Saint Kitts and Nevis

Saint Kitts and Nevis

Saint Kitts and Nevis is an Eastern Caribbean state. It comprises two islands included in the Lesser Antilles. It borders Antigua and Barbuda to the east, Montserrat to the south east, St Eustatius (a special municipality of the Netherlands) to the north west and Saint Barthélemy (an overseas collectivity of France) to the north. All the boundaries are maritime. The total length of the coastline is 135 km.

The capital, Basseterre, is located on the island of Saint Kitts. Saint Kitts and Nevis is the smallest state in the Western Hemisphere, in terms of both land area and population. It is a member state of the Commonwealth of Nations, an organization headed by the Monarch of the United Kingdom.

St. Kitts and Nevis are different from each other, both in form and nature, but have a single volcanic origin and are quite mountainous. The beauty of the nature of the Islands is emphasized by pristine beaches, sea, sunlight and fantastically flora.

Saint Kitts and Nevis is one of our planet’s prime tax havens. Services offered in this offshore area include tax planning and asset management, company registration, establishment of trusts, offshore banking, etc. In addition, on the island of Nevis there is a unique structure known as the multiform foundation, established to perform the most complex tax planning and asset management tasks. Unlike several countries in offshore jurisdictions, Saint Kitts and Nevis has no plans to join the OECD ‘white list’ until 2025. British Virgin Islands, New Zealand and Cayman Islands have been on the list since 14 August 2009, Bermuda joined the relevant agreement on 1 October 2009, and Switzerland adopted the terms of the agreement on 1 January 2010.

The country’s laws allow to register businesses under various forms of incorporation, but the most popular option is that of an International Business Company (IBC) incorporated in Nevis. Like other offshore businesses, IBCs can’t engage in banking or trust activities, insurance or provision of their registered office’s address for other companies’ needs. Companies operating on the territory of the Federation have no right to register as offshore businesses and must pay tax under the standard rate.

In order to qualify, applicants must have no criminal records, be in good health, have high personal net worth and the capability to invest in a government-approved real estate development programme or make a financial contribution to the Sustainable Growth Fund (SGF). If all the requirements are met, passports are issued within approximately 90–120 days of submitting the application.

The Citizenship by Investment Programme of the Federation of Saint Kitts and Nevis was established in 1984 in accordance with Part II Section 3 (5) of the Saint Christopher and Nevis Citizenship Act, 1984, and is the longest existing citizenship-by-investment programme in the world. The Federation is a member of the Commonwealth of Nations, and its head of state is the Monarch of United Kingdom. It is also a healthy democracy based on the British parliamentary system. The Citizenship by Investment Programme of the Federation of Saint Kitts and Nevis gives you and your family the opportunity to travel freely across the world with a visa-free entry to 130 countries. Citizenship of Saint Kitts and Nevis also expands your business opportunities by simplifying taxation.

The Federation permits its citizens to have dual citizenship and, in accordance with its legislation, is not obliged to notify and does not notify other countries via official political channels that citizens of the said countries had been granted the citizenship of Saint Kitts and Nevis. The Caribbean state’s government is extremely committed to keeping the programme uncompromised: since 2011, after economic sanctions against Iran were introduced, applications from this country’s residents are no longer considered; applicants with the slightest hint of a criminal background undergo the most rigorous checks.

You don’t have to worry that a Saint Kitts and Nevis passport would have a bad reputation or that you would be sharing you citizenship status with shadowy characters. Both the existing procedures and the regulatory framework of granting economic citizenship are certain to preclude such precedents.

Citizens of Saint Kitts and Nevis can travel visa-free or get a visa stamp on arrival in 130 countries, including the UK, Schengen Area states and most of the Commonwealth member countries. As a Commonwealth citizen, your children will be able to benefit from the UK’s youth mobility scheme, receiving preferential treatment when applying to colleges and universities in the United Kingdom. Moreover, any descendants of economic citizens can pass on the citizenship to their children and grandchildren who are entitled to the citizenship by descent, i.e. without any additional investment.

With its exceptional tax regime and its currency pegged to the US Dollar, Saint Kitts and Nevis boasts a favourable environment for business development. Moreover, trade with Canada and the Caribbean countries is 100% tax free.

To qualify for citizenship via investing in real estate, the value of the acquired property must be a minimum of USD 200,000 and the development must be approved by the government. You are not allowed to sell on your investment during a 7-year period, but you can profit from short-term or long-term lease, which often amounts to 10% of the property’s value per annum.

Another way to obtain citizenship is to invest in the Sustainable Growth Fund in the amount of USD 150,000. This option does not provide for the return of dividends from your invested money.

Applicants will also be required to pay additional government fees, passport application and legal audit fees related to their chosen investments, according to the number of accompanying family members, as well as consulting fees.