The Caribbean's oldest citizenship-by-investment programme, explained without the sales gloss — real thresholds, the 2026 biometric changes, and an honest view of what a second passport does and doesn't do.
Last updated: June 2026 — reviewed against the St Kitts & Nevis Citizenship by Investment Unit (CIU) program settings for 2026.
Free St Kitts & Nevis Eligibility Assessment — SISC contribution (from US$250,000), real estate (from US$325,000), and the Public Benefit Option. Documentation, due-diligence readiness and case coordination.
Get Assessment| St Kitts & Nevis Citizenship by Investment (SISC · Real Estate · Public Benefit) | |
|---|---|
| Governing authority | Citizenship by Investment Unit (CIU), St Kitts & Nevis |
| SISC contribution | From US$250,000 (main applicant or family of up to 4); +US$25,000 per additional dependant under 18; +US$50,000 per additional dependant aged 18+ |
| Real estate | Developer's real estate or private condominium/share from US$325,000; single-family home from US$600,000 — 7-year hold before resale |
| Public Benefit Option | At least US$250,000 to an approved public benefit project (infrastructure, healthcare, education) |
| Due-diligence fees | US$10,000 main applicant; US$7,500 per dependant aged 16+ (program figures; interview mandatory for main applicant and dependants 16+) |
| As of | June 2026 |
Figures above are program thresholds set by the CIU. Cosmos service fees are separate and confirmed after assessment.
We assist applicants based in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Riyadh, Doha, Kuwait City, Muscat, Manama, as well as across India and Sri Lanka. Citizenship by investment is a serious, document-heavy process, and our role is to make it clear and manageable from start to finish.
The aim is not a faster passport at any cost — it is a clean, compliant file that holds up under modern due diligence.
St Kitts & Nevis citizenship by investment starts at a US$250,000 Sustainable Island State Contribution (SISC) for a main applicant or a family of up to four, according to the CIU. Adding dependants raises the figure — US$25,000 for each additional dependant under 18, and US$50,000 for each additional dependant aged 18 or over. Real estate routes begin higher, at US$325,000.
On top of the investment sit mandatory due-diligence fees — US$10,000 for the main applicant and US$7,500 for each dependant aged 16 or over — plus a compulsory interview for the main applicant and dependants aged 16 and above. These are program figures set by the government, not our fee. The route that fits you depends on your family size, your timeline, and whether you want a contribution or a property. Find out which route fits your file — free assessment.
The honest note on mobility. Visa-free travel to the Schengen Area is currently available on a St Kitts & Nevis passport, but it is subject to EU policy — not a lifetime guarantee. The European Commission's Eighth Visa Suspension Mechanism report flags operating a citizenship-by-investment programme as a possible ground to suspend visa-free Schengen access, and ETIAS pre-authorisation is expected to become mandatory in late 2026. We will not promise "lifetime visa-free Europe." Every figure on this page carries its as-of date because program rules and travel access change within a year.
St Kitts & Nevis offers three main routes, per the CIU: the Sustainable Island State Contribution (SISC) from US$250,000, real estate from US$325,000, and the Public Benefit Option from US$250,000. The SISC is a non-refundable government contribution, while real estate is an asset you hold for at least seven years before resale.
Within real estate, a developer's property or a private condominium share starts at US$325,000, while a single-family home starts at US$600,000 — all carrying the same 7-year hold. The Public Benefit Option directs at least US$250,000 to an approved project in infrastructure, healthcare or education. Which route is right for you is a numbers-and-goals question, and it is exactly the kind of thing a first session sorts out. Message us on WhatsApp.
Cosmos coordinates eligibility assessment, documentation preparation and case management; the application itself is prepared and submitted through government-authorised agents and regulated legal practitioners in our network. Cosmos does not hold a St Kitts & Nevis Authorised-Agent licence, and that is the honest, correct way these programmes work.
In practice that means you get one organised point of contact in the Gulf while the formal filing runs through the right licensed channel for St Kitts & Nevis. Preparation is what separates clean applications from stalled ones — and preparation is assessable before you commit to anything.
