Golden Passports for as Little as $100,000 Threatened by Crime Crackdown
Strong demand sparks EU and US scrutiny of passport sales in five Caribbean island nations that have citizenship-by-investment programs
St. Kitts and Nevis gets more than half its national revenue by selling citizenship to foreigners in exchange for tax breaks and visa-free travel to Europe.
Photographer: Westend61/Getty ImagesIn the tropical paradise of Saint Kitts and Nevis, it isn’t the visitors to its golden shores and pristine beaches who sustain the economy. It’s those buying its navy blue passports.
For as little as $100,000, foreigners can secure citizenship in certain Caribbean nations that promise tax breaks and visa-free travel to Europe. In Saint Kitts, the “golden passport” program was expected to bring in some $192 million, or 51% of the country’s revenue, in 2023.