CBI Index: St Kitts and Nevis shows its strength again

St Kitts and Nevis’ citizenship by investment programme has been praised in the 2018 edition of the CBI Index.

The increasing ease of travel while using one of the federation’s passports has been singled out among the impressive elements – especially as it adds greater mobile for international entrepreneurs.

The twin-island nation is widely recognised as having the world’s first citizenship by investment programme, launching more than 30 years ago.

It has been ranked just behind Dominica in the latest CBI Index, which was part of a special report by Professional Wealth Management, a publication from the Financial Times.

The index is is the world's only comprehensive study into the jurisdictions that offer citizenship by investment. The ranking system is designed to measure their performance and appeal.

> Full report: CBI Index 2018 <

The top spots were once again dominated by nations from the Eastern Caribbean, with Grenada, Antigua and Barbuda, and St Lucia rounding out the best five.

There are seven areas that the CBI Index uses to measure each country’s citizenship by investment programme.

These are: due diligence, freedom of movement, standard of living, minimum investment outlay, ease of processing, citizenship timeline and mandatory travel or residence.

For St Kitts and Nevis, the freedom of movement element – which evaluates the number of visa-free or visa-on-arrival destinations available to passport holders – was lauded.

Citizens of the federation can now travel to more than 150 states, which experts say appeals to those looking for a second passport.

In the past year, St Kitts and Nevis has forged new diplomatic ties with Russia, Nepal, Indonesia, Rwanda and Taiwan to increase the list of visa-free travel destinations.

Les Khan, CEO of the St Kitts and Nevis Citizenship by Investment Unit, described this ability to move freely as a “critical” part of the programme.

“Living a more global lifestyle is a key desire for those seeking a second citizenship or nationality.

“Results from the 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.”

St Kitts and Nevis also scored perfect marks across due diligence, ease of processing, and travel/residency requirements. This is a repeat of last year’s scores. [caption id="attachment_10007" align="alignright" width="300"] Les Khan.[/caption]

Khan stressed that strict due diligence – vetting during the application process – means other countries entering diplomatic relations with the Caribbean state don't need to worry about the risk of unsavoury characters being able to cross their borders.

"Our multi-tiered due diligence process is at the centre of everything we do. By ensuring that only the best need apply, we instil a confidence in our citizes, both living on the island and abroad, as well as the countries they may choose to travel to.