The latest results from the 2018 CBI Index – a special report published by the Financial Times’ Professional Wealth Management magazine – has revealed that St Kitts and Nevis is making travel more accessible to their citizens. The country’s Citizenship by Investment (CBI) Programme received praise for improving both its freedom of movement and affordability – a result of the nation’s rising diplomatic ties and price responsiveness to the growing investor immigration market.
The twin-island nation is famed for being the world’s first country to develop a Citizenship by Investment Programme, providing a path to citizenship to those who contribute to the nation’s development.
The freedom of movement element in the study evaluates the number of visa-free or visa-on-arrival destinations available to St Kitts and Nevis citizens, who can now travel to more than 150 jurisdictions worldwide – a valuable feature for those seeking a second citizenship. In the past year, St Kitts and Nevis signed several important travel treaties, including with Russia, Moldova, Nepal, India, Indonesia, Rwanda, and Taiwan.
The CEO of the St Kitts and Nevis Citizenship by Investment Unit, Les Khan, explains why freedom of movement is a critical component to the citizenship programme: “Living a more global lifestyle is a key desire for those seeking a second citizenship. The results from the 2018 CBI Index, ranking St Kitts and Nevis first in the Caribbean for freedom of movement, show that we are committed to consistently improving the quality of our offering.”
For the second year running, the Caribbean nation received perfect scores for its due diligence, ease of processing, and travel and residence requirements.
Khan says that strong attention to due diligence – the security and background check procedures carried out during the application process – provides nations entering into visa-free travel treaties with St Kitts and Nevis with the comfort that those crossing their borders are of high moral fibre and character: “Our due diligence process is at the centre of everything we do. By ensuring that only the best apply, we instil confidence in our citizens, both living on the island and abroad, as well as in the countries they may choose to travel to.”
Investors can obtain further information regarding the St Kitts and Nevis Citizenship by Investment Programme on the Unit’s official website: www.ciu.gov.kn