How to obtain St.Kitts & Nevis Citizenship by Descent
Over the past decade, many international investors have done the Saint Kitts & Nevis Citizenship by Investment programme. In addition to Saint Kitts & Nevis passport holders having visa-free travel to over 140 countries, one of the main advantages of having Saint Kitts & Nevis Citizenship is that it can be passed on to future generations by descent at a minimal cost. Many people who have done Saint Kitts & Nevis citizenship by investment program are now having children and wish to pass on their citizenship through descent.
The process for citizenship by descent is different from submitting an application for citizenship by investment through a local authorized agent for citizenship. Registering a child as a citizen is done through National Security, and the process usually takes around three months from the time the citizenship application is submitted.
The following documents are typically required for the addition of the child to become a citizen of Saint Christopher & Nevis:
- The R4 form is required to be completed (2 original copies in blue ink) for an application for your child to be Registered as a St.Kitts & Nevis Citizen
- Child Birth Certificate (original or notarized copy)
- Child’s passport (notarized) if they have another passport
- Parent’s Passport (notarized)
- Parent’s Certificate of Citizenship (original or notarized copy)
- 2 passport size photos (35 x 45 mm on white background with ears showing, must be notarized on the back “I certify that this is a true likeness of the applicant/name / Signature/date: — stamp”. The same notary must notarize the R4 form.)
- Complete Medical Examination Report (stamped and signed by the medical examiner, provided the medical examiner answers yes to any of the questions an explanation must be provided).
- The fee to be paid after the application is approved
- Any other document as may be required.
Once the child’s Certificate of Citizenship is obtained, then an application for the St Kitts & Nevis passport can be made. This process is much quicker than registering the child for citizenship and can take around 2–4 weeks.
The following documents are normally required for a passport application:
- Completed application form (both original parents signatures are required. Note that in section 9 the recommender will need to be a notary public or the signature completed by a recommender who is an attorney and notarized.)
- Two(2) passport-sized photos (35 x 45mm on white background with ears showing) must be signed/stamped on the back by a notary the same notary must sign and stamp the passport application form
- Notarized copy of birth certificate
- Notarized copy of current passport (if applicable) and if not a notarized copy of national ID
- Certificate of citizenship (this will have been obtained through National Security)
- Powers of Attorney notarized (both parents)
- Citizenship certificate of both parents (notarized)
- Any other document may be required/requested.
The documents must be prepared in a specific way to ensure that they are acceptable.
*This article is for information purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. The information may be subject to change. For further information, contact jennifer@jhmarln.com for assistance on registering a child as a citizen via citizenship by descent.
Jennifer Harding-Marlin / Attorney / Citizenship by Investment Agent / jhmarlin.com / JHMarlin Law
