St Kitts & Nevis Buying Property in St Kitts & Nevis

The Insider's Guide to Buying Property in St Kitts & Nevis

Welcome to the 7th Heaven Properties guide to buying property in St Kitts & Nevis, your essential companion for navigating the enchanting appeal of this destination overflowing with charm and long-standing appeal to international property buyers.

With its beaches and historic sites, golf courses and marinas, and the region’s longest standing Citizenship by Investment Program, the Federation of St Kitts & Nevis has a unique real estate market which has seen tremendous growth.

Discover the charm of this wonderful twin island nation, find out why property buyers are investing in real estate in St Kitts & Nevis and delve into the real estate market with a showcase of property listings and blog posts highlighting the Federation’s unique qualities and advantages.

From the ins and outs of buying property in St Kitts & Nevis to an essential overview of relevant taxes, this is your ultimate go-to resource.

Overview - The Real Estate Market
Why Invest?
Buying Process, Fees & Taxes
Latest Real Estate Listings in St Kitts & Nevis
Best Places to Buy
Residency & Citizenship
Mortgages in St Kitts & Nevis
How to Get There
More from the Blog

Overview - The St Kitts & Nevis Real Estate Market

Brimming with charm, idyllic beaches and beautiful property for sale, the laid back dual island nation of St Kitts & Nevis is one of the Caribbean’s gems.

101 square mile St Kitts – the larger and busier of the two islands – is home to several hotels and resorts from large international resorts to boutique hotels, golf courses, a mega-yacht marina and fascinating historical sites to explore. The 36 square mile neighboring sister island of Nevis is smaller, quieter and quaint with an authentic charm. Fringed by golden sand beaches set against a dramatic backdrop of spectacular rainforest-covered mountains, both islands are blessed with a landscape that is truly spectacular.

Thanks to a successful Citizenship by Investment Program which was launched in 1984, the Federation is enjoying economic growth and has a small but flourishing real estate market. Established many years ahead of similar programs in Antigua, Dominica, Grenada and St Lucia, the St Kitts & Nevis Citizenship by Investment Program is the longest-running program of its kind in the world and has stimulated interest in property on the islands.

The program offers qualifying applicants full citizenship of the Federation in exchange for an investment in designated St Kitts & Nevis citizenship by investment real estate or, alternatively, a contribution to the nation’s economy. A variety of luxury houses and villas, apartments, condos and hotel suites, as well as parcels of vacant land are approved for the program, with both whole ownership and fractional ownership options available.

Benefits of citizenship of St Kitts & Nevis include freedom from direct taxation (see below) and enhanced mobility with a powerful passport that facilitates visa-free or visa-on-arrival travel to over 150 countries and territories worldwide.

“Brimming with charm, idyllic beaches and beautiful property for sale, the laid back dual island nation of St Kitts & Nevis is one of the Caribbean’s gems”

Why Invest?

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Well established Citizenship by Investment program offering the tax and travel benefits of full citizenship in exchange for an investment in approved real estate.

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Highly attractive tax incentives – freedom from income tax, capital gains tax, inheritance tax and gift tax.

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Flourishing real estate sector stimulated by the Citizenship by Investment program offering high quality luxury homes, beachfront apartments and hotel suites.

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Growing tourism sector providing income generating potential for property owners that choose to offer their homes for rental.

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Direct international flights to St Kitts from the USA and the UK and flights to Nevis via San Juan (Puerto Rico) or St Maarten.

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Beautiful beaches, rainforests, volcanic springs, waterfalls and fascinating colonial plantations to explore.

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World-class resorts, golf courses, restaurants and spas to keep you entertained.

Buying Process, Fees & Taxes

Can foreigners buy property in St Kitts & Nevis?

Yes, foreigners can buy property in St Kitts & Nevis and the Government of St Kitts & Nevis welcomes investment from overseas buyers. Buyers are permitted to purchase up to half an acre per person except in the case of existing homes that are over half an acre in size or in the case of subdivisions with plots exceeding half an acre. In order to purchase real estate in St Kitts & Nevis, foreign buyers need to apply for an Alien Land Holding Licence (ALHL) which has a fee of 10% of the purchase price and takes approximately 3 months for approval.

Buying process

There are two ways of buying property in St Kitts & Nevis:

By applying for an Alien Landholding License (ALHL) which is required for all non-nationals – For details, see below.
By applying for Citizenship by Investment Program and purchasing property in an approved real estate project, in which case an Alien Landholding License (ALHL) is not required – For details, see our guide to St Kitts and Nevis Citizenship by Investment.

