Relocation intelligence

🇰🇳 Moving to St. Kitts & Nevis: tax, residency and cost of living

Saint Kitts and Nevis levies no personal income tax on individuals, so the top rate is 0 percent. There is no long-term capital gains tax, no wealth tax and no inheritance tax. The only mandatory payroll deduction is social security at 5 percent for the employee, capped at insurable earnings of XCD 6,500 per month.

Thinking of moving to St. Kitts & Nevis? Here is the tax, residency, property and quality-of-life picture in plain numbers, with sources.

Key facts

Top income tax
0%
Corporate tax
33%
Capital gains
0%
Wealth tax
No
Inheritance tax
No
Cost of living index
66
Safety
6/10
Internet quality
6/10
Visa-free destinations
155
Foreigners can own property
Yes
Residency in
6 months
Citizenship in
5 years

Taxes

No personal income tax, no wealth tax and no inheritance tax. VAT standard 17 percent, corporate tax 33 percent, withholding tax 15 percent for non-residents. Employees pay 5 percent social security up to a cap.

Residency and visas

Citizenship can be obtained through investment in roughly four to six months with no residence requirement. Ordinary naturalisation through residence takes considerably longer.

Property ownership

Foreigners may own property but need an Alien Land Holding License of about 10 percent of value, unless buying through approved real estate within the investment program.

Cost of living and quality of life

Two tropical islands with a warm climate, beaches and a relaxed pace. Cost of living is relatively high due to imports and the islands lie in a hurricane zone.

Passport and mobility

The passport ranks around 23rd in the 2026 Henley Passport Index with visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to about 155 destinations, including the Schengen area and the United Kingdom, but not the United States.

Why people move to St. Kitts & Nevis

  • Zero percent income tax

    Individuals pay no personal income tax on worldwide income, no long-term capital gains tax, no wealth tax and no inheritance tax.

  • World's oldest citizenship program

    Running since 1984, it grants a second passport in roughly four to six months via a contribution from USD 250,000 or real estate from USD 325,000.

Honest trade-offs

  • Er is geen inkomstenbelasting, maar de btw bedraagt 17 procent en werknemers betalen 5 procent sociale premies over hun loon tot een maandplafond van XCD 6.500.
  • Het paspoort geeft geen visumvrije toegang tot de Verenigde Staten, waarvoor nog altijd een visum nodig is.
  • Buitenlanders hebben voor de aankoop van onroerend goed een Alien Land Holding License nodig die circa 10 procent van de waarde kost, tenzij zij kopen via het investeringsprogramma.
  • De kleine economie leunt sterk op toerisme en het burgerschapsprogramma en het eiland ligt in een orkaangebied, wat het gevoelig maakt voor externe schokken.

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Sources

Other destinations

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