St Kitts and Nevis
Lesser Antilles
Caribbean
The original (1984) citizenship-by-investment programme: an English-speaking, zero-income-tax island where a donation or real-estate purchase buys a passport with broad visa-free travel in months.
–
Overall score
Insufficient data · 73% data coverage
Language
EnglishCurrency
XCDCitizenship
~4–6 months (by investment)Personal tax
0% (no personal income tax)Cost of living
$1,500 / mo (single)Rules change often. Confirm any immigration, tax or legal decision with a qualified professional.
Score breakdown
71
Access
17%63Residence12%
91Citizenship and passport5%
67
Earning power
25%–Salary and work12%
67Buying power13%
71
Business and wealth
20%90Taxes7%
61Business8%
59Investment5%
62
Daily life
25%53Quality of life18%
84Education7%
79
Rights and institutions
13%89Freedom6%
70Rule of law7%
Safety (32) is below the 40 floor, so the overall score cannot be finalised yet.
Pros
- Oldest, well-established CBI
- No personal income, capital-gains or wealth tax
- English-speaking; dual citizenship allowed
Cons
- Small economy & job market
- Limited universities
- Passport visa-free access can shift with policy
Best for
Investors seeking a second passportGlobal entrepreneursTax-residence planners
Score profile
Access
Residence
63
Citizenship
97
Passport
78
Earning power
Salary & work–
Buying power
67
Cost of living
48
Economy
66
Business and wealth
Taxes
90
Personal tax
100
Corporate tax
6
Business
61
Investment
59
Wealth building–
Daily life
Safety
32
Healthcare
72
Environment
81
Infrastructure–
Education
84
HDI
84
Rights and institutions
Freedom
89
Rule of law
70
Access
Residence
Openness to residents
63Moderate
Migrant stock17.0% of population (2024)
Regulatory quality0.48 (−2.5 to 2.5) (2024)
Main pathways
Citizenship by InvestmentDigital Nomad (Nomad Visa)Real-estate ownership
| Student | Limited; small local education sector. |
|---|---|
| Work | Work permits available but the job market is small. |
| Self-employed | Easy company formation; foreign-source income untaxed. |
| Permanent | Investment route grants citizenship directly, bypassing PR timelines. |
Citizenship
Citizenship accessibility
97Excellent
| Years required | ~4–6 months via the Citizenship by Investment programme |
|---|---|
| Dual allowed | Yes |
| Language | None |
| Residence | No physical residence required for the investment route |
| Notes | Routes include a Sustainable Island State Contribution (from ~US$250k) or approved real estate; due diligence is mandatory. |
Passport
Passport power
78Good
154 / 198
Mobility
#28
Global rank
Yes
Biometric
- Visa-free110
- On arrival40
- eTA4
- Visa required44
Placeholder estimates for 2024 to 2025. Check entry rules with each destination before travelling.
Earning power
Salary & work
Labour-market strength
–Data not available
| Tech salary (estimate) | Small market; most residents earn abroad/remotely |
|---|---|
| Freelance | Best as a tax base for remote/foreign-source income |
| Job market | Economy centred on tourism, finance & CBI revenue. |
Buying power
Purchasing power score
67Good
GNI / person$36,430 PPP (2025)
Price level79 (US = 100) (2023)
Inflation3.6% / yr (2023)
Cost of living
Affordability
48Moderate
Price level79 (US = 100) (2023)
| Rent | $900–1,600 (1BR) |
|---|---|
| Monthly | $1,500 |
| Cities | Basseterre, Charlestown |
Economy
Economic strength
66Good
Output & income
GDP$1.2B (2025)
GDP / person$25,223 (2025)
GNI / person$36,430 PPP (2025)
GDP growth0.3% / yr (2024)
Sector composition
Agriculture1.3% of GDP (2025)
Industry20.8% of GDP (2025)
Services66.2% of GDP (2025)
Main industries
TourismCitizenship-by-investmentFinancial servicesLight manufacturingAgriculture
Top exports
Electronics componentsBeveragesTourism services
| Type | High-income, tourism- and services-led |
|---|---|
