St. Kitts & Nevis.
ECONOMIC CITIZENSHIP PROGRAM


St. Kitts & Nevis
St. Kitts & Nevis - Two Islands, one Paradise
Background and Legal
Considerations
Several independent nations have
adopted programmes which allow the acquisition of citizenship against a direct
contribution to the state as a means of development of the country. The
Citizenship Programme of St. Christopher (St. Kitts) and Nevis was established
in 1984, which makes this the longest established Economic Citizenship
Programme. Citizenship can only be acquired through an investment in
designated real estate; a limited quota of real estate available for
investment has been set by the Government. Regulations regarding Economic
Citizenship are contained in Section 3 (5) of the Citizenship Act, 1984. The
terms and conditions governing the Citizenship-by-Investment Programme are
contained in the Government's policy guidelines.
St Kitts & Nevis is an independent
English speaking island state situated in the northern part of the Leeward
Islands in the eastern Caribbean. The Federation is made up of two islands,
St. Kitts and the smaller Nevis, which are separated by a channel two miles
wide. It is a former British colony and a member of the Commonwealth of
Nations (British Commonwealth) as well as the United Nations, Caricom, and
other international organisations.

Clocktower, Basseterre |
St. Kitts & Nevis has
a pleasant climate, particularly during the cool months from December to
March. Humidity is relatively low, and constant northeast trade winds keep
the islands cool.
St. Kitts is 23 miles
long and 5 miles across at its widest, encompassing an area of 68 square
miles. Nevis, the smaller island, lies to the south and is approximately 7
miles in diameter, covering a total of 36 square miles. The two islands
support a population of about 45,000, of which about 9,000 live on the
island of Nevis. Like no other islands in the Caribbean except Dominica,
St. Kitts & Nevis embody a kind of lush tropical paradise usually
associated with the South Pacific. The atmosphere here is a blend of
sunlight, sea air and abundant vegetation. At the center of St. Kitts
stands the spectacular, cloud-fringed peak of Mount Liamuiga (pronounced
Lee-a-mweega), a dormant volcano covered by dense tropical forest. |
St. Kitts & Nevis offers good
opportunities for investors and manufacturers. The workforce is well-educated,
English speaking and friendly. Other advantages include tax breaks of up to 15
years, repatriation of profits and the possibility of tax-free entry of
produced goods into the US market. Substantial European import benefits also
apply.
The Government of St. Kitts &
Nevis has introduced extensive legislation to attract financial services
business to the island. Since 1984 there is also an attractive
Economic Citizenship Programme in operation. However, due to a separate
real estate investment requirement in addition to government fees, this
programme is relatively expensive and, as a consequence, also more
exclusive. However, St. Kitts & Nevis is a very attractive place to own
real estate, and there are some excellent real estate developments that
are approved under the citizenship programme. Furthermore, the St. Kitts &
Nevis passport is very well regarded as only relatively few passports have
been issued under this citizenship-by-investment programme. As a result, St.
Kitts & Nevis passport holders, unlike Belize, Dominica or Grenada passport
holders for example, enjoy a passport with and excellent reputation and
very good visa-free travel. Therefore, depending on the applicant’s
individual circumstances, the St. Kitts & Nevis citizenship-by-investment
programme is a very attractive option.
Further Information
Through its Eastern Caribbean
office in Dominica and a representation in Basseterre, St. Kitts, our partners
assist foreign individuals in acquiring citizenship through the official
Economic Citizenship Programme. We also advise corporations and private
investors about all aspects of real estate in the islands and about investing
and doing business in St. Kitts & Nevis and throughout the Eastern Caribbean.
St. Kitts & Nevis
Economic Citizenship Programme
Requirements
An
application will result in citizenship for one family (applicant, spouse and
two unmarried dependant children). In addition to standard documentary
requirements (passports, birth and marriage certificates, police clearance,
etc.) it is necessary that the applicant makes contribution to the Government
of St. Kitts & Nevis, which takes the form of a non-refundable cash payment of
US$35,000 for a single applicant plus US$15,000 for each dependent. In
addition, the applicant must invest in designated real estate. To qualify for
citizenship of St.Kitts & Nevis, the Government requires an investment in real
estate of at least US$250,000. In addition to this, there are professional and
due diligence fees, which depend on the number of persons included in an
application.
These requirements make the programme relatively expensive but at the same
time also more exclusive. However, St. Kitts & Nevis is a very attractive
place to own real estate, and there are some excellent real estate
developments that are approved under the citizenship programme. Furthermore,
the St. Kitts & Nevis passport is very well regarded as only relatively
few passports have been issued under the citizenship-by-investment programme.
As a result, St. Kitts & Nevis passport holders, unlike Belize, Dominica or
Grenada passport holders for example, enjoy a passport with more visa-free
travel (St. Kitts & Nevis passport holders still have visa-free access to
Canada for example) and an excellent reputation. Therefore, depending
on the applicant's individual circumstances, the St. Kitts & Nevis
citizenship-by-investment programme is a very attractive option.
