Citizenship of Saint Kitts andNevis by investment

SISC is a non-refundable contribution to the state fund, $250,000 for an applicant or a family of up to four, with no state option fees. The Public Benefit Option has the same $250,000 threshold but fees after approval, so the total is higher. Property from a developer is a share in an approved project from $325,000. A private house is from $600,000. The last two options are recoverable in the sense that the property stays your asset and can be sold no earlier than seven years later.

The $250,000 contribution covers the main applicant and up to three dependants — for up to four people in the application the total grows only through screening and fees. After that each dependant aged 18 and over adds $50,000 to the contribution and each child under 18 adds $25,000. Everyone aged 16 and over goes through due diligence: $10,000 for the main applicant and $7,500 for each dependant. The programme sets no limit on the number of dependants.

For a single applicant the difference in the investment is $75,000. That is the price of $325,000 staying an asset rather than an expense. For large families the gap narrows: the contribution grows with each person above four, while the cost of the property does not change. From seven participants we calculate both options and choose on the facts, not on a general rule.

After the approval-in-principle letter, not on filing. Before approval only due diligence and the mandatory fees are paid. This is a matter of principle in the programme: first the state checks the applicant, and only then does the main money move.

Yes. An interview is mandatory for every main applicant — it is conducted by an independent company engaged by the CIU. The authority may call dependants aged 16 and over for an interview at its discretion. We confirm the procedure and the format with a licensed agent as at the date of filing.

No. The official procedure states expressly that the application is filed only through an agent from the list of licensed agents; the Citizenship by Investment Unit does not accept documents directly. The CIU website also publishes the list of agents whose licence has been withdrawn — the choice of agent is worth checking against the official list.

At present the passport gives visa-free entry to the Schengen area for 90 days out of 180 and to the United Kingdom with an ETA electronic authorisation. At the same time the European Union’s position on the Caribbean programmes is tightening: in June 2026 the Commission proposed that five countries, Saint Kitts and Nevis among them, wind their programmes down by 1 June 2028. Keeping the visa waiver for the whole life of the passport cannot be guaranteed, and we do not build the only argument on it.

The Federation moved to biometric passports: from 14 April 2026 only those are issued. Everyone who obtained citizenship through the investment programme, children included, must complete biometric registration by 31 July 2027 — otherwise the passport will stop being accepted for international travel. The separate biometrics fee that agents mention has not been published officially and is therefore not included in the calculation on this page.

The CIU states a processing time of 120-180 days from confirmation of filing. In BRIDGES practice the path from the first consultation to the passport takes 5-6 months: preparing the file, screening and issuing the documents are added to the processing time. That is longer than Vanuatu, but Saint Kitts is a programme with Schengen, the United Kingdom and a recoverable property option.

Yes. Saint Kitts and Nevis permits dual citizenship and does not require you to give up your current passport. You also do not have to live in the country to keep the status. It is worth checking separately how the law of your current country of citizenship treats a second citizenship.

Yes. A child born after the status is granted is registered by descent, with no new investment. We handle the child’s certificate and passport. The passport itself has a fixed term: from April 2026 it is replaced only with a biometric one.

In individual cases payment by a sponsor is possible — where the source of funds and the connection between the applicant and the payer are confirmed. We agree the payment structure before filing so that the transfer passes the checks: we have handled such cases, and one of them is set out in the selection below.