St. Kitts and Nevis citizenship is gaining back its leadership among the Caribbean countries after total restart of the program last year which led to a catastrophic decline in interest. At the beginning of the fourth quarter of 2024 Saint Kitts and Nevis has introduced updated terms and conditions for its citizenship program. The new administration of the CIP unit began work in mid-September 2024 and dramatic changes in the course are already visible, clearly aimed at increasing sales, which have fallen by 60%.
New requirements for real estate option and more
The minimum threshold for the standard option (condominium unit or share in a real estate development) with real estate has been reduced to USD $325,000 (previously – USD $400,000), for the option with the purchase of a single-family private dwelling home designated as Approved Private Real Estate – USD $600,000 (previously – USD $800,000). The age of parents who can be included in the application as dependent family members has also been reduced to 55 years (previously from 65). Let us recall that the previous management of the CIP unit, in July 2024, reduced the minimum investment in the Island Sustainable Development Fund (SISC): from USD$350,000 to USD $250,000.
St. Kitts and Nevis citizenship for newborns
A new fee has been introduced for granting citizenship to a newborn child. If a child is born in a family whose members received St. Kitts citizenship by investment, then he can also receive a St. Kitts passport. When submitting an application for a child from 0 to 3 years old, the fee will now be USD $7,500. And for children from 4 to 18 years old, the fee will remain the same – USD $10,000.
Bankruptcy clause
The Government of Saint Kitts and Nevis also clarified the applicant’s bankruptcy clause. Now an investor will not be able to obtain a passport if he is declared bankrupt within 10 years after submitting his application for citizenship.
St. Kitts and Nevis citizenship – fast processing with no additional speed fees
Chairman of the CIU, Calvin St. Juste, said there has been intense activity in the first 30 days with rewarding achievements. Among them is a “24-hour response time” rule, implemented to increase service reliability and responsiveness. And also, Chairman says that processing enhancements now allow decisions on applications to be completed in 10 weeks. Note that St. Kitts and Nevis citizenship used to have a fee for fast-track option, but now they promise to speed up any application.
Citizenship of St. Kitts and Nevis: benefits
Saint Kitts and Nevis was the first country to introduce a Citizenship by Investment Program in 1984, facilitating the second citizenship opportunities for individuals from around the world. Today, a St. Kitts and Nevis passport is considered one of the top 25 passports in the world, delivering freedom of travel.
Citizenship of St. Kitts and Nevis gives the opportunity for a visa-free travel to more than 130 countries, including the UK and the Schengen area. Those pursuing the Citizenship by Investment Program in St. Kitts and Nevis are also eligible to apply for a 10-year visa for the US, facilitating business immigration.