| Key sectors | Tourism, CBI programme revenue, Offshore finance |
| Summary | A small island economy reliant on tourism and one of the world's oldest citizenship-by-investment programmes. |
| Currency | East Caribbean dollar (pegged to the US dollar) |
Business and wealth
Taxes
Tax friendliness
90Excellent
| Personal | 0% - no personal income tax |
|---|---|
| Corporate | 33% on domestic profits; foreign-source income untaxed |
| Capital gains | 0% |
| Dividends | 0% for residents |
| Exit tax | None |
| Foreign companies | No CFC regime |
Personal tax
Personal tax
100Excellent
| Personal | 0% - no personal income tax |
|---|---|
| Freelance | No personal income tax on freelance earnings |
| Capital gains | 0% |
| Dividends | 0% for residents |
| Exit tax | None |
Corporate tax
Corporate tax
6Low
| Corporate | 33% on domestic profits; foreign-source income untaxed |
|---|---|
| Capital gains | 0% |
| Dividends | 0% for residents |
| Foreign companies | No CFC regime |
Business
Business friendliness
61Moderate
Regulation & bureaucracy
Regulatory quality0.48 (−2.5 to 2.5) (2024)
Government effectiveness0.69 (−2.5 to 2.5) (2024)
Operating rules
| Foreign company | Yes: full foreign ownership; IBC-friendly |
|---|---|
| Local company | Company/IBC formation is quick via agents |
| Freelance | No personal income tax on freelance earnings |
Investment
Investing environment
59Moderate
Private credit65% of GDP (2025)
| Capital gains | 0% capital-gains tax |
|---|---|
| Dividends | Data not available yet |
| ETFs & funds | Data not available yet |
| Wealth tax | None |
| Brokers | Via international brokers |
| Foreign access | Data not available yet |
| Tax-advantaged | Data not available yet |
Wealth building
Wealth accumulation
–Data not available
Salary & work
–Data not available
Business
61Moderate
Investment
59Moderate
Tax friendliness
90Excellent
Cost of living
48Moderate
Daily life
Safety
Safety & stability
32Limited
Institutions & stability
Control of corruption0.35 (−2.5 to 2.5) (2024)
Political stability0.91 (−2.5 to 2.5) (2024)
Check current government travel and security advice before relocating.
Healthcare
Healthcare score
72Good
Outcomes
Life expectancy72.3 years (2024)
Under-5 mortality15.9 per 1,000 births (2024)
Capacity & resourcing
Physicians3.08 per 1,000 (2018)
Hospital beds3.98 per 1,000 (2023)
Health spending$1,936 PPP / person (2023)
System & costs
| System | Public clinics + private; serious cases often referred abroad |
|---|---|
| Insurance | Private/international insurance recommended |
| Average cost | International cover advisable for major treatment |
Environment
Environment score
81Excellent
Environmental pressure
PM2.5 exposure8.9 μg/m³ annually (2023)
Water stress50.8% (2022)
Infrastructure
Infrastructure score
–Data not available
Digital infrastructure
Internet use76.9% (2024)
Internet resilience59 / 100 (2026)
Fixed speed72 / 100 download index (2026)
Mobile speed68 / 100 download index (2026)
Sources: World Bank World Development Indicators · Internet Society Pulse Internet Resilience Index
Education
Education score
84Excellent
Attainment
Expected schooling18.4 years (2023)
Mean schooling10.8 years (2023)
Participation & investment
Tertiary enrolment94% gross (2015)
Education spending3.5% of GDP (2023)
| Tuition | Limited local options (some medical schools) |
|---|---|
| Public university | Small sector; most pursue education abroad |
| Languages | English |
| Student work | Limited |
HDI
Human development score
84Excellent
HDI0.840 (2023)
Knowledge
Expected schooling18.4 years (2023)
Mean schooling10.8 years (2023)
Rights and institutions
Freedom
Freedom score
89Excellent
| Freedom in the World | 89 / 100 (Free) |
|---|
Sources
Rule of law
Rule of law score
70Good
| Rule of Law percentile | 70 / 100 |
|---|
Sources
Resources
Data is illustrative. Not legal or tax advice.