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While the world remains in the midst of a raging pandemic, people are increasingly comprehending the value of obtaining citizenship in another country to access the safety and freedom of worldwide traveling. If you have such needs, St Kitts and Nevis dual citizenship is one of best options.
The island country in the Caribbean is traditionally a desirable tourism destination famous for its sunny weather and sandy beaches. What’s more is that St Kitts and Nevis second citizenship gives you investors the option to live in a safe environment with good health care, low crime rate, as well as modern infrastructure.
The St. Kitts and Nevis passport is arguably one of the best among all Caribbean countries which can be obtained through citizenship-by-investment (CBI) programs.It gives the holders freedom of international mobility with visa-free access to 156 countries or regions out of 199 possible destinations around the global. These 156 destinations include the European Union as well as the United Kingdom, Switzerland, Canada, United Kingdom and Ireland, Russia and all South American countries.
The Q1 2022 Global Ranking of the Henley Passport Index puts the St. Kitts and Nevis passport ahead of most others in the Caribbean and Central America with the exception of Barbados, which does not offer a Citizenship by Investment Program (CIP), and Mexico with a CIP on a much longer time horizon for obtaining permanent residency and citizenship.
St Kitts and Nevis citizenship benefits are particularly meaningful for investors who need to travel to the United States frequently, especially the nationals whose visa application is at higher risk to be rejected. By applying to any US consulate or embassy, it is possible to get a 10-year US visa for St Kitts and Nevis citizens Although US passport requirements for St. Kitts and Nevis citizens are the same as any other nationality, as is the USA law, their enhanced visa options make it a great option for frequent US visitors. Moreover, Saint Kitts and Nevis passport enables its holders a visa-free UK access and the opportunity to stay there for up to 6 months a year.
Since dependents under the age of 25 (while many other CBI countries set 18 as the age limit on dependents) can all be added to the application, they can practically go to college and graduate school, and seek employment in the US by leveraging the benefits of US visa for St Kitts citizens.
St. Kitts and USA dual citizenship is popular among business people in America because there are no income, wealth, estate, or inheritance taxes in the island country. A trust in the country is exempt from taxation on any foreign income as St Kitts hasn’t signed any tax treaties with other countries to avoid disclosing such information. With the looming higher taxes in America, demand for USA St Kitts dual citizenship can be expected to increase.
The West Indies island country has run the probably longest and one of the best managed CBI programs in the world. Since its introduction in 1984 the St Kitts and Nevis CIP program has become a highly popular second passport program among high-net-worth individuals. Under the program, a foreign investor can choose to donate or invest in approved real estate to receive the passports.
Real estate investment route covers pre-approved projects such as hotel shares, villas or condominium units. The minimum investment is $200,000 for at least seven years, or $400,000 with a shorter holding period of five years.
The donation route entails a non-refundable $150,000 contribution to the Sustainable Growth Fund Contribution (SGF). An applicant with three dependents including a spouse and two children are normally required to contribute $195,000. For any additional dependent, besides the first three applicants, an $10,000 must be added, regardless how old the child is. Children aged between 18 – 25 years are required to pay additional $50,000 Government fees.
This is arguably a very low-cost option to gain St Kitts and Nevis citizenship for the USA nationals.
Upon submitting the application, the main applicant needs to pay due diligence and processing fees of $7,500. An additional $4,000 needs to be paid for each dependent over 16 years old.
The application process time currently takes about three to four months from the date the investor applies, regardless if he/she chooses the SGF option or the real-estate program. The application can also be accelerated，namely Accelerated application process (AAP), which only takes 60 days for the applicants to get his St Kitts dual citizenship. To put it into comparison, it takes approximately 60 months for the applicant to get citizenship in Mexico while its passport only allows the holder visa-free entrance to 142 countries.
Not only are both investment options attractive, the St. Kitts and Nevis citizenship by investment program allows applicants to prepare their files and obtain their new passports.
The requirements to be eligible for the St. Kitts and Nevis citizenship by investment program are very basic and straightforward and include:
It is quite simple and does not require a complicated procedure, once you have signed with an agent it becomes even easier as all you have to do is collect your personal documents and transfer the investment amount.
What makes it more attractive for people who would prefer not to relocate is that, unlike Europe, there is no residency or visit required to qualify for the second citizenship St Kitts program.
It is worth noting, however, that there are some nationalities or individuals who cannot apply to the program by law. Let’s take a look at who they are.
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The following group of people is not eligible to apply for Saint Kitts and Nevis CBI Program:
To be able to apply, they need to be permanent residents of the United States, Great Britain, or Canada.
Another thing to note is that politically exposed persons (PEP) can actually apply, they only have to declare their PEP status in their application.
Holding a second passport in a developed Caribbean country is a pathway for you and your family to the benefits presented by the St Kitts and Nevis government. It also serves as a great Plan B, in case of an emergency.
Short answer: no. Although we do recommend you consider St. Kitts and Nevis as your new home, you can always leave that idea for later as once you have your St. Kitts and Nevis citizenship it is yours for life and is not bound by any type of residency requirement.
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