Citizenship-by-Investment in St. Kitts & Nevis

The Citizenship-by-Investment Program of St. Christopher (St. Kitts) and Nevis was established up in 1984, making it the longest established program of this kind in the world.

The Government of St. Kitts & Nevis utilizes this program to attract investors of good character to make a substantial contribution to the development of the Federation. These investors are then given the opportunity to apply for citizenship within the strict guidelines of the law and the relevant regulations.

To qualify for citizenship of St. Kitts & Nevis under its Citizenship-by-Investment

Program, the Government requires either an investment in designated real estate with a value of at least US$ 350,000 plus payment of various registration and other fees, or a contribution to the Sugar Industry Diversification Foundation (a public charity) to the amount of between US$ 200,000 and US$ 400,000, depending on the number of persons included in the application.

With the real-estate option, there are also purchase costs of approximately 10% of the purchase price as well as government fees of US$ 35,000 for a single applicant plus US$ 15,000 for each dependent, plus a US$ 3,500 due diligence fee for each adult included in an application, and processing fees which depend on each case. The real estate cannot be re-sold until 5 years after the purchase, and it will not qualify the next buyer for citizenship.

The Sugar Industry Diversification Foundation (SIDF) option offers four different categories:

1. Single applicant: a non-refundable contribution of US$ 200,000 is required
2. Applicant with up to three dependants (i.e. one spouse and two children below the age of 18): a non-refundable contribution of US$ 250,000 is required
3. Applicant with up to five dependants (i.e. one spouse and four children): a nonrefundable contribution of US$ 300,000 is required
4. Applicant with six and more dependants: a non-refundable contribution of US$ 400,000 is required

In each of these categories, the above amounts include all government and due diligence fees, but not processing fees which depend on each case.

The Federation of St. Kitts & Nevis

St. Kitts & Nevis, also known in the country's constitution as Saint Christopher and Nevis, has been independent since 1983 and forms part of the group of islands known as the Lesser Antilles, located some 2,000 km to the southeast of Miami. The Federation comprises two islands: Nevis with an area of some 93.2 km2 and St. Kitts with 168.4 km2.

The official and business language is English. The Federation is a member of the United Nations (UN), of the Organization of American States (OAS), the British Commonwealth and many other international organizations. The Eastern Caribbean Central Bank has its headquarters on St. Kitts. It maintains the stability of the Eastern Caribbean Dollar (EC$), which is the national currency of most eastern Caribbean countries and is tied to the US Dollar. The head of state is the Queen of England. St. Kitts & Nevis is a well functioning democracy based on the British parliamentary system.