CBI — Sustainable Island State Contribution (SISC) donation
Citizenship in Saint Kitts and Nevis
- Eligibility
- Citizenship by Investment via the SISC, a non-refundable contribution to the Federal Consolidated Fund (Citizenship Act Cap 1.05 s.3(5) + s.15 regs; current SRO 20 of 2024). US$250,000 covers a main applicant alone OR a family of up to four; additional dependant <18 US$25,000 / 18+ US$50,000. The world's OLDEST CBI programme (since 1984). Meets/exceeds the OECS US$200,000 floor.
- Timeline
- standard
- Renunciation
- Not required
Overview
Citizenship by Investment via the SISC, a non-refundable contribution to the Federal Consolidated Fund (Citizenship Act Cap 1.05 s.3(5) + s.15 regs; current SRO 20 of 2024). US$250,000 covers a main applicant alone OR a family of up to four; additional dependant <18 US$25,000 / 18+ US$50,000. The world's OLDEST CBI programme (since 1984). Meets/exceeds the OECS US$200,000 floor.
Who qualifies
- St Kitts and Nevis CBI ('Citizenship by Substantial Investment') is registration of a person as a citizen under section 3(5) of the Citizenship Act, Cap. 1.05; the SISC Regulations are made under the regulation-making power in section 15 of the Citizenship Act. There is NO standalone 'CBI Act' creating the route; the CIU Act 11/2024 supplies the statutory footing of the Unit (governance), not the citizenship-acquisition ground. - CBI main-applicant qualifications (SRO 20/2024 reg12): at least eighteen years of age; has made or agreed to make a qualifying CBI investment/contribution; and meets the application requirements. Disqualifiers (reg12(2), as amended by SRO 43/2024 reg5): denied citizenship of any country; denied a visa to a SCN-visa-free country and not subsequently obtaining it; a criminal record; subject of a criminal investigation; declared bankrupt within ten years of application; or involvement in activity likely to bring SCN into disrepute. - Citizens of — AND persons ordinarily resident in — six excluded countries are barred from ANY application for citizenship by investment: the Russian Federation, the Republic of Belarus, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea), the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, the Republic of Iraq, and the Islamic Republic of Iran (SRO 27 of 2023 reg3 excludes 'every citizen of, and persons ordinarily resident in' the listed countries from any application for registration as a citizen; Exclusion Order made under Citizenship Act Cap 1.05 s.3(13); the Minister responsible for National Security may amend the list).
How to apply
- Processing timeline: within 120 to 180 days of the Unit's acknowledgment of a CBI application, the Unit notifies the Authorised Agent whether the application is approved-in-principle, denied, or delayed for cause (SRO 20/2024 reg20(18)/21(5)/22(16)/23(14)). This widened the prior fixed 120-day notification window under SRO 26/2023. - Mandatory interview + due-diligence regime: every main applicant in process must attend an interview (virtually, in person in SCN, or at a Board-approved location); a dependant aged sixteen or over may, if deemed necessary, attend an interview (SRO 20/2024 reg16). DD checks are mandatory for every applicant aged 16+ and (SRO 20/2024 reg24(3)) submitted to the Financial Intelligence Unit, the Continuing International Due Diligence Unit, the Joint Regional Communications Centre (CARICOM IMPACS) and at least one reputable international due-diligence firm. - Authorised-Agent gateway: CBI applications may be submitted to the Unit only by an Authorised Agent; application forms are available only from the Unit (not online); an applicant cannot apply directly or contact the CIU directly. Authorised Agents pay a non-refundable US$5,000 application fee and renew annually (by 31 January); International Marketing Agents pay US$20,000 (renew by 30 November). - Investment timing: the qualifying SISC contribution / real-estate purchase / PBO contribution is made AFTER approval-in-principle (the brochure: 'Make your investment after you receive the approval-in-principle letter'), no later than 90 days after the approval-in-principle notification, before the grant of citizenship. Due-diligence and processing fees are non-refundable even if the applicant withdraws before a Certificate of Registration issues. - CIU institutional reform (governance, not an acquisition ground): the Citizenship by Investment Unit Act, 2024 (Act 11/2024) established the CIU as a separate body corporate with perpetual succession (operational 31 July 2024) and established the Board of Governors; SRO 20/2024 reg3 reads the Board of Governors and the Unit as established under the CIU Act 2024. The Continuing International Due Diligence (CIDD) Unit also became operational from 31 July 2024. - Advertising restrictions (anti-'golden passport' branding): SRO 20/2024 reg27 + Schedule 2 prohibit marketing that names visa-free counts, uses terms like 'second/golden/strong passport' or 'sale of passports', depicts a SCN passport or Certificate of Registration, advertises discounts/special offers, or misstates the legally prescribed minimum investment. Breach = summary conviction fine not exceeding EC$10,000 plus agent/benefactor sanctions.