St Kitts & Nevis has not historically required applicants to visit or reside in the country to obtain citizenship by investment. However, the CIU has announced a "meaningful engagement" framework signalling that a minimum residency or genuine-link requirement is planned — it is not yet in force, and draft regulations are still to go before Parliament.
Because the official CIU page sets out no specific number of days and no effective date, treat any "30 days in five years" figure you see elsewhere as industry commentary, not confirmed law. We will tell you what is enacted versus what is merely proposed — that distinction matters when you are planning years ahead.
All criteria are set by the St Kitts & Nevis CIU and are subject to change.
European mobility is not guaranteed long-term. Schengen visa-free access is currently available on a St Kitts & Nevis passport, but the European Commission's Eighth Visa Suspension Mechanism report identifies operating a citizenship-by-investment programme as a possible ground to suspend that access. ETIAS pre-authorisation is expected to become mandatory in late 2026. Treat European travel as currently available and subject to change — never as a lifetime entitlement.
The programme is tightening in 2026. Mandatory biometric enrolment is now in effect for new applications, and a genuine-link residency requirement is planned. Any claim that a second passport is a permanent, no-conditions convenience needs softening and dating — which is exactly why every figure here is marked "as of June 2026."
India does not permit dual citizenship. Acquiring St Kitts & Nevis citizenship requires renouncing Indian citizenship and surrendering the Indian passport under the Citizenship Act 1955, section 9. Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI) is a long-term status, not citizenship — it is not "dual citizenship," and it does not let you keep an Indian passport.
Investment remittances from India are governed by the Reserve Bank of India's Liberalised Remittance Scheme (LRS), currently capped at USD 250,000 per person per financial year as of June 2026. The figures and routes change, so plan with your own advisers in the loop.
This is general information, not financial, tax, or legal advice. Remittances are governed by RBI regulations under the Liberalised Remittance Scheme and your bank's compliance requirements — consult a qualified chartered accountant or your authorised dealer bank before moving funds.
← View all citizenship-by-investment programmes on the CBI hub page.
Yes. The St Kitts & Nevis citizenship-by-investment programme is open and accepting applications as of June 2026, per the CIU. Established in 1984, it is the world's oldest such programme and has not been suspended or closed.
The minimum is a US$250,000 Sustainable Island State Contribution (SISC) for a main applicant or a family of up to four, according to the CIU. Real estate routes start at US$325,000, and the Public Benefit Option starts at US$250,000. Due-diligence fees and additional dependant costs apply on top.
Not at present — there has been no residency or visit requirement to obtain citizenship. However, the CIU has announced that a minimum residency or genuine-link requirement is planned. It is not yet in force, and no specific day-count or effective date has been officially confirmed.
Biometric enrolment is mandatory for all new applications submitted from 14 April 2026. Existing investor-citizens must complete biometric enrolment by 31 July 2027, after which pre-14 April 2026 passports will not be accepted for travel unless updated.
It currently provides visa-free access to the Schengen Area, but that access is subject to EU policy and is not guaranteed long-term. The EU's Eighth Visa Suspension Mechanism report flags CBI operation as a possible ground for suspension, and ETIAS becomes mandatory in late 2026.
Cosmos Immigration is a regulated immigration consultancy founded in Dubai in 2014, with offices in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Hyderabad and Oakville. For citizenship-by-investment programmes, where Cosmos does not itself hold an Authorised-Agent licence, applications are prepared and submitted through government-authorised agents and regulated legal practitioners in our network — Cosmos coordinates eligibility, documentation and case management. You are encouraged to verify any professional's standing on the relevant official register. Verify Our Credentials
Cosmos Immigration is a private consultancy, not a government body. Program criteria and figures are set by the relevant governments and are subject to change; verified against official sources as of the date shown.
Start with a free assessment, not a sales pitch — or message us on WhatsApp. We'll tell you honestly whether St Kitts & Nevis fits your goals — even if the answer is no.
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