Procedure
Our
partners will assist you in
finding suitable real estate for purchase and will prepare and lodge your
application with the Government. After purchase of the real estate and
approval of your citizenship application (normally 4 to 8 weeks) citizenship
documents and passports are issued. As with other citizenship programmes,
there is a thorough background check. However, applicants are not required
to go to St. Kitts & Nevis as there is no interview required. Of course it
is advisable to personally select the real estate in which you invest, however
if you do not have the time to travel there the entire procedure can be
completed without your physical presence being required, which is a further,
considerable advantage of this programme. Citizens of St. Kitts and Nevis are
allowed to hold dual citizenship, and the acquisition of citizenship is not
reported to other countries.
The following documents must
accompany your application. If the documents are not in English, a full
translation prepared and certified by a professional translation service is
required. Translations must be on the translation firm's letterhead and bear
its signature and stamp. Certified copies of the documents in the original
language must also be provided. We can arrange for such translations to be
done by our specialised in-house Translation Services at competitive rates.
You can therefore send us certified copies of the original documents, and you
need not worry about the translation.
|
Document |
For |
| Application form |
Each
person including children |
| Due diligence
form/declaration |
Main
applicant |
| Personal information and
disclosure forms |
Each
person including children |
| Business background
information |
Each
working adult |
| Citizenship application
letter |
Main
applicant |
| Limited Power of
Attorney |
Main
applicant |
| Passport application
form |
Each
person including children |
| Birth certificate
(certified copy) |
Each
person including children |
| Marriage certificate
(certified copy) |
Married
couples |
| Divorce certificate
(certified copy) |
Divorced persons |
| Medical certificate
including HIV-Test (originals) |
Each
person including children |
| Certificate of no
criminal record (original) |
Each
person (16 years and over) |
| Two (2) personal
references (originals) |
Main
applicant |
| Bank reference
(original) |
Main
applicant |
| Copy of passport or ID
document (certified copy) |
Each
person including children |
| Twelve (12) colour
passport photographs |
Each
person including children |
Upon request, a complete set of
required forms as well as an application guide with detailed explanations
regarding all forms and documents will be prepared and sent to you by courier.
Your documents are always delivered by courier, and all courier charges are
included in our fees.
Benefits
As a
citizen of St. Kitts & Nevis you can live and work in St. Kitts & Nevis at any
time, and as Commonwealth citizen you will enjoy special rights and privileges
in the United Kingdom. You are not liable to taxation in St. Kitts & Nevis on
any income earned outside of the country. Most importantly, the St. Kitts &
Nevis passport enjoys an excellent, untainted reputation, and offers
the most comprehensive visa-free travel of all economic citizenship
passports: you will be able to travel on your St. Kitts & Nevis passport
without visa to more than 90 countries, including the United Kingdom, Canada,
Switzerland, Sweden, and many others. Finally, owning real estate in St. Kitts
& Nevis, two of the most attractive islands in the Caribbean, is a good
investment that you can use for your vacation, as a pied-a-terre, for
future retirement or to generate rental income.
Performance Guarantee
Great care
has been taken to provide the best possible safeguards for persons entering
the programme. Prior to taking on any mandate, a written agreement is made
between the applicant and our partners defining the responsibilities of both
parties.
Since the
granting of citizenship is at the sole discretion of the Government of St.
Kitts & Nevis, we are not able to guarantee that applications will be
approved. However, no applicant, once accepted by our partners, has ever been
refused - thanks to our professional assessment of each case prior to lodging
any application.
Unlike in
Dominica or Grenada, where our partners are officially appointed by the
respective Governments, there is no official accrediting of agents under the
Economic Citizenship Programme in St. Kitts & Nevis. It is therefore all the
more important to deal with a professional firm with an international
reputation that is experienced in handling such applications. Through our
regional office in the Eastern Caribbean and our own representation in
Basseterre, St. Kitts, we are the leading firm for handling Economic
Citizenship applications in St. Kitts & Nevis.
Further
Information
For
further information on the programme and on how to apply - or to arrange a
private consultation - please contact
us today. Individuals as well as other law and consulting firms worldwide
rely on us for professional advice and assistance in this delicate area where
our expertise and experience are second to none.
Please note:
All documents offered by procuring agencies are
guaranteed by same agencies to be absolutely
genuine - no forgeries, no stolen or "lost"
papers!
OffshoreSimple Inc is not "selling" these
passports in the sense that we issue them, fill
in existing blanks or print them ourselves!
(This should really be a given, but we do get
inquiries asking us to do just that - sorry,
folks, but that's a strict no-no as far as we
are concerned!)
What we do instead is to mediate between clients
who are interested in obtaining a legal &
official 2nd citizenship/passport and those
agents & facilitators who are capable and
willing to help them obtain it.