Caribbean citizenship
Data current as of July 2026
St Kitts and Nevis
citizenship by investment
The world's oldest citizenship by investment programme has been running since 1984.
A contribution from $250,000 secures passports for the whole family under a single application,
with no residency requirement.
Visa-free travel to 150+ countries
What St Kitts and Nevis citizenship gives you
The Federation passport offers freedom of movement, a tax regime with no income or capital taxes, and a status that passes to children and grandchildren.
How the programme works
Legal framework, authority and application route
Passport benefits
What the investor and their family actually receive
How much St Kitts and Nevis citizenship costs
The programme offers four investment options. Below we break down each one, list every associated fee and give a full cost estimate for a family of four, with no hidden extras.
Investment options
Four routes approved by the programme authority
Associated fees
Paid separately from the investment and not refunded if the application is refused
Total cost for a family of four
Calculated for a married couple and two children under 16. Government costs only, excluding agent services.
Eligibility requirements
The programme sets requirements on age, reputation and source of funds. A separate restriction applies by nationality and country of residence, so we start with that.
Who cannot apply
The restriction applies by nationality and by country of ordinary residence
Requirements for the main applicant
Checked at the due diligence stage for every person on the application
Do you need to visit the country
There is no residency requirement, but two stages call for personal attendance
Citizenship for the whole family
A single application covers the investor and up to three dependants. Each additional person adds to the budget through a supplementary contribution and a due diligence fee.
and included in the base amount —
and included in the base amount —
Documents required for St Kitts and Nevis citizenship
A separate set is compiled for the investor and for each dependant. Below are the main document groups and the formatting requirements.
Stages and timeline to your passport
Seven stages from the first consultation to the passport. Most of the process runs remotely, with personal attendance required only for biometrics.
Let us calculate the cost for your family
The final amount depends on your family composition, the ages of your children and the investment option you choose. We will prepare a full estimate covering every fee and check whether the programme suits your situation.
Tax, residency and obligations
Citizenship of the Federation does not in itself change your tax status or require you to relocate. Below is what the passport actually gives you and which obligations remain.
When tax residency begins
Tax for residents
Residency requirements
Passport renewal
Programme risks and limitations
The programme does not suit everyone, and a refusal costs more than the fees you have paid. Below are the most common causes of refusal and what the passport does not deliver.
Grounds for refusal
What most often leads to a negative decision
source of funds
your background
inconsistent file
under another programme
the interview
A refusal in one country is recorded and taken into account when neighbouring programmes review an application. Assessing your position before you file matters more than speed: filing on doubtful grounds costs more than not filing at all.
What the passport does not give
Expectations the programme does not meet
Who the programme does not suit
Situations where other routes make more sense
What has changed and what may change
Programme terms are revised, so plan with headroom
What our service covers
We run the process from the first assessment through to the passport, and beyond, when company and banking matters arise.
What we do that Caribbean providers do not
A passport is rarely an end in itself. Behind it usually sit business questions: where to hold the company, where to open an account, how to structure it all. We handle these with the same team that ran your application.
Alternative citizenship programmes
St Kitts and Nevis is not the only option and not always the best one. Below is a comparison with four similar Caribbean programmes, including the criteria on which the Federation falls short.
application
siblings included
running since 1984
US E-2 visa
threshold
eligibility
processing
Other Caribbean programmes
We will match a programme to your situation, family and budget
Cases from our practice
Three situations with different budgets, family structures and objectives. We show not just the outcome but what was discussed at the outset.
Real cases from our practice. Client names and outcomes are published with their consent.
St Kitts and Nevis A family of four, a plan B without relocating
The owner of a logistics company in Turkey, an Iranian national. Two children, aged 16 and 11. Relocation was never the point: the business stays where it is, and he wanted a second passport so as not to depend on a single visa basket and to travel freely to Europe and Asia. He was weighing St Kitts against Grenada and leaning towards Grenada on price.
Solution: We costed the full budget for four under both programmes. The gap was narrower than expected, while St Kitts won on passport strength and on how quickly banks recognise it. We went with the fund contribution. Two points were flagged separately: police clearance certificates from Iran and Turkey had to be started first, and the elder son would age out within eighteen months, so there was no room to delay. Biometrics were combined with a business trip to Dubai.
I was convinced Grenada would come out noticeably cheaper and had almost decided. Once both estimates were laid out with every fee, the difference was not enough to justify losing passport quality. My son turning sixteen had not crossed my mind at all, so thank you for saying it straight away rather than once we had already gathered half the paperwork.
Grenada A single applicant, the goal was business in the US
A developer from Serbia with his own fintech product, his main market being the US. He wanted to set up a company there and run it in person, but no work visa fitted his case on a Serbian passport. He came asking about St Kitts, simply because he had heard of it most.
Solution: St Kitts did not solve his problem. Grenada holds a treaty of commerce and navigation with the US, and that is what opens the door to an E-2 investor visa. We rebuilt the plan: Grenadian citizenship first, then a US company and the visa application. We were upfront that the passport does not grant the visa, that the consulate decides, and that the process would take several more months after citizenship. That was exactly what he had expected.
