St Kitts and Nevis citizenship by investment
The oldest CBI, running since 1984. Visa-free access to 150+ countries.
On 19 December 2025 the European Commission, in its 8th report under the visa suspension mechanism, stated that the very existence of a citizenship by investment programme is sufficient grounds for withdrawing visa-free travel. On 25 June 2026 the Commissioner sent five Caribbean countries a demand to wind up their programmes by 1 June 2028. Visa-free travel is in force at present; the Commission plans to assess the countries’ response in its report for December 2026. If visa-free access to the EU is the main motive, the risk has to be built into the decision.
Any document not in English is submitted as the original plus a certified translation. Certificates, police clearance records, bank statements — translated by a sworn translator, with the translation legalised. This is the most common reason a file is sent back for correction.
What citizenship by investment is
Citizenship by investment is a separate procedure set out in a country’s law: a person makes an agreed contribution to the economy, passes screening and receives citizenship by decision of the relevant state body. There is no need to live in the country before applying, to pass a language exam or to wait years for naturalisation — the legal basis is a different one.
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Such programmes have operated in the Caribbean since 1984: St Kitts and Nevis was the first, and the others repeated its model. The money goes into a state fund or into a project approved by the state — this is what distinguishes the programme from the ‘passport purchase’ it is colloquially called: the investment is accepted not by an official but by the treasury under regulations.
The status is for life and heritable: the children of a citizen receive citizenship by birth. It can be revoked only on the grounds set out in the law — falsification in the application form, concealment of facts, a serious crime.
How St Kitts and Nevis citizenship differs from other programmes
This is the world’s first citizenship by investment programme — it has been running since 1984, more than forty years. All the other Caribbean programmes are built on its model, and it has itself been through several tightenings of screening and remains the benchmark for regulation.
There are four contribution options, and they are broader than the neighbours’: a contribution to the Sustainable Island State Contribution — a fund that distributes money across seven areas of the island’s development; the purchase of a unit in an approved developer’s project; private real estate; the Public Benefit Option — financing an infrastructure project.
Citizenship is passed on to subsequent generations — the state lists this among the programme’s main conditions.
How an application for citizenship by investment proceeds
You cannot file the documents yourself. An application is accepted only from an agent licensed by the country — this is a direct requirement of the regulations, not a condition set by intermediaries. The agent is responsible for the file, pays the fees on the applicant’s behalf and remains the only channel of communication with the state body: the status of the application is not disclosed even to the applicant.
After that, the screening decides. The state involves law-enforcement bodies and independent due diligence firms, and every participant in the application aged 16 and over is checked. They look at the origin of the money, criminal records, visa refusals and business reputation. Screening is what the fee is actually paid for, and it is the reason applications are refused.
Once approved, the applicant makes the investment and signs the oath of allegiance — before a lawyer, consul or notary; there is no need to travel for this. A certificate of naturalisation or registration is then issued.
A certificate is not yet a passport. The passport is arranged by a separate application to the immigration service, already as a citizen’s document. This step is often lost in programme descriptions, and it takes weeks of its own.
Four ways to obtain St Kitts and Nevis citizenship
Contribution to the state fund (SISC)
This option- The money goes into the island’s sustainable development fund
- It is distributed across seven priority areas
- Nothing has to be managed after the contribution
Real estate
- A unit in an approved developer’s project
- Or a private property from the list
- The asset remains in your ownership
Public Benefit Option
- Financing an infrastructure project
- The project must be approved by the state
The amounts for each option apply as at the date of filing and change with amendments — we give the current ones at the consultation.
What the service includes
| Support | |
| Filing | |
| Passport | |
| Investment— billed separately |
How the process runs
4–8 months- Шаг 1Консультация: подбираем программу и вариант вклада под задачу, оцениваем состав семьи и риски по проверке.
- Шаг 2Предварительная проверка. Слабые места в биографии и происхождении средств находим до подачи: отказ обходится дороже, чем перенос сроков.
- Шаг 3Сбор комплекта: анкеты, справки о несудимости на всех с 16 лет, медицинская форма, подтверждение происхождения средств, переводы на английский.
- Шаг 4Подача через лицензированного агента и оплата пошлин за рассмотрение и проверку.
- Шаг 5Государственная проверка и собеседование — его проходят основной заявитель и включённые в заявку члены семьи с 16 лет.
- Шаг 6Одобрение, внесение инвестиции и присяга на верность.
- Шаг 7Сертификат о гражданстве, затем отдельное заявление на паспорт в иммиграционную службу.
What we need from you
- 1Contribution from $250k or property from $325k
- 2Due diligence
Frequently asked questions
Why is the St Kitts and Nevis programme called the oldest?
Is an interview compulsory?
Do you have to travel to the country to obtain citizenship?
Will you have to give up your current citizenship?
Who is screened when the application is filed?
Is citizenship passed on to children?
Citizenship by investment: other options
Compare terms in other countries and delivery formats.
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