The answers to the most frequently asked questions regarding St. Kitts and Nevis investment and real estate are provided below. Please contact us if you require further clarification.
Where is St.Kitts and Nevis?
St Kitts and Nevis is a beautiful twin island federation in the Caribbean located some 2,000 km to the southeast of Miami. The country is well connected by flights from US, Europe. It is one of the smallest, wealthiest caribbean islands with just a population of 55,000. St Kitts is the 8th smallest country in the world in terms of land mass. What is the currency of St.Kitts and Nevis? The currency of St.Kitts and Nevis is Eastern Caribbean Dollar (XCD). Roughly 1 USD will buy you 2.7 Eastern Caribbean dollars (XCD).
What is this Citizenship-by-Investment program ?
The Citizenship-by-Investment Program of St. Christopher (St. Kitts) and Nevis was established in 1984, making it the longest established program of this kind in the world. The Government of St. Kitts and Nevis utilizes this program to attract investors of good character to make a substantial contribution to the development of the Federation. Obtaining Citizenship and passport in another country by “legal” means are getting very difficult nowdays, and Governments are making sure that such programs are only available for wealthy or high net worth investors who are capable to making a substantial contribution to economy of the country and who are able to support themselves financially.
What is the minimum investment required?
As of 2026, the St.Kitts government has introduced the minimum investment amount to USD 250,000 under SISC donation to state fund or USD 325,000 under real estate for single applicant. A non refundable donation of minimum US$ 250,000 to the Sustainable Island State Fund (SISC) for single person + payment of DD processing fees ($10,000). The total investment amount (including all charges) comes approx around USD 270,000 for single applicant plus additional lawyer fees apply (average $6,000 per file) depending on accompanying family members
Please check government offering Limited time discount offers from time to time.
A Designated recoverable Real Estate Investment with a value of at least US$ 325,000 plus payment of various registration and other fees . Additional charges include Govt processing fee, DD and application fees. Additional costs apply including for any family dependents. You can include a spouse and children below 18 yrs of age in the citizenship application. Please see the fee schedules.
What is the time frame to process the application?
The application process time after receiving the complete application forms and documents (as well as paying the funds) is currently 4-6 months – regardless if a client chooses the SGF option or the real-estate program.
What is main difference between SISC and Real Estate option?
SISC is one time non refundable donation paid to the Govt. It is the cheapest, fastest and straightforward route for many families. With real estate option it is bit expensive, but investment is recoverable producing rental income (property can be sold after 5yrs). The real estate investment is a recoverable investment, because you can sell it after 7 years. We highly recommend real-estate program, because having a “second home” in St.Kitts is a very good reason and a genuine link for getting a St.Kitts citizenship and passport. This would help even you are questioned at border controls. As you can see, the real estate option is expensive but the real estate option is a recoverable investment however, you can only sell your property (share or deed) to next buyer after 7 years.
Are there any fee for children aged over 18 years of age to be included in the Citizenship application?
Yes. Children who are aged between 16 – 30 years pay additional Government fees. Siblings also possible.
What are the rules for adding family members and dependents?
There are no limits to add permitted dependents. Permitted dependents rules are:
- A spouse of the main applicant;
- A child under the age of 18 of the main applicant or his or her spouse; The child of the main applicant or his or her spouse between 18 and 30 years who is in full time attendance at a recognised institution of higher learning after his/her 18th birthday and/or fully supported by the main applicant;
- Parents or grandparents of the main applicant or his/her spouse above the age of 55 years living with and fully supported by the main applicant or;
- A child of the main applicant or spouse of the main applicant who is above the age of 18 years and physically or mentally challenged.
- Note: Children/siblings above 30 years are not eligible .
Where to get application forms?
This is only available with authorized agents at cost of $250. It is not free.
Are children exempt from paying due diligence fee?
Yes, note only children below 16 years are exempted from paying due diligence fee.
Are there any restrictions on who can apply?
We do not accept clients from Iran, Iraq, Russia, Belarus, North Korea, Afghanistan irrespective of where they live Please keep in mind citizenship granted under this citizenship-by-investment program is at discretion by the Government. Obtaining a Second citizenship or passport by “legal” means are involves a lot of formalities nowdays and Governments are making sure that such programs are only available for wealthy or high net worth investors who are capable to making a substantial contribution to economy of the country and who are able to support themselves financially.
What are the benefits of St. Kitts and Nevis Passport?
