Changes to St. Kitts and Nevis Citizenship by Investment Programme 2024

The first part of the changes indicates, strengthening the Technical Committee which shall consist of the following people:

• The Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, who is responsible for national security;

• A civil servant assigned by the Minister at his/her discretion;
• A civil servant assigned by the Minister on the recommendation of the Head of the Continuing International Due Diligence Unit of the Ministry with responsibility for national security;
• The Chief Executive Officer of the Unit;
• A person recommended by the Board of Governors is either a senior member of the Unit's staff or a member of the Board of Governors.

The second part is about reducing the minimum amount of investment, which is for the benefit of investors. Currently, the thresholds are the following:

• The minimum investment has decreased to $325,000, from $400,000.
• The minimum investment for a single-family private residence has been reduced from US$800,000 to US$600,000.
• The fees to add a newborn child, after St Kitts citizenship was granted, have decreased from $30,000 to $7,500.

Another notable change is the reduction of the eligible age for dependent parents from 65 to 55.

The major contributor to the changes is the Board of Governors of the CIU, headed by Chairman His Excellency Calvin St. Juste. In his own words, “We have been leading the industry by crafting the sustainable model and fulfilling the standards set out by the international community. The modifications in the investment amount have been taken to align with market realities while preserving the premier brand of St. Kitts and Nevis and positioning it as the first choice for investors.”

It’s essential to mention that holding the passport of St. Kitts and Nevis comes with many benefits such as:

• Having visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to 147 countries
• The right to have dual citizenship
• Friendly tax system (e.g. no personal income tax)
• Politically and economically stable country
• No physical residency requirement

Based on this, many investors are interested in applying for the CBI program. As an applicant, you’ll need to:

• Be at least 18 years old
• Have a clean criminal record
• Not be a subject of criminal investigation
• Not have a contagious disease and/or serious health problems
• Not to have been refused entry/visa to a country where Saint Kitts and Nevis citizens enjoy visa-free access.
• Has proof of the existence of sufficient funds