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Saint Kitts and Nevis Passport to Go Electronic
With the appointment of a new Head of the Saint Kitts and Nevis Passport by investment Program, there have been several positive developments there.
Recently, a number of senior members of Saint Kitts visited the Canadian Banknote Foundation to complete the latest Saint Kitts and Nevis Passport System.
The members included Saint Kitts’ Permanent Secretary, Mr. Blanchette, the Chief Immigration Officer, Mr. Sheldon Jeffers, and the Supervisor of Saint Kitts and Nevis Passports, Ms. Floretta Saunders.
Implications for the new Saint Kitts and Nevis Passport
In a new shift, the Government of Saint Kitts and Nevis has transitioned the Saint Kitts and Nevis Passport to an electronic system to facilitate travel for citizens and enhance the overall security of Saint Kitts and its citizens.
The new Saint Kitts and Nevis Passport System is called ePICS and is scheduled to be implemented by early November 2024, which is this month.
The latest news on the Saint Kitts and Nevis passport comes from Canada, specifically after a delegation from the Department of Homeland Security for saint kitts visited Canada to meet with officials from Canadian Bank Note, a partner in this upcoming transformation.
The company in question is a company that has been a partner of the Saint Kitts and Nevis government for two decades, particularly with regard to the next step in transforming the Saint Kitts and Nevis passport system to be as paperless as possible, which will be made of polycarbonate, tamper-resistant and sealed with metal foil.
“This transformation will not only make the process less paper-based, but will also include a new design for the Saint Kitts and Nevis e-passport with advanced security features that reflect our heritage, culture and history,” said Saint Kitts and Nevis Immigration Chief Sheldon Jeffers.
Saint Kitts Joins ICAO
The Saint Kitts and Nevis Passport Unit has taken serious steps to participate in the ICAO Public Key Directory, a system that allows aviation authorities to verify the authenticity of e-passports.
“With the introduction of the new design and polycarbonate data page, the Government is proud to announce that it has joined the ICAO Public Key Directory (PKD), becoming the latest country to join 193 other countries and three Caribbean countries to do so,” said Mr. Sheldon, Saint Kitts’ Chief Immigration Officer.
“These updates to the Saint Kitts and Nevis passport are in line with ICAO Document 9303, which sets the global standard for machine-readable travel documents to enhance the safety and efficiency of international travel,” said Mr. Blanchette, Saint Kitts’ Permanent Secretary.
The ICAO PKD is an important means of ensuring the secure global operation of e-passports. The system enables instant verification of passports domestically and internationally by verifying the digital information stored in the passport’s electronic chip.Saint Kitts and Nevis passport latest updates benefits
~ GCC
▣ The new Saint Kitts and Nevis passport is particularly beneficial for investors in the Saint Kitts Citizenship by Investment
▣ These updates reduce waiting at checkpoints through fast-track processing, allowing Saint Kitts citizens to enter over 150 countries without a visa. This move will also be essential to elevate the Saint Kitts and Nevis Passport by Investment Program compared to other second citizenship programs around the world.
▣ It will attract more high net worth individuals around the world through its advanced technological updates to ensure the long-term sustainability of the citizenship program there.
Other updates for the new Saint Kitts and Nevis passport
1. Development of a digital identity authentication system
Apart from the updates to the Saint Kitts and Nevis passport, Saint Kitts has also consulted with the National Technology Center in the capital Basseterre on a digital identity authentication system.
It was agreed to use Taiwan’s information technology and digital governance to implement this, and in this regard, the Saint Kitts government held a competition for the people of Saint Kitts to design a digital identity.
2. Lower investment costs for Saint Kitts and Nevis Passport
The latest updates to the Saint Kitts and Nevis Passport came in accordance with Act 43 of 2024, the most important of which is reducing the minimum investment to obtain a St Kitts and Nevis passport by investment, in addition to expanding the age range of dependents allowed to be added.
Unlike other Caribbean countries that have raised the costs of Caribbean citizenship, St Kitts has lowered its investment requirements, with its new body.
The real estate investment requirement for the St Kitts and Nevis passport has been reduced from $400,000 previously to $325,000 in an approved real estate development.
This also includes investment in residential units classified as approved private property, with the minimum for a single-family private home being reduced from $800,000 to $600,000.
As for the update regarding dependents, while you were previously allowed to add your parents or grandparents aged 65 or over, this number has now been reduced to include all dependents aged 55 or over.
Another update is that you will need to pay $7,500 for any additional new dependents aged 3 years or under, but they must have been born after you received your certificate of registration.
There is also a new update to Regulation 12, which previously stated that anyone who has declared bankruptcy will not be eligible for a St Kitts and Nevis passport.
You can now invest in a St Kitts and Nevis passport if you are facing bankruptcy proceedings within 10 years of applying.
Are you already considering obtaining a Saint Kitts and Nevis passport? Why not listen to one of Global Citizen Consultants’ certified experts in the Saint Kitts and Nevis Citizenship Programme, to guide you on your journey to citizenship.
About Author
Taher Shehab
As co-founder and CEO, Taher Shehab has guided Global Citizen Consultants to be a leader in providing citizenship by investment in over 20 territories, including the Caribbean.
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