the St. Kitts and Nevis citizenship by submitting the necessary application form, documents and fees to the Ministry of National Security. The marriage must be existing for at least three years. Listed below are the requirements from the St. Kitts and Nevis Citizenship Department when applying for citizenship by marriage:

• Completed application form, both the original and the photocopy.
• Spouse’s birth certificate, both the original and the photocopy.
• Police clearance certificate stating the individual has no criminal record.
• Death or divorce certificate if it is applicable.
• Marriage certificate, both the original and the photocopy.
• Fee of €1,750 if the marriage took place before 1983 and fee of €350.00 if the wedding took place after 1983
• Two current photographs.
• Recent complete medical examination stating the individual does not have any contagious disease.
• Any other documents as asked by the approved agent.

4. Citizenship of St. Kitts and Nevis by Naturalization:

Naturalization is a slow method that typically takes several years of residing in a country. Citizenship by investment (CBI) programmes lets an individual obtain official citizenship, along with a passport, by donating a considerable amount of money or making a massive financial investment in the country.

Each option has its disadvantages and advantages. All Caribbean passport programs, including, Saint Kitts and Nevis passport, have different options. For St. Kitts and Nevis, the possibilities are:

Contribution to a government fund:

Applicants can gain citizenship of St. Kitts and Nevis through citizenship by investment Caribbean.  This option was introduced to help the Government with the economic growth of the country, funding of school development and progress in the educational sector, supporting tourism division, helping environment friendly conditions for the country, decreasing and medicating the impacts of climate variation as well as promoting medical amenities in St. Kitts and Nevis.

Applications for a single investor through Fund option besides other standard Government processing and due diligence fees will require a non-refundable contribution of $150,000

For investors with bigger families, an additional non-refundable contribution of $25,000 for spouse and $10,000 per each dependent.

Due Diligence Fees

Due diligence fees are broken down accordingly:

• Main applicant: A fee of $7,500;
• Spouse/dependent children over the age of 16 years fee is $4,000.

Agent Fees

• A non-refundable fee of $15,000 for a single application which is payable in advance.
• A non-refundable fee of $20,000 for a couple of application which is payable in advance.
• A non-refundable fee of $25,000 for a family which is payable in advance.

Additional fees do not cover the cost of property transfer of ownership and Government Stamp Duty. These fees are decided based on the situation.

Purchasing an approved St. Kitts and Nevis real estate property

This route is expensive and usually requires a mu

ch more significant contribution. The benefit here is that the individual will likely be able to get some of the money back and if the local real estate market increases, the returns are better. The property options to invest in are usually overpriced. After a certain period, countries typically allow investors to sell the property.

The real estate investment citizenship option requires individuals to invest a minimum of $400,000 in a government approved real estate project.

St. Kitts and Nevis citizenship by investment also requires a registration fee upon approval of $50,000 for the principal applicant and $25,000 each for the spouse and children under 18 years. For qualified dependents, over 18 years the fee is $50,000 each. Also, costs for due diligence background checks, legal fees and other Government real estate related taxes and fees also apply.

Property purchased to obtain citizenship may not be sold until five years after purchase; however, once it is sold, the new buyer can also qualify for citizenship. The ability to sell the citizenship real estate after five years without the citizenship status of the original buyer being affected is a major attraction of the real estate investment option to St. Kitts and Nevis citizenship by investment. By so doing, economic citizens can recoup their original investment while keeping their citizenship intact. The fact that the real estate qualifies the new buyer for citizenship by investment is an added advantage that improves the marketability of the property.

To maintain the integrity and high quality of the citizenship program, the Government only grants St. Kitts and Nevis citizenship to investors of good character who meet specific citizenship requirements. In addition to making a government approved investment or contribution, investors will need to provide proof of no criminal record, excellent health, and high personal net worth.

To complete the citizenship application, individuals are required to go through an authorized person, who is having a license by the Financial Services Regulatory Commission to handle corporate or trust service in the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis. An authorized person has excellent knowledge of how to apply for citizenship and acts on behalf of the applicant.

By obtaining a second citizenship, which provides security, flexibility, and improved freedom for international travel, citizenship applicants are making an essential investment in their future. Individuals of any nationality except nationals of Iran and Afghanistan can apply for St. Kitts and Nevis citizenship through real estate investment or charitable donation. Citizens of St. Kitts and Nevis are allowed to hold dual citizenship, and acquiring a St. Kitts and Nevis passport is not reported to other countries. Through economic citizenship in St. Kitts and Nevis, investors and high net worth individuals and their families can benefit from full lifelong citizenship, which they can pass onto future generations.

Work Permit

If an individual choose citizenship through investment approach, he/she does not need a work permit to work on the new home island. However, if a person is not a citizen, a work permit will be required. It’s necessary that one already has a job lined up when going to apply for the license. The employer will likely help with the process from that point.

The individual needs to have to fill out an application form and also provide the following:

• Birth certificate
• Passport
• Police certificate stating the individual has no criminal background.
• Passport-size photographs
• Medical report stating the individual is free from any contagious disease.
• An employment offer letter
• Proof of financial status/funds to support oneself

There’s a chance the individual may also require a military record, divorce or marriage certificates, or birth certificates for any dependents under the age of eighteen.

The department of citizenship and expatriate affairs St. Kitts & Nevis takes care of essential responsibilities which include giving visas to tourists, students, and foreign nationals, giving long-term residency permits, giving work permits to foreign nationals who have come to St. Kitts and Nevis for labour issues, etc. The department of citizenship and expatriate affairs St. Kitts & Nevis plays a significant role in the citizenship by investment process, provided the citizenship planning is done properly.

Although the St. Kitts and Nevis citizenship by investment process involves a considerable investment, the myriad benefits that accompany the citizenship and passport make the investment worth it for many individuals.

Let our experts help guide you through the process of securing a second citizenship that is best suited for your needs. Register with us now!