I came for one thing and left with another, and it turned out to be right. They could have simply sold me what I asked for and I would never have realised I had bought the wrong thing. What I particularly valued was being told straight about the visa: no guarantees, the consulate decides. After two consultations elsewhere where I was promised practically everything at once, that came as a surprise.
Vanuatu A married couple, budget and timing decided everything
A couple from Kazakhstan, both self-employed: he consults on industrial automation, she runs a small agency. They needed a second document for travel and for opening accounts, with no tie to any particular country. Caribbean programmes were outside their budget, and they did not want to wait six months: a trip was already booked for the autumn, and that was the whole reason behind it.
Solution: On those terms Vanuatu suited them better than anything else: markedly cheaper, with processing measured in weeks rather than months. We set out the limitations at once so there would be no disappointment: the passport is weaker than the Caribbean ones on visa-free access and will not get you into the Schengen area. For their purposes that was acceptable, but the decision was made with eyes open. Documents were gathered in three weeks and both passports arrived together.
We understood that for this money we would not get a passport on the level of St Kitts, and we did not need one. What mattered more was that nobody tried to sell us something pricier and we were told honestly where Vanuatu falls short. The Schengen point was explained upfront, before we had paid anything. My wife was anxious about the timing, but it came in even faster than promised.
Frequently asked questions
If your question is not answered here, send us an enquiry and we will look at your situation personally.
Book a consultationNo, and no reputable firm in this market offers such a guarantee. The decision rests with the programme authority following due diligence, and it cannot be influenced. A promise of a guaranteed outcome is a mark of an unscrupulous provider. What genuinely reduces the risk is an honest assessment of your situation before filing and full disclosure of anything the checks would uncover anyway.
The programme is closed to nationals and ordinary residents of six countries: Russia, Belarus, Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan and North Korea. The basis is Exclusion Order SRO 27 of July 2023. The restriction applies both by nationality and by country of ordinary residence, regardless of any second passport. Some sources suggest individual review may be possible after long residence abroad, but the text of the order contains no exemptions. If your situation falls under the restriction, we will find a programme without such requirements.
No. The Federation permits multiple citizenship and there is no requirement to give up your existing passport. There is no language test and no civics examination either. What does matter: check whether the law of your own country allows a second citizenship and whether the authorities must be notified. A duty to notify exists in a number of countries, and the responsibility for it rests with you.
Once, and briefly. Since 14 April 2026 biometric enrolment has been mandatory: fingerprints and a photograph. This is the only stage requiring personal attendance. You do not have to travel to the Federation itself: permanent centres also operate in the UAE and China, with further locations opening elsewhere. The interview is held online, and filing and everything else is handled remotely through an authorised agent.
No. Living in the Federation is required neither to obtain nor to retain citizenship. That said, the government has announced plans to introduce a genuine link requirement. As of July 2026 no such rule has been published or taken effect, and applications are assessed under current rules. The direction of reform is worth factoring into your planning, so we confirm the current position before filing.
Under the most affordable option, the fund contribution, government costs come to about $271,000 for a married couple and two children under 16. That covers the $250,000 investment, $17,500 in due diligence fees and roughly $3,700 in other charges. The real estate options cost more: from $406,000 for a share in a developer project, since a government fee is charged there after approval. Agent services and legal support for the transaction are quoted separately.
The investor and every dependant aged 16 and over. Children under 16 are neither checked nor charged. The fee is $10,000 for the investor and $7,500 for each of the others. Checks are carried out by independent international firms appointed by the government. They cover background, source of funds, sanctions lists and press coverage. The fees are not refunded regardless of the decision.
The passport is issued for 10 years, and for 5 years for children under 16. Citizenship itself is indefinite and does not expire; only the document is renewed. Renewal is handled remotely through Federation diplomatic missions or an authorised agent, with no need to travel to the country. Note separately that existing programme citizens must complete biometric enrolment by 31 July 2027, or the passport will no longer be accepted for travel.
A child can be added to the investor's citizenship once the passport has been issued. The fee is $7,500 for a child under 3 and $10,000 for a child aged 4 to 18. No further investment is required. One important limitation: dependants who were eligible for the original application but were not included cannot be added under the simplified procedure. They will need a separate application.
Yes, the programme offers the only formal accelerated route in the Caribbean region. It shortens the review stage to roughly 45-60 days instead of the standard 120-180. The fee is $25,000 and is not refunded regardless of the decision. Bear in mind that only the review is accelerated: the time needed for document collection, biometrics and passport issuance stays the same. The overall saving works out at around two to three months.
No tax on personal income, capital gains, inheritance or gifts, but only for tax residents of the Federation, and residency requires more than 183 days a year in the country. Citizenship alone does not change your tax status. It allows you to apply for a US B-1/B-2 visa valid for up to 10 years, with the consulate making the decision. Citizenship passes to children and grandchildren by descent and is granted for life.
the budget and assess
your eligibility
We will tell you straight if the programme is not right for you.
Get an estimate
We will reply within one working day and prepare an estimate for your family
By clicking "Send request", you agree to the processing of your personal data in accordance with the Privacy Policy.