If you decide to invest in a second passport, St Kitts and Nevis citizenship from a small Caribbean state can be your best option. This is the oldest citizenship by investment program that since the mid-1980s has been attracting foreign investors, business people and entrepreneurs from around the world and offering them passports in return for their investment.
The St Kitts and Nevis Citizenship by Investment Program requires applicants to make either a non-refundable contribution starting at $250,000, or an investment in real estate starting at $400,000.
Imperial & Legal has come up with six benefits of investing in a St Kitts and Nevis passport.
Though the government is very keen on attracting foreign investments in the economy, they are careful as to who is investing. There are certain criteria that you must meet:
St Kitts and Nevis government is extra cautious towards investors who want to invest money of unclear origin as well as those who are under international sanctions. Moreover, the Citizenship by Investment Unit will not accept citizenship applications from nationals of Iran, Afghanistan, North Korea, Iraq, Russia, and Belarus.
You have several options for getting a passport through investment: a non-refundable contribution to the Sustainable Growth Fund, investment in real estate that is refundable in 5–7 years, and investment in public benefit projects.
Sustainable Growth Fund of St Kitts and Nevis distributes the money between the tourism sector, agriculture, transport infrastructure, social projects, healthcare, and cultural restoration works.
This option suits foreign investors who seek a fast and simple solution and treat a non-refundable contribution as a “purchase” of a Caribbean passport at a relatively low price.
The minimum non-refundable contribution is $250,000. Additional costs include a due diligence fee of $10,000 for the main applicant and $7,500 for each dependant over 16 years old.
A $250,000 Sustainable Island State Contribution allow you to get St Kitts and Nevis passport for yourself and your 3 dependents. For example, it can be your spouse and two minor kids. If the application exceeds 4 people, the minimum contribution will increase proportionally with each added family member:
If you are ready to make a bigger but refundable investment in the St Kitts and Nevis economy to get a second passport, you should consider the second option – the purchase of real estate. It has several benefits:
There are, however, several disadvantages of investing in St Kitts and Nevis real estate:
Government fee ($)
Main applicant
25,000
Investor’s spouse
15,000
Dependants over 18 years
Dependants under 18 years
10,000
It is possible to make a direct investment in an organisation that implements public benefit projects approved by the St Kitts and Nevis government.
Minimum investment is $250,000. You also pay a due diligence fee and a government fee that amounts to:
This option is new. If you are interested in this kind of investment, contact Imperial & Legal for details.
Imperial & Legal’s experts have prepared two tables for the two most common investment types to get a St Kitts and Nevis passport for one investor, a married couple, or a family with two minor children.
Non-refundable contribution to the Sustainable Growth Fund
Cost
Family with two minor children ($)
Non-refundable contribution
250,000
Due diligence fee
17,500
Total
267,500
Investment in real estate
Real estate purchase
400,000
Government fee
60,000
Property tax
20,000
497,500
The tables demonstrate that you will not be able to recover all the money you invest in the St Kitt and Nevis economy whether we take the investment itself or due diligence or government fees.
If you have at least $400,000 to invest and are ready to wait for seven years till you can get your money back, it is recommended to buy a share in a hotel or holiday resort. This will help you minimise the amount of non-refundable expenses.
A non-refundable contribution to the Sustainable Growth Fund is ideal for foreign investors who cannot invest a large sum of money and wait several years to get it back, but are happy to make a one-off payment to get a St Kitts and Nevis passport and worry no more about it.
The above tables do not include the relatively small additional payments that you will have to make for St Kitts and Nevis citizenship:
Note that if you add dependants to your application, additional costs will be multiplied by the number of applicants.
An investor should not forget about the fees of an immigration advisor and an authorised agent of the St Kitts and Nevis citizenship by investment program as well as the costs of courier delivery of passports to your home or office. To calculate the exact investment amount and additional costs, contact Imperial & Legal’s team.
For $250, an applicant gets the following set of forms:
Filled-in forms are submitted through an authorised agent of the St Kitts and Nevis citizenship by investment program. St Kitts and Nevis immigration authorities accept only official forms.
The main package of documents includes:
An applicant must submit the following supporting documents to their agent:
All copies must be certified and accompanied by certified English translations.