- A Great Plan B passport
- Visa free travel for over 150+ countries including all EU countries, Switzerland, United Kingdom and Ireland.
- No residence requirements.
- Free to live and work in St.Kitts as a citizen
- No income or wealth tax.
- Second citizenship for your family members. International Tax planning
- Become a Commonwealth and CARICOM citizen.
Are there any residency requirements to acquire passport?
No, there is no residency requirement unlike Europe. You can directly qualify for citizenship.
Do i need to visit St Kitts for passport?
No personal trips, travel or visit required. We know any sort of trips is impossible during Covid and government has eased the restrictions.
What countries i can travel visa free with St.Kitts & Nevis passport?
To know more about list of countries for visa free travel with st kitts passport, please see this page.
Are there any taxes?
St. Kitts & Nevis has no personal income tax, no wealth tax, and no inheritance taxes. How long is the validity of passport? The passport issued carries 10 year validity and after that it can be renewed.
On what grounds could my citizenship application be refused?
If applicant has a criminal record, a tainted reputation or unable to pass the due diligence clearance, the Government may reject the citizenship application. Sometimes, in very rare cases, the Govt refuse citing national security or false information presented in the citizenship application. If you have had visa denial to any one of the countries, where St.Kitts and Nevis have visa free travel agreements, you cannot apply for the citizenship-by-investment program. You must have successfully obtained visa from the same country which denied your visa, inorder to apply for citizenship program. Please note that granting citizenship is at the sole discretion of the St.Kitts and Nevis Government.
We cannot therefore guarantee that any applications will be approved. We carefully evaluate each applicant’s individual situation prior to accepting a citizenship applications and only if we are satisfied with applicants eligibility we will submit to Government. We do not use any intermediaries and we serve to protect confidentiality of our wealthy clients.
What documents are needed?
We highly recommend our clients to arrange the following important documents, before applying for citizenship program. Normally it takes 1-2 months to arrange for these documents in your home country. There are several other documents needed at a later stage, and we will assist you accordingly.
- Police clearance certificate. If you have lived in any other country in the past 10 years, you have to obtain, “certificate of no criminal record” in all the countries you have lived in the past 10 years. If you are in US, you will need to obtain police clearance from county and FBI. Please note that, police certificates must be less than six months old at the time you lodge your citizenship application.
- Two Original birth certificates per person.
- Documents which are not in English, must be officially translated.
- Medical certificate with HIV clearance (not older than 3 months) 5. Certified copy of Marriage certificate.
- Two Reference letters from Bankers, Lawyers, Chartered Accountant (not older than 3 months). All the above documents must be certified and authenticated by Apostille. For more information on apostille, please see https://www.hcch.net/en/instruments/specialised-sections/apostille. We can help you with arranging your documents in our office, for a fee.
I have 2 children of 16 years of age and 18 years of age? Will the due diligence to be carried out?
yes, due diligence will be carried out for children with 16 years or above. Further children above 18 years of age, need to provide evidence of college enrollment.
How do i start and how do i apply?
First you need to tell us how many people including family members and children, would be applying for the citizenship program. Initially we ask our clients to pay $10,000 due diligence fee plus 50% of lawyer fee to file the application. You will pay the rest of investment ONLY after receiving Letter of Approval from Citizenship Investment Unit St Kitts.
Do I have to live in St. Kitts and Nevis after acquiring citizenship?
No. You are not required to live in St. Kitts and Nevis but as a citizen you have every right to live and work in St.Kitts, whenever you want.
Is a personal visit required in St.Kitts to acquire passport?
No, not required as most of the work is taken care by us. But, if you prefer you can come to St.Kitts and get to know more on the investments here like real estate etc. We do encourage our clients to come visit St.Kitts for investing in real estate and have a personal discussion with our lawyers and estate planning specialists.
How do i come to St.Kitts? Do i need a visa to enter St.Kitts?
Citizens of certain countries, do need to apply for eVisa or visa for arrival in St.Kitts. For more information on this, please see this St.Kitts Ministry of Foreign Affairs Website
How do i get to St.Kitts and Nevis and what are the flight routes?
For flight schedules, please refer to St.Kitts Tourism page: http://www.stkittstourism.kn
Do you provide any other citizenship programs in Europe, other than St.Kitts?
yes, we assist our clients with residence programs in Caribbean and Europe. For more information about these programs, please visit our sister website: http://best-citizenships.com.
