"Pax et Justitia (Peace and Justice)"
Saint Kitts and Nevis
General: Governed by the 1983 Constitution and the Saint Christopher and Nevis Citizenship Act (in force since February 28, 1984).
By Birth: A person born in Saint Kitts and Nevis on/after September 19, 1983 is a citizen regardless of parents' nationality (jus soli); a child of unknown parents found in the Federation is also granted citizenship.
By Descent: A child born abroad on/after September 19, 1983, with at least one Kittitian/Nevisian parent, is a citizen by descent (jus sanguinis); pre-1983 transitional provisions also covered children born abroad to, or adopted by, persons who were British Dependent Territories Citizens/British citizens connected to St. Kitts.
By Registration: Available to foreign spouses of citizens (commonly cited as after around 3 years of marriage and residence) and, historically, to the foreign spouse of a person who qualified at independence; stepchildren and legally adopted children are treated equally with biological children for descent-based registration.
By Naturalization: Standard residency-based naturalization requires roughly 14 years of legal residence (7 years for CARICOM nationals, per some sources), good character, and no requirement to renounce prior citizenship. Separately, the well-known Citizenship by Investment (CBI) Programme (from ~US$250,000 contribution) allows naturalization with no residency requirement.
Dual Citizenship: Fully recognized under Section 93 of the Constitution — no renunciation of other nationality required for any route, including investment-based citizenship.
Loss of Citizenship – Voluntary: Renunciation permitted by law; a formal letter of renunciation is submitted (historically to the Attorney General).
Loss of Citizenship – Involuntary: Citizenship (including CBI-derived citizenship) may be revoked for fraud, misrepresentation, or concealment in the application, or for conviction of serious crimes such as treason or terrorism.
REQUIRED DOCUMENTATION
General OECS Descent Requirements:
Applicant’s official birth certificate.
Birth certificate of the parent or grandparent born in St. Kitts and Nevis.
If applicable, the Certificate of Citizenship of a parent whose own parent was born locally.
Marriage certificates linking the generations.
A certified Police Certificate of Character if the applicant is over 16, covering any country lived in for over six months.
Two passport-sized photographs.
Form Download: Ministry of Foreign Affairs St. Kitts & Nevis Citizenship by Descent Form
Oath of Allegiance: Most OECS countries (Saint Kitts and Nevis) require a signed, notarized Oath of Allegiance to the state before citizenship is formalized.
Serving The Countries of CARICOM: Antigua and Barbuda, The Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, The Commonwealth of Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, Montserrat, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent & Grenadines, Suriname and Trinidad and Tobago.
