St. Kitts & Nevis Citizenship by Investment (CBI)
Also known as: St. Kitts CBI · Kittitian citizenship · NK CBI
What it grants
St. Kitts & Nevis passport and citizenship immediately upon approval — no residence requirement — with family inclusion.
Competent authority: Citizenship by Investment Unit, Ministry of Finance, St. Kitts & Nevis
Research cutoff 2026-09-19 · 3 source references. Recheck material facts with the listed primary publishers before acting.
Quick answers
Answer-first summary from the source-dated record. Each answer is a research reference, not a personal eligibility decision.
- What does this route grant?
- St. Kitts & Nevis passport and citizenship immediately upon approval — no residence requirement — with family inclusion.
- What is the published entry point?
- 250,000 USD through National development fund. This is not the total family or professional cost.
- Is physical presence required?
- No residence requirement to obtain or maintain citizenship.
- Can family be included?
- Spouse, children under 30 (undergraduate students) / unmarried dependents, and dependent parents / grandparents of the applicant.
- Does it lead to citizenship?
- Citizenship is the grant.
This route fits if…
- Applicants wanting an immediate strong passport with no residence period
- Families including parents under a single grant
- Citizens seeking UK e-gate access (biometric enrollment)
Needs professional review
- Current fund vs. property thresholds and any tier changes
- DD outcome (background, source of funds)
- Family composition for a single application
01Summary
The Kingdom's CBI programme grants full citizenship (not residence) for a qualifying contribution: the national development fund (from 250,000 USD) or an approved real-estate investment (from 400,000 USD, held 5+ years). No residence is required before or after the grant.
The passport ranks highly for visa-free / visa-on-arrival access (100+ jurisdictions) and includes e-gate access to the UK (with biometric enrollment). Two CBI grants — the fund and property paths — have different hold/donational mechanics; always check which instrument is current at filing.
Due diligence and background checks are the main refusal gate. Applicants and their family are subjected to the programme's DD standards.
02Investment options
National development fund
250,000 USD min · Not applicable — non-refundableNon-refundable contribution to the fund.
Approved real estate
400,000 USD min · 5+ years per programme rulesApproved government-designated real-estate project.
03Eligibility
- Qualifying contribution at the applicable minimum
- DD / source-of-funds passing
- Criminal record clean
- Aged 18+
04Family & dependents
Spouse, children under 30 (undergraduate students) / unmarried dependents, and dependent parents / grandparents of the applicant.
- Spouse
- Children
- Parents / grandparents
05Physical presence
Presence is defined per rule dimension below — each with its own counting method. There is no single universal "days per year" number.
Residence
No residence requirement to obtain or maintain citizenship.
Counting method: No day-count rules.
06Timeline & duration
Approval is usually within ~15 business days after a complete file and DD; DD is the dominant delay. Not a guaranteed date.
Typical: 1–4 months end-to-end for clean files (2026 reference) · Duration: Permanent citizenship; renewable passport.
- Passport renewal; citizenship is not renewable
07Costs
Contribution (fund or property) is the dominant cost and is non-refundable / long-hold; government and DD fees are small.
| Component | Basis | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Contribution: fund (250k) or property (400k) | Investment capital | 250,000 USD |
Government charges, investment capital, professional fees and other costs are separate. Figures are research references, not quotes; verify them with the responsible authority and qualified professional before acting.
Currency conversions use a reference EUR→USD rate of 1.08 as of 2026-09-19. All program amounts are stated in official currencies; verify current rates before budgeting.
08Documentation
Valid passport (all holders)
primary
Criminal record certificate
primary — Apostilled.
Source-of-funds evidence
primary
DD forms (programme-specific)
any
Marriage certificate
spouse
Birth certificate
child
Birth certificate of applicant / dependency evidence
parent
09Path to PR & citizenship
Permanent residence
CBI grants citizenship directly; PR is not part of the route.
Citizenship
Citizenship is the grant.
10Risks & refusals
- DD / source-of-funds refusal
- Fund is non-refundable
- Property 5-yr hold can lock capital
- Thresholds & tiers may shift
11Rule versions tracked
Law changes create cohorts — the version in force when you first acquired your permit or filed may govern your case. Both open and closed versions stay on record.
nk-cbi-v20242023-04-20 – presentactiveCurrent consolidated CBI programme rules (fund 250k / property 400k, 5-yr hold).
- Thresholds unchanged
- DD standards reaffirmed
12Sources of record
Draft next-review date: 2026-12-19. A listed link and checked date do not certify that a rule is current. Recheck material facts with the responsible authority and a qualified professional before acting.