As a Caribbean tax resident, you can benefit from a favourable taxation regime. For example, in St Kitts and Nevis, there are no:
All companies registered in St Kitts and Nevis must pay a corporation tax of 33%. Some corporate structures, however, can be granted a tax holiday for 15 years. Besides, companies and funds do not pay corporation tax if all their income originates abroad.
Non-tax residents must pay a 15% income tax on money earned in St Kitts and Nevis.
The current VAT tax rate in the country is 17%.
Citizenship by Investment Unit of St Kitts and Nevis will not accept a citizenship application directly from you. You need to choose a reputable and respectable representative. Imperial & Legal’s immigration advisors will assess all the risks and help you prepare and obtain all the necessary documents.
Once you and your family members over 16 pass due diligence checks, your application will be sent for approval.
An interview with the main applicant is usually held remotely via a video call. However, it can be organised in St Kitts and Nevis or in the country of residence. Family members over 16 can be also invited for the interview if required.
Only two people take part in an interview: an applicant and an authorised representative of Citizenship by Investment Unit of St Kitts and Nevis. You won’t be able to get support either from your immigration advisor or relatives. If the applicant does not speak English, they will be offered an interpreter.
After an application is approved, due diligence checks are passed, all the fees are paid, and an investment is made, the applicant will get a certificate of registration. It must be collected by the main applicant in person either in the Citizenship by Investment Unit of St Kitts and Nevis, or in a St Kitts and Nevis embassy or consulate.
After you get approval in principal, you will need to make a relevant investment. Once your passport application is approved, your passports will be sent to us and we will forward them to you. It means you and your family do not need to travel to the Caribbean to collect your documents. An adult passport is valid for 10 years, and a child one for 5. Passports can be renewed without visiting St Kitts and Nevis.
Our experts have been helping clients to get St Kitts and Nevis passports for many years. We will provide support at all stages of the process – from initial consultation, risk assessment, choosing an investment option and preparation of documents to representing your interests before the St Kitts and Nevis authorities, as well as collecting and sending you the passports. In case you choose a real estate option, our specialists will help you find a property that would suit your requirements.
To start with, the government of this island country launched the first-ever citizenship by investment program in the world. In the 40 years of its operation, it has been polished and refined to perfection. By investing in the Saint Kitts economy, a foreign investor can be 100% sure that they will get a second passport.
All other benefits of St. Kitts passport:
St. Kitts legislation says that the amount you invest will determine when you can sell it and recover your investment.
If you buy a property for $400,000–$800,000, you must own it for at least seven years. At this price, you can purchase a share in a holiday resort under construction.
If you invest more than $800,000, you will be able to re-sell your property in five years. However, during these five years, you will not be able to divide it into several apartments or condominiums.
It is allowed to get passive income from your property. You will be able to recover some of the additional costs of a St Kitts and Nevis passport. Imperial & Legal’s immigration advisors can find a reliable property management company for you to get a regular monthly rental income from your real estate.
No, it will not. Irrespective of whether you are applying alone or with a big family, you can still invest the required minimum of $400,000 and not a penny more.
However, application and other fees will increase depending on family size and ages. Extra costs for a single investor amount to $35,000. Second citizenship for a family of four people will cost an additional $77,500 in non-refundable government and due diligence fees.
It is normally not important to those who live in a country that allows multiple citizenship. Even then you will most probably be required to register your second passport with authorities and some of your rights might be limited.
St Kitts and Nevis government guarantees full confidentiality to all applicants. Some countries forbid dual citizenship – in Africa and Europe alike. In some countries, this restriction is only on paper and there is no liability for its violation. However, in other countries, you will be persecuted for the offence and potentially deported and stripped of your first nationality if you get a second passport.
Experts at Imperial & Legal would strongly advise against breaching the laws of your country even if they sound absurd. An investor can apply under one of the Caribbean passport schemes at their own risk, and rely on the confidentiality guarantee.
This small Caribbean country ranks 26th in the Passport Index, an informal rating of countries based on how many countries their citizens can travel to without a visa.
St Kitts and Nevis government has signed visa waiver agreements with 147 countries for visa-free or visa-on-arrival regimes.
The list includes all EU states, Switzerland, Norway, the UK and Singapore. Holders of a Saint Kitts passport can also apply for a 10-year business visa to the USA.
We will work with you to find a customised solution for your immigration, second citizenship, business, tax and other needs.
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