Last updated on 15 December 2019
Citizens of the Federation of St Kitts and Nevis can travel visa-free or with a visa-on-arrival to almost 160 destinations, as the Caribbean islands are fast approaching a new mobility milestone. Last week, HE Sam Condor, Permanent Representative of St Kitts and Nevis to the UN, was joined in New York by his counterpart from Bosnia and Herzegovina, HE Sven Alkalaj. They agreed upon establishing diplomatic relations, including a potential visa waiver between the nations.
To date, the twin islands have signed travel agreements with two thirds of all countries and territories worldwide, expanding yearly across Africa, Europe, Asia and the Middle East. Since 2015 alone, the they established diplomatic relations with over 30 countries and arranged an additional 15 visa waivers. Foreign Minister Mark Brantley has largely been credited for his efforts in building the islands’ relationship with the international community.
This commitment has improved the islands’ passport strength to 24th in the world. Minister Mark Brantley emphasised that St Kitts and Nevis’ visa-free expansion and continued trust from the international community “takes our passport to one of the most powerful in the region and we have committed to making it the most powerful in all of the Caribbean and Latin America as we continue to work at this.”
Citizens of St Kitts and Nevis can benefit from the islands’ efforts to improving international relationships. This also applies to selected individuals that choose to become economic citizens of St Kitts and Nevis via its Citizenship by Investment (CBI) Programme. The initiative has been running since 1984 and is the oldest in the world. It enables vetted foreign investors and their families to acquire second citizenship in exchange for a monetary contribution.
Last year, Prime Minister Timothy Harris introduced a more straightforward CBI option – the Sustainable Growth Fund – which aims to channel investments into the islands’ national advancement. In return, successful applicants gain access to benefits like visa-free or visa-on-arrival travel to nearly 160 destinations, increased business opportunities, and the security of an established programme that accommodates for larger families. Recognised in the 2019 CBI Index, published by FT Specialist’s PWM magazine for its efficiency and trustworthy due diligence procedures, St Kitts and Nevis’ Programme is known as the ‘Platinum Standard’ of CBI.