Is Dual Citizenship Allowed?
The St Kitts & Nevis government has no restrictions on “dual citizenship” and does not report citizenship information to other countries. While, most countries prohibit dual citizenship, it depends on where you live and sometimes as per laws of your home country, you may need to give up one citizenship to acquire other. For professional advice, please consult a embassy or lawyer in your home country on immigration and citizenships with respect to dual nationality.
What are the costs and fee structure?
The costs and applicable fee are clearly mentioned in the homepage of our website. If you have any other specific questions, please contact us..
Can 2 or more persons buy real estate and apply for citizenship together?
yes, it is possible, but provided each has contributed $325,000 for real estate(hold for 7 years). Note the luxury private homes starts from $600,000 $1.5 million or more in the twin islands.
What is your refund policy, should the citizenship application be denied?
yes, refunds are possible minus application and other service charges , should your application be denied by the government. Your investment amount is kept in a safe escrow account, until you get the citizenship approval from the Govt. Our lawyers draft clear agreements on applicable fees and refund policy with our clients.
We are expecting a new baby and is it possible the new born baby get citizenship?
If husband and wife are both citizens of St.Kitts and Nevis, then the new born baby can be included for citizenship for additional fees.
Can i add family members post obtaining my citizenship?
Yes, you can add spouse, children and siblings by paying addition government processing fee plus DD fee. Please contact us for more information. Can stateless people apply for St Kitts citizenship through investment? No stateless people are not accepted.
Can i buy residential homes?
Yes foreigners can can by any properties in St.Kitts irrespective of citizenship. If you want buy private property with citizenship it starts $600,000 you cannot resell for 7 years.
Do you require birth certificate?
Yes we need original birth certificate only at the time of applying for passport (will be returned to you in few days)
Can Stateless people apply?
No they are banned from applying.
Do you have any Caribbean programs cheaper than St Kitts?
As of 2024, All the caribbean countries have signed unified pricing framework.
Where can i find list of embassies and consulates of St Kitts abroad?
St Kitts has diplomatic missions in United States, United Kingdom, UAE and other countries. The full list is available here: https://www.foreign.gov.kn/embassies-overseas/
What are the requirements to become a citizen of St. Kitts and Nevis through the Citizenship Programme?
The main applicant must be at least 18 years of age, must have made an investment for the prescribed amount, and must meet other application requirements.
Can I contact the St. Kitts and Nevis Citizenship Unit directly?
The Citizenship Unit engages only with Authorised Agents. An Authorised Agent is a person licensed by the Financial Services Regulatory Commission to conduct corporate or trust services in St. Kitts and Nevis. Additionally, an Authorised Agent would have paid the Authorised Agent’s fees, and is authorised to act on behalf of the main applicant in relation to a Citizenship Programme application. The main applicant should contact an Authorised Agent from the official list of Authorised Agents on our website. The Authorised Agent will guide the main applicant through the application requirements, and handle and submit the application to the Citizenship Unit on their behalf. The Citizenship Unit cannot endorse or recommend any Authorised Agent to applicants.
Are the application forms available online?
No. The application forms for the Citizenship Programme can only be obtained through, and submitted to the Citizenship Unit by, an Authorised Agent.
Do interviews form part of the application process?
Yes, mandatory interviews are required for all main applicants. The Citizenship Unit may at its discretion require any dependants aged 16 or over to attend an interview.
Does the Programme recognise same sex marriage?
The laws of St. Kitts and Nevis define “spouse” as the partner of the opposite sex by marriage.
What is the difference between SISC Donation vs Public Benefit option (PBO)?
Both are donation routes. SISC route helps with sustainable agenda of St.Kitts while PBO invests in public projects fostering economic growth and job creation. The pricing is almost the same but can vary slightly.
What is the maximum number of dependants allowed?
There is no limit on the number of permitted dependants.
What are the fees involved?
Applicants are required to pay a minimum investment fee as well as agency fee, processing, due diligence and application fees, dependent on which investment option is chosen. Processing fees are applicable to all applicants and all applicants aged 16 or over are required to pay due diligence fees. Additional post approval-in-principle Citizenship Programme application fees apply under the Real Estate Investment Option, the Private Real Estate Sale Investment Option, and the Public Benefit Option.
If I am no longer interested in becoming a citizen will my monies be refunded?
If your application is refused you will lose due diligence fees, agency fee and processing fees. You wont lose your investment, it will be remitted only after Letter of approval issued by government.
