The Prime Minister of St Kitts and Nevis, Dr Timothy Harris, officially opened the Ramada St Kitts hotel on 2 December.
Justin Kareem Hawley has been appointed as the first Ambassador of St Kitts and Nevis to the UAE.
The Commonwealth of Dominica and St Kitts & Nevis shared first place in the annual CBI Index report produced by Professional Wealth Management (PWM) magazine, published by the Financial Times.
For the fifth consecutive year, St Kitts and Nevis has topped rankings for offering the strongest passport amongst all Caribbean nations that offer Citizenship by Investment (CBI) Programmes.
According to data from the International Air Transport Association, holders of the St Kitts and Nevis passport can travel to 157 countries. And despite the pandemic, citizens of the dual-island nation can travel to more countries than last year.
Boasting the longest-running CBI Programme worldwide, launched in 1984, St Kitts and Nevis also outranked other countries that offer the programme, including Montenegro, Turkey and Vanuatu. Globally, St Kitts and Nevis was classified as the world's 24th strongest passport, surpassing larger and more developed nations.
"We are proud to hold the position of the strongest citizenship by investment passport in the Caribbean for the fifth consecutive year," says Les Khan, CEO of St Kitts and Nevis' Citizenship by Investment Unit.
"It once again underlines the strong offering of the St Kitts and Nevis passport and Citizen By Investment programme, as well as recognising our ability to be agile and to adapt and innovate. This year, for example, introducing new alternative investment options, digitalising applications during the COVID-19 pandemic, and introducing a limited time offer, whilst continuing to apply the highest standards of due diligence."
St Kitts & Nevis Citizenship by Investment programme
Established in 1984, Saint Kitts’ CBI programme remains the ‘Platinum Standard’ of the industry. It is widely renowned in the industry for being one of the most efficient, transparent and reliable options for economic citizenship and was announced as the second best CBI Programme worldwide (just one point less than Dominica) according to the CBI Index 2020.
The fastest CIP worldwide, it is the only citizenship by investment nation to offer a secure, fast-track route. For a fee, the Accelerated Application Process (AAP) delivers a guaranteed 60-day result.
The programme is also family-inclusive, allowing for parents and grandparents of both the main applicant and spouse, above the age of 55 and 65, respectively, as well as siblings, having recently announced the inclusion of siblings in an application.
The fastest and most straightforward route to second citizenship in St Kitts and Nevis is the Sustainable Growth Fund which currently offers applicants a limited-time offer. Until January 15th, 2021, families of up to four who choose to become citizens only need to invest $150,000 instead of $195,000.
Want to learn more about this route to citizenship? Headquartered in London with 14 offices worldwide, including in Malta and the UAE, our preferred partner, Latitude, is a leading international firm in Citizenship-by-Investment and is a government-approved agent for all the programmes it offers including St Kitts & Nevis.
To find out more about the Saint Kitts & Nevis CBI Programme, read our country profile by clicking here
There are just six months left for families to take advantage of the limited time offer for families under Saint Kitts citizenship by programme, which allows families of four citizenship for a reduced fee of US$150,000.
At a time when more people have been looking to get away from it all (for longer or for good), those nations viewed as safest and less developed with great standards of living have thrived. Just ask St Kitts & Nevis – the smallest country in the Western Hemisphere, and the off-the-beaten-track destination for wellness retreats.
The Eastern Caribbean Central Bank (ECCB) has launched a digital currency, known as DCash. This has been implemented by St Kitts and Nevis in its drive to deliver a digital transformation.
St Kitts and Nevis is one of the first Eastern Caribbean nations to embed the pilot currency which is considered legal tender and offers a safer, faster and cheaper method for making payments.
According to the Governor of the ECCB, Timothy Antoine, the initiative's goal is to increase opportunities for inclusion, create growth and business opportunities.
Currently, the Eastern Caribbean dollar is the currency of all seven full members and one associate member of the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS). It has been pegged to the United States dollar since 1976.
The ECCB partnered with Bitt Inc to develop the digital version of the EC dollar.
Bitt delivers digital currency
“Bitt is very proud to provide the ECCB with our full stack of digital currency management systems to enhance the financial services within their member countries,” said Bitt CEO Brian Popelka.
Akilah Byron-Nisbett, the Minister of St Kitts and Nevis' Information and Communication Technology, said digital transformation would boost the economy and make the country a world leader in digital delivery. To reflect that commitment to digital, Prime Minister Dr Hon. Timothy Harris announced the implementation of an online process to submit applications to its Citizenship by Investment Unit.
Established in 1984, the St Kitts and Nevis CBI Programme has undergone significant transformations in recent years – including updated due diligence checks. The government is also aiming to attract more families.
Following unprecedented demand, Saint Kitts & Nevis' citizenship by programme has extended its popular limited time offer allowing families of four citizenship for a reduced fee of US$150,000.
The Federation of St Kitts and Nevis, a dual-island Caribbean nation that pioneered Citizenship by Investment with its programme unveiled nearly 40 years ago, has been encompassed in the Caribbean Journal's ranking of the region's best islands to visit in 2021. Good news for investors wishing to acquire citizenship of the country via investment in a government-approved tourist property.
According to the Caribbean Journal, Saint Kitts & Nevis was included due to its "uncrowded, calm and beautiful" nature – elements enticing for seasoned travellers. St Kitts and Nevis also boasts the lowest coronavirus rate in the Caribbean, reporting only 34 total cases and zero deaths. This makes it the perfect off-the-grid destination for American holidaymakers.
Before the pandemic, St Kitts and Nevis enjoyed a thriving tourism sector with a popular cruise season. The nation soon welcomed one million cruise passengers for two years consecutively, and it was recognised as a marquee destination by the Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association. In recent years, St Kitts and Nevis have quickly become a popular destination for travellers and those seeking second citizenship.
With the coronavirus pandemic still imposing global lockdowns and triggering uncertainty amongst investors, many Americans are looking to acquire alternative citizenship as a 'Plan B' to protect their families from future unpredictability.
"COVID-19 has unveiled the weaknesses of Governments and their ability to deal with a crisis. Having a Plan B for one's family is worth a lot than the actual cost of investing in a safe, happy country," says Micha Emmett, CEO of CS Global Partners, London-headquartered legal advisory and marketing firm.
Under its Citizenship by Investment programme, St Kitts and Nevis welcomes high net-worth individuals and their families to become citizens after investing in its economy. Established in 1984, it is the longest-running CBI Programme in operation and is acknowledged within the industry as a 'Platinum Standard' brand.
Once successfully passing the multi-tiered vetting checks, applicants can invest in the Sustainable Growth Fund – the fastest and most straightforward route to a second citizenship. After gaining citizenship, investors gain access to a wide range of benefits including visa-free travel to 156 destinations across the world, the right to live and work in the country, and the ability to pass citizenship down for generations to come. A single applicant must only make an investment of US$150,000 to unlock a range of life-transforming benefits which also include a second home in a safe paradise.
Find out more about Saint Kitts' citizenship by investment programme by clicking here
Continuing to build on its nearly 40-year citizenship by investment programme success with the sustained addition of more countries to its already powerful passport, Saint Kitts offers those who acquire citizenship of this small Caribbean nation visa-free access to the most destinations of any Caribbean country, with the latest signed-up countries including North Macedonia, Jordan and Eswatini.