Why Is Caribbean Investment Citizenship Program So Popular?

A Caribbean passport holder can travel freely in over 157 countries, including the Schengen zone, the United Kingdom, and Singapore, etc. In some cases, the Caribbean countries’ citizenship by investment helps investors to easily enter new markets with less restrictions.

Caribbean investment citizenship program is very popular to global investors

Benefits of Caribbean citizenship program

Caribbean countries’ citizenship by investment allows you to get a 10-year US visitor visa faster. The visa can be issued for 2-3 weeks at a US consulate while normally, foreigners may have to wait up to a year for a US visa.

Aside from the freedom to travel without a visa, Caribbean citizenship program gives investors some outstanding benefits:

• Easy to form a new company and run business in another jurisdiction;
• Optimize business tax flows;
• Quickly open an account with an international bank;
• Easy to relocate to another country due to unforeseen circumstances;
• Immediately obtain Caribbean citizenship for your family;
• Provide a British education for your children as Caribbean countries are members of the Commonwealth of Nations, obtaining citizenship by investment in the Caribbean can be beneficial when applying to several UK universities.

Helpful information of citizenship by investment in the Caribbean

There are various ways to obtain citizenship in the Caribbean, including naturalization or marriage to a citizen. However, the fastest way is through investment. Citizenship by investment in the Caribbean is available in some jurisdictions like St Kitts and Nevis, Grenada, Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, and Saint Lucia. Depending on the country's citizenship program, it can take 2-6 months to obtain citizenship.

The costs of the Caribbean citizenship program vary by country. For example, in Dominica, Antigua and Barbuda, and Saint Lucia, the minimum investment amount is US$ 100,000, whereas in Grenada and St Kitts & Nevis, it is US$ 150,000. Additional costs to the investment include state and administrative fees, due diligence, and documentation.

A spouse, children, parents, grandparents, and siblings of an investor can apply for the Caribbean citizenship program under one application. The cost of their investment program participation varies by country and investment type.

The investor and his/her family are not required to take a language or history exam, obtain a residence permit, or travel to the country to get passports. Except in Antigua and Barbuda, investors must spend at least 5 days in the first 5 years. All Caribbean countries' citizenship by investment need passing a mandated Due Diligence check.

St Kitts and Nevis citizenship by investment is very popular among Caribbean citizenship programs

St Kitts and Nevis citizenship by investment

St Kitts and Nevis is a lovely, lush two-island state in the eastern Caribbean, lying west of Antigua and south of Anguilla. Tourism is the main industry of St Kitts and Nevis, the country is attracting about 700,000 tourists each year.

The Government offers an accelerated application process by cutting the processing time to 60 days or less, making St Kitts and Nevis citizenship by investment the fastest program in the Caribbean. Investors do not take any examination in language or history. Additionally, there are no residency requirements: applicants are not required to visit St Kitts and Nevis before or after getting their passports.

The investor can include his or her spouse, children, parents, and siblings in the application. They are granted citizenship at the same time. Citizenship in St Kitts and Nevis can be inherited by the investor's offspring.

St Kitts and Nevis passport benefits

• Easy application process: Citizenship in St Kitts and Nevis is one of the quickest Caribbean citizenship programs, with low processing fees, no physical residency restrictions, no personal income tax, no business experience, no minimum language requirements, and no necessary interviews.
• Visa-free travel to 157 countries: Citizens of St Kitts and Nevis are eligible for visa-free travel to 157 countries across the world, including Singapore, Hong Kong, the United Kingdom, Ireland, and the Schengen countries. A St Kitts and Nevis passport benefits more for investors than any other Caribbean passports.
• Long-term US visa: A 10-year B-1/B-2 US visa is available to citizens of St Kitts & Nevis. It allows passport holders to travel, visit friends and relatives, attend business meetings, and seek medical care in the USA.
• International business: People with St Kitts and Nevis citizenship by investment have the ability to register a company in the country. This facilitates investors to collaborate with overseas partners as payments can be made without regard for foreign exchange control restrictions. Moreover, the beneficial owner's information is not recorded into the commercial registry when incorporating an offshore company in St Kitts and Nevis.
• Tax relief and export allowance: A St Kitts and Nevis passport benefits its holder tax exemption on dividends, interest, or royalties. In this country, there are no taxes on earnings, capital gains, or inheritance.

Saint Kitts and Nevis investment is advantageous for global businesses

St Kitts and Nevis citizenship by investment cost

There are 2 options to apply for St Kitts and Nevis citizenship by investment: a Non-refundable contribution to the Sustainable Development Fund or the Purchase of real estate.

• Non-refundable contribution (US$ 150,000): Investors make a contribution or donate to the Sustainable Development Fund. The Government of St Kitts and Nevis will use this fund to support health care, education, tourism, culture, and alternative energy. The investment is non-refundable, and the investor will not get any income from the fund.
• Purchase of real estate (US$ 175,000):
  1. An investor can purchase a part in a social or infrastructural real estate project in Saint Kitts and Nevis for US$ 175,000 or more.
  2. An investor can buy a share or the entire property for at least US$ 200,000. To be eligible for the St Kitts and Nevis citizenship by investment, a real estate project must be approved by the Government. Shares in 5-star hotels and resorts, condominiums, villas, and boat berths are among the initiatives.

     If the property was purchased for US$ 200,000, it can be sold in 7 years, or in 5 years if the property cost exceeds US$ 400,000. The investor also earns a 2 to 5% annual rental income from the property.

  3. A villa that is not on the government's list of approved developments can be purchased for at least US$ 400,000. If an investor purchases a property of the second or third type, they must pay an additional government charge of at least US$ 35,050.

For more information about Caribbean countries’ citizenship by investment, please contact One IBC via Hotline or email [email protected] .