Saint Kitts & Nevis Citizenship — Donation

Summary

The Sustainable Island State Contribution (SISC) is the donation track of St. Kitts and Nevis' Citizenship by Investment Programme — the oldest such program in the world, established in 1984. You make a non-refundable contribution to the Federal Consolidated Fund, pass due diligence, sit for a mandatory interview, and the government grants you and your qualifying dependents full Kittitian and Nevisian citizenship.

SISC replaced the older Sustainable Growth Fund (SGF) in 2023 as part of a significant overhaul of the program. The current minimum contribution is $250,000 for a main applicant or a family of up to four. Main applicants must complete an interview, and dependents aged 16 or older may also be interviewed if the CIU requires it. The official program page currently lists no mandatory travel or residency requirement.

Eligibility

Core requirements

• Clean record. No criminal convictions and no pending proceedings. Sanctions-list hits are disqualifying.
• Proof of funds. You must show the contribution money is yours and came from a lawful source.
• Interview. Every main applicant must complete an interview. Dependents aged 16 or older may also be interviewed if the CIU requires it.
• Health disclosure. Full medical history, including HIV testing for applicants 12+.
• Age. No lower or upper age limit for the main applicant. Dependents have their own rules (below).

The contribution

• Single applicant or family of up to 4: $250,000 (non-refundable).
• Each additional dependent child under 18: +$25,000.
• Each additional dependent aged 18+: +$50,000.

Who counts as a dependent

• Spouse.
• Children under 30 (financially dependent, in full-time education if over 18).
• Parents and grandparents aged 55+ who live with and are supported by the main applicant.
• Unmarried siblings under 30 who are financially dependent.

Fees on top of the contribution

• Due diligence: $10,000 main applicant, $7,500 spouse, $7,500 each dependent 16+, $2,500 each dependent 12–15.
• Processing fees: $1,000 main applicant, $500 per dependent.
• Certificate of registration: $250 per person.
• Passport issuance: $350 per person.
• Accelerated processing (optional): an additional government fee for priority handling, if available under the current CIU rules.

What you get

• Full citizenship — transmissible to your children.
• Visa-free or visa-on-arrival travel to roughly 150 destinations, including the UK and the Schengen area.
• No personal income tax, no capital gains tax, no inheritance tax in St. Kitts and Nevis.
• No mandatory travel or residency requirement under the official current SISC guidance.

What This Route Allows

If approved, this route can lead to citizenship in Saint Kitts and Nevis. Citizenship is the national status itself, not a residence permit: you can document the citizenship, apply for citizen identity or passport documents, and live in Saint Kitts and Nevis without a separate immigration permit.

What This Route Is Not

This is not automatic citizenship. Naturalization, registration, and restoration routes usually require an application, supporting documents, and a decision by the relevant authority.

Next Steps

1. Retain a licensed agent. Applications cannot be filed directly with the CIU — you must go through a government-authorized Agent or Service Provider. The CIU publishes the list at ciu.gov.kn.
2. Assemble your file. Passports, birth and marriage certificates, police clearances from every country lived in for 6+ months since age 16, bank statements, proof of source of wealth, medical reports, and professional references.
3. Source-of-funds deep dive. Be ready to document how you earned or acquired every dollar of the contribution. The due-diligence bar is notably higher after the 2023 reforms.
4. Sit the mandatory interview. Schedule this through your agent once the CIU accepts the file.
5. Wire the contribution. Payable only after the CIU issues an Approval-in-Principle. Funds go to the Federal Consolidated Fund.
6. Receive the certificate of registration, then apply for passports. Citizenship is confirmed by certificate; passports are issued separately.

Sources

• St. Kitts and Nevis Citizenship by Investment Unit — official CBI programme authority.
• CIU — Sustainable Island State Contribution — current SISC terms.
• Ministry of Foreign Affairs — St. Kitts and Nevis — consular and passport services.
• Saint Christopher and Nevis Citizenship Act, Cap. 1.05 — underlying statute.