St. Kitts and Nevis Economic Citizenship

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Geoffrey Bridges
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1 St. Kitts and Nevis Economic Citizenship We provide an all-inclusive service to our clients including reception upon arrival in St. Kitts by our attorney at law and public notary and accompanying the client to the various properties being offered by our real estate agents. The Government stipulates that upon receipt of the application, the process takes a maximum period of three months. However, the process in most cases is completed in a shorter period, dependent upon the time taken by the authorities to obtain the due diligence report on the applicant. Economic Citizenship in St. Kitts and Nevis: The Economic Citizenship Programme for St. Kitts and Nevis was established in 1984 and provides the following benefits: Citizenship for life, for applicant and all eligible family members. Dual Citizenship is permitted and without any need for the applicant to reside in St. Kitts and Nevis. Passports will be issued to the applicant and all eligible family members, and may be easily renewed. Full Residency Status and the right to work in St. Kitts and Nevis. Tax Free Status on foreign income, capital gains, gift, wealth and inheritance tax Visa-Free Travel to over 80 countries. An up to date list of those countries for which visas are required can be obtained from the website of the St. Kitts and Nevis Ministry of Foreign Affairs under: Should a visa be required, it is also relatively easy to obtain / Page 1

2 Procedure: We recommend that applicants employ the services of our lawyer based in St. Kitts and Nevis to prepare and expedite their application. As part of the standard procedure the applicant will be subject to a thorough background check. Comprehensive and diligent completion of all the necessary forms is a requirement for preliminary and prompt clearance. Applicants are not required to personally attend any interviews in St. Kitts and Nevis in this respect. The granting of citizenship is at the sole discretion of the Government of St. Kitts and Nevis, and therefore there is no guarantee that applicant will be approved. However, as most applicants are carefully screened prior to submitting an application, applications are rarely refused. The approval process normally takes between 6 to 12 weeks, and on approval of the application citizenship documents and passports are issued. Requirements and costs: The minimum investment in real estate that would make a person eligible to apply for economic citizenship is USD USD is necessary for legal fees for processing which is payable with the application, plus other statutory fees on the real estate transaction. Upon application a non-refundable application fee of USD 7' is required for every main applicant. All dependents over 16 have to pay a non-refundable application fee of USD 4' each. Together with this non-refundable application fee a fee of USD is to be paid for each set of application forms. Upon approval in principle, a registration fee of USD 50' is required for each main applicant. The registration fee for a dependent spouse and for all dependents under 18 amounts to USD 25' each. Dependents over 18 (except for the main applicant's spouse) pay USD 50' each. Applications for more than one person to be included in one investment must be submitted simultaneously. Further applications for dependents after citizenship has been granted would require a new property investment. Additional costs are USD to USD for processing and coordination, of which USD is to be remitted with the application. The total amount will depend on the number of persons/applicants/dependents involved / Page 2

3 The conveyance charges on the real estate will be charged separately. The fees are as follows: 1.5 % of the real estate value for conveyance. The stamp duty at the rate of 12 % on Villa Land Titles and 5 % for condominiums are normally paid by the vendor. However, for some developments in both St. Kitts and Nevis these costs may be split between seller and purchaser. In addition, the purchaser has to pay a 0.2 % assurance fund to the government. The legal fee on the transfer itself is subject to 17 % VAT. Documents required for the Application: Birth Certificate: for each person in the application. Legible copies of all persons' passport information providing a photograph, signature, passport number and date and place of issue are required. (colour copies are preferred). Police Certificate: stating that the applicant has no criminal record. Marriage Certificate: only required if the spouse is also applying for citizenship. Divorce Certificate: only required if your new spouse is also applying for citizenship. Health Certificate: This certificate needs to show that the applicant is not suffering from any contagious or communicable disease. This certificate is required for all persons in the application, both adults and children. Affidavit of Support: This document is required only if the application includes the applicant's spouse and/or dependent children. The affidavit needs to state that the applicant is prepared to support the spouse and dependent children. If the spouse has independent assets, and provides a bank reference letter, the affidavit is required only for the children. Bank Reference. A bank reference is required for all adult applicants including the spouse and any children 18 and over. The reference letter must state how long the account has been maintained, the general level of the account held and that the account relationship has been satisfactory and last but not least that the bank has known the applicant for at least two years. A separate letter may also be submitted by an accountant or stock broker if the applicant has significant funds in trading or investment account. Character Reference: Two original references of good character are required for the applicant and each family member of 18 years or older. The references must be from either a doctor, lawyer, accountant, bank manager, or other professional and must state that the referee has known the applicant for at least two years.. The name, address and phone numbers of the referees are required / Page 3

4 Business/Technical Experience: A resume is required showing the education and experience of the main applicant. If there are children included in the application between the ages of 18 and 25 years they must provide school transcripts and any supporting documentation in order to prove continuous full-time enrolment in an educational facility. Photographs. Eight passport size photographs are required for each person in the application. Signing of Application Form C1 for children of a married couple: The form needs to be signed by both parents on behalf of the respective child in their capacity as the child's legal guardians. Children from previous marriages of partners not being married need an affidavit from the father or mother of the child (as the case may be) giving consent for the application for citizenship, with the signature of both (biological) parents on behalf of the respective child in their capacity as the child's legal guardians on the Application Form C1. In case where only one parent has sole custody or another person has legal guardianship of said child, the appropriate legal documentation has to be provided demonstrating that this was awarded by a court of law or other relevant authority. Application Forms: The forms issued and printed by the responsible ministry of St. Kitts and Nevis need to be completed for the main applicant and for each dependent in accordance with the instructions contained therein. They can be obtained from us. All questions should be addressed to: PRESTIGE Trust reg. Bahnhofstrasse Schaan Liechtenstein Dr. Heinz Hagen Tel: heinz.hagen@prestigetrust.com / Page 4

5 For Russian Clients, please contact: Elena Hagen BEcon LLB MBA Tel: Disclaimer This information is intended solely to provide general guidance on matters of interest for the personal use of the reader of this, who accepts full responsibility for its use. Whilst every effort has been made to ensure that the details contained herein are correct and up-to-date, it does not constitute legal, accounting, tax, or consulting / Page 5

6 advice and should be used only in conjunction with appropriate professional advice obtained by the reader from a suitably qualified professional who understands the reader s particular factual situation / Page 6

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