Can an applicant remit fees directly to the Citizenship Unit?
Yes, all government fees must be paid directly via wire transfers to the Citizenship by Investment Unit. Instructions will be provided to authorised agent. Agency fee is paid to agent.
Do I have to reside in St. Kitts and Nevis in order to apply for citizenship?
No. Residing in St. Kitts and Nevis is not required when applying for the Citizenship Programme. What is a police certificate? A police certificate refers to a statement from a national law enforcement authority on the status of a person’s criminal record. It is also referred to as “certificate of no criminal record” or “police clearance record”.
Who is required to produce a police certificate?
The main applicant and all dependants 16 years of age or older are required to produce a police certificate. Applicants who will turn 16 within three months of submitting their application must also provide a police certificate.
How long does the application process take?
Within 120 – 180 days of acknowledgment from the Citizenship Unit of submission of a Citizenship application, the Citizenship Unit will advise whether an application is:
• Approved-in-principle;
• Denied; or
• Delayed for cause and is still being processed.
Applicants will be kept appraised of the status of their applications through their Authorised Agent.
Can I submit my application in foreign language other than English?
No. Applications that are not in English are not accepted by the Citizenship Unit. Any supporting documents not in English must be provided both in the original language and concurrently with a certified translation into English.
Can my family be included in my application?
Yes. A main applicant may include the following family members as dependants in their application:
a) The spouse of the main applicant;
b) Children aged under 18;
c) Children aged between 18 and 30 who are in full-time attendance at a recognised secondary or tertiary level institution of learning and fully supported by the main applicant;
d) Children aged 18 or over who are physically or mentally challenged; and
e) Parents of the main applicant or the spouse of the main applicant aged 55 or over, living with and fully supported by the main applicant.
What are the requirements for financially sponsored applications?
The following documents are required on applications that are financially sponsored by a parent or child of the sponsored main applicant. A birth certificate is required to confirm the relationship between the financial sponsor and main applicant. The following documents will be required from the financial sponsor:
• C1 Application Form
• Birth Certificate
• Letter of Employment and/or Business/Incorporation Documents
• Proof of Address Document
• A twelve-month bank statement, dated within six months of submission
• A bank reference letter The financial sponsor will be subject to due diligence checks and will incur due diligence fees in addition to the application fees.
How do I apply for name changes?
Yes it is possible through deed poll with prior permission from Ministry of National security. All relevant documents must be submitted to the Passport Office, to request the name change. All previous names will be stated on the Observation Page of the new passport for security reasons.
What are the requirements for post-citizenship additions?
All post-citizenship addition applications will be processed through the Citizenship Unit. The post-approval addition fees are as follows:
• US$30,000 (Thirty Thousand United States Dollars) for addition of spouse or other qualified dependant after approval-in-principle of the main applicant.
• US$7,500 (Seven Thousand Five Hundred United States Dollars) for the addition of each dependant child of the main applicant under three years of age and born after the date the Certificate of Registration is issued to the main applicant.
In addition, the standard fees for processing, due diligence, bank due diligence, Certificate of Registration and passport will be required.
The following dependants are eligible:
1. New spouse married after main applicant acquired citizenship
2. Newborn child up to the age of 3 born after main applicant acquired citizenship
3. Eligible dependant child aged 3+ born after main applicant acquired citizenship
4. Eligible dependant parent who reached the age of eligibility (55 or that in force at the time of the application) after the main applicant acquired citizenship
Any dependants who were eligible but not included in the original application cannot apply for citizenship by the post-citizenship addition route and fees. In this instance, such dependants may apply via a sponsored application.
Does the CIU accept Bitcoin or Cryptocurrency as a source of wealth?
The CIU Unit now accepts cryptocurrency as a partial source of wealth. Please note a separate proof of wealth not derived from crypto will be required. There will be additional due diligence fees associated with this source of funds.
How do i apply for drivers license?
We can assist with this. You will need to come personally to St.Kitts to apply for driving license.
How do i become a resident of St.Kitts and Nevis?
You must visit the island, buy or rent a place for living. Once the address is available you can change the address in the passport. It is a great way to prove genuine link to the country.
Can i apply for US visas?
Yes, Citizens of St.Kitts and Nevis are eligible to apply for Non-Immigrant visas. However immigrant visas are restricted (exception apply for dual citizens, LPR’s). Please refer to state department website.