Legal basis
Primary statute: Citizenship Act Cap 1.05 s.3(5) + s.15 regs + SRO 20 of 2024. Operative 2023-07-27–present. Authority: Citizenship by Investment Unit (CIU).
Example scenarios
Eligible; minimum US$250,000 SISC contribution plus fees, no residence/language/travel requirement.
Citizenship Act s.3(5) + SRO 20/2024 reg21(2)(a): the SISC minimum is US$250,000 for a main applicant or a family of up to four total persons, paid into the Federal Consolidated Fund (non-refundable). Add DD US$10,000 (main) and processing US$250/applicant. Contribution is payable only after approval-in-principle (notified within 120-180 days) and is irreversible once deposited. No residence, travel, or language requirement.
US$250,000 covers all four; only DD and processing fees scale.
SRO 20/2024 reg21(2)(a): US$250,000 covers a family of up to FOUR total persons under the SISC — no per-head contribution add-on within the family-of-four band. Additional dependants beyond four cost US$25,000 each (under 18) or US$50,000 each (18+) (reg21(2)(b)-(c)). DD: US$10,000 main + US$7,500 per dependant aged 16+; processing US$250/applicant. The family-of-four flat structure is the SISC's headline efficiency.
US$250,000 base + US$25,000 (5th, a minor) + US$50,000 (6th, an adult dependant) = US$325,000 contribution, plus fees.
SRO 20/2024 reg21(2): base US$250,000 for the first four persons; each additional dependant under 18 adds US$25,000 and each additional dependant 18+ adds US$50,000. With four children, two exceed the family-of-four band: a 5th person who is a minor (+US$25,000) and a 6th who is an 18+ student dependant (+US$50,000). The 19-22 children qualify only if in full-time education and fully supported (dependant def reg reg 3(b)).
SISC US$250,000 sunk (flat for 4); RE from US$325,000 recoverable after a 7-year hold but with the largest add-on fee stack and stamp duty; PBO US$250,000 sunk, escrowed, stamp-duty exempt, main fee netted.
Grounded in SRO 20/2024 (SISC reg21; RE reg26 fees), SRO 43/2024 (RE thresholds US$325k/US$600k), and SRO 26/2023 reg32 (PBO escrow + stamp-duty exemption, reg32(12)). The SISC minimises complexity (one flat contribution for four); RE has the highest entry (US$325k+) and fee stack but the asset is resaleable after 7 years (subject to the s.8(c) 5-year deprivation trap if sold early); the PBO is donation-like but stamp-duty exempt with main-applicant fee netting. None requires residence, travel, or language.
Includable as a dependant — the dependent-parent age threshold is 55+ (SRO 43/2024 reg3 lowered it from 65, eff 25 Oct 2024); the CIU brochure agrees, so a 60-year-old supported parent qualifies.
No divergence exists: SRO 43/2024 reg3 replaced 'sixty-five' with 'fifty-five' in the dependant-parent definition (decoded primary). A parent aged 55 or over who lives with and is fully supported by the main applicant therefore qualifies under both the current regulation and the CIU brochure; a 60-year-old supported parent is includable.
Includable as a dependant — within the 18-25 full-time-education band, if fully supported.
SRO 20/2024 reg 3 (Interpretation)(b) / SRO 26/2023 reg 3 (Interpretation)(b): a child aged between eighteen and twenty-five years who is in full-time attendance at a recognised secondary or tertiary institution AND fully supported by the main applicant is a dependant. A 23-year-old enrolled full-time and supported qualifies; the supporting affidavit (reg) and transcripts are required for 18+ dependants.
Informational summary compiled from primary legal sources — not legal advice. Citizenship law changes; verify with the competent authority before acting. Last verified 2026-06-14.
Track changes to this route
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