St. Kitts & Nevis citizenship by investment

The Citizenship by Investment program is “the oldest and most respected citizenship and second passport program leading to citizenship without residency. The St Kitts 2nd passport program started in 1984 and continues with great success. This citizenship program benefits both the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis, and the individuals investing in this citizenship program.

The St. Kitts Citizenship-by-Investment program is a revenue generator where investors make a stipulated financial contribution to development projects, through which they can obtain St.Kitts citizenship and subsequently a second passport.

Under the Citizenship-by-investment, investors may apply for citizenship and a passport for individuals or families through two ways:

Sugar Industry Diversification Foundation (SIDF) Option
Real Estate Investment Option

The Sugar Industry Diversification Foundation

The first option for second citizenship in St Kitts and Nevis requires a non-refundable contribution.

Background: The Sugar Industry Diversification Foundation (SIDF) is in place for the main purpose of providing financial support for the displaced farmers who lost their livelihoods when the sugar industry of St. Kitts and Nevis shut down. In addition, the SIDF finances developmental research of new industries to replace the sugar industry and lastly, the SIDF funds these industries and provides support to sustain the industries. The government views the SIDF as a way to diversify and effectively transform the country’s economy. The SIDF also operates a grant operation that provides financial assistance to individuals and business. The SIDF is an independent organization, managed by an independent Board.

The St. Kitts Citizenship-by-Investment program is accessible through the Foundation whereby financial contributions to the Foundation qualify foreign nationals to apply for Citizenship-by-Investment in St. Kitts & Nevis.

Under the SIDF Citizenship by Investment program, there are four categories of Contribution which are based on family size. They are:

Single Applicant (Contribution value cost US$ 250,000)
Applicant with up to three dependents, one spouse and two children under 18 (Contribution value US$ 300,000)
Applicant with up to five dependents, one spouse and four children under 18 (Contribution value US$ 350,000)
Applicant with six and more dependents (Contribution value US$ 450,000)

The contribution amount shown here includes all government registration fees, but does not include due diligence or agents’ processing fees. The agent’s fees are calculated on a case-by-case basis.

The Real Estate Option 2

Under the Real Estate option, an applicant will buy prime St. Kitts real estate in the form of villas or condos that are listed under specific development projects. The acquired investment property is the sole property of the applicant who may sell the investment after five years of ownership. This option of Citizenship-by- Investment is considered a more beneficial one since the applicant has an asset of worth plus the option to citizenship, while under the SIDF option, there is no return except for citizenship.

Further, the Real estate option can prove to be a revenue generator if the applicant chooses to rent or lease the property, or may be enjoyed as a second home.

If the property is sold after five years, the citizenship and its benefits cannot be transferred to the new property owner, nor can the new owner apply for the citizenship under the Citizenship-by-Investment.

To qualify for the citizenship of St. Kitts under this program, the applicant must invest a minimum of US$ 400,000. This investment cost does not include government fees or processing fees. Under all options for St Kitts Citizenship-by-Investment, applicants and their family members must go through due diligence checks following the guidelines of the Citizenship application process. Due diligence fees are set at US$ 7,500 for the main applicant and us$ 4,000 for every other person on the application over the age of 16 years.

The application process for St Kitts citizenship and a second passport through the SIDF option is much shorter than that of the Real Estate investment option. For both processes, there is no interview process and no visit required. The Real Estate option process is lengthier since the transaction involves the purchase of St. Kitts property. Though the visit is not required, it is recommended that applicants to this option, visit so they may assess the available real estate properties.

The benefits from Economic Citizenship Program (Citizenship-by-Investment) for St. Kitts & Nevis are:

Federation citizenship for life for individual or family
Visa free travel
Full residency status and the right to vote and work
Second passports for individual and family
Tax free status on income (foreign)
Dual Citizenship
No residency requirement

We also recommended that applicants for economic citizenship (St Kitts) employ the services of an attorney or a licensed agent in St. Kitts to assist with expedition of application. The applicant should expect to be exposed to a thorough background check but are not required to visit the country for an interview.