The steps involved in the purchase process for non-nationals, including application for the Alien Landholding License (ALHL), are relatively straightforward…

Begin your property search.
Find your perfect property and make an offer.
Once you have made an offer on a property and that offer has been accepted, we recommend you engage a local attorney to review the Purchase and Sale Agreement which should be contingent on approval of the application for an Alien Landholding License (ALHL).
Upon signing you will need to pay a 10% to 15% deposit.
Submit an application for an Alien Landholding License. The Alien Land Holding Licence (ALHL) typically takes 2 to 3 months for approval and has a fee of 10% of the purchase price of the property although this is waived for buyers purchasing property in certain areas.
Upon receipt of approval of the Alien Landholding License, the buyer will need to make payment of the balance of the purchase price.
To complete the property transfer process, a signed Certificate of Title will be provided to the buyer and a copy will kept on file at the Registry office.

Fees & taxes

Legal Fees

Legal fees typically amount to 1 to 2% of the purchase price of the property.

Property Tax

Annual property tax ranges from US $800 to US $2,000 per year.

Latest Real Estate Listings in St Kitts & Nevis

$3,495,000

4 bedroom luxury home for sale in Nevis tucked away in the Jones Estate with panoramic ocean views.

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$325,000

1 bedroom condo 206 for sale in St Kitts located at St Kitts Castle Condominiums in desirable Frigate Bay – approved for Citizenship by Investment..

1

$1,500,000

Spacious 6 bedroom house for sale in St Kitts set on 2.75 acres on a hill overlooking beautiful Frigate Bay.

6

$695,000

2 bedroom townhouse 4B for sale in Nevis located at Nelson Spring on Pinney's Beach - approved for Citizenship by Investment.

2

$650,000

2 bedroom beachfront townhouse 1A for sale in Nevis located at Nelson Spring on Pinney's Beach - approved for Citizenship by Investment.

2

$850,000

4 bedroom villa for sale in Nevis set on almost an acre on popular Spring Hill Road within walking distance of swimming spot Cades Bay.

4

View All Real Estate Listings in St Kitts & Nevis

Best Places to Buy

Residency & Citizenship

How long can a foreign citizen stay in St Kitts & Nevis?

Citizens of the USA, Canada, UK, and many countries in the EU and the Caribbean are permitted to remain in St Kitts & Nevis on holiday without a visa for up to 3 months.

How do you become a resident of St Kitts & Nevis?

Are you looking to move to St Kitts & Nevis?

Individuals who own a property or land in St Kitts & Nevis and would like to stay in the islands longer than 3 months can apply for permanent residency.

To apply for permanent residency there is an application fee of EC $200 plus a one-time payment of EC $3,800 upon approval which usually takes 6 months to 1 year.

How do you become a citizen of St Kitts & Nevis?

Wondering how to get St Kitts & Nevis citizenship? The Federation offers several routes, including through an investment in real estate.

Citizenship by Naturalization:

Property owners who have resided in St Kitts & Nevis for 14 years (in the case of Commonwealth citizens) or 15 years (in the case of US citizens) can apply for citizenship by naturalization. The application costs EC $1,750 (for Caribbean/CARICOM nationals) or EC $3,800 EC (for non-CARICOM nationals) and must be accompanied by a letter verifying the length of residency.

Citizenship by Investment:

St Kitts & Nevis also operates a Citizenship by Investment Program which offers qualified investors the opportunity to obtain full citizenship of St Kitts & Nevis in exchange for a significant contribution to the nation’s finances, either through a financial contribution to a government fund or via investment in an approved real estate project.

Mortgages in St Kitts & Nevis

Looking for financing to fund the purchase of property in the Caribbean?

Contrary to popular misconception, it is possible for foreign nationals looking to invest in St Kitts & Nevis real estate to apply for a mortgage.

Our partner – a very well respected international financial organization – offers mortgages for qualifying non-residents buying, building or improving a second home in St Kitts & Nevis.

For more information, see our page on: Caribbean mortgages.

How to Get There

St Kitts

From the USA, there are direct flights to St Kitts from various cities, including Atlanta (Delta), Miami, New York and San Juan (American Airlines) and Charlotte (US Airways).

Air Canada operates seasonal flights from Toronto to St Kitts.

From Europe, BA operates direct flights from London Gatwick.

LIAT operates flights from the Caribbean, including Antigua, San Juan, St Martin and St Thomas.

It is also possible to fly to St Kitts and Nevis by private jet. The YU Lounge makes travelling to and from the country as pleasurable as possible, with hotel transfers via luxury vehicles, streamlined customs and immigration processing and a welcoming customer lounge located adjacent to the main terminal building at Robert L. Bradshaw International Airport.