Saint Kitts vs Vanuatu passport: Which one is best for the nomad capitalist?

Getting an island passport as a second travel document is a huge step in someone’s life. This move will mean significant changes both in your lifestyle and business opportunities, to what extent, this already depends on the passport you choose. 

If you’re familiar with CBI content you probably already know the big names: a second passport in Nevis, a second passport in Vanuatu, and a travel document from Dominica are probably not unfamiliar words by now. 

However, deciding the best option is challenging as there’s no perfect program out there. In general, people look for citizenship by investment on an island because they want a better life, and this entails many factors: lifestyle, personal tastes, possibility to travel, existence and age of children, the existence of other family members that depend on the applicant, tax residency, country where you conduct businesses and the jurisdiction where you collect earnings. 

The possibilities are wide considering that the Caribbean passport is available through 5 programs. We have to add the second passport in Vanuatu and other countries like Turkey. 

If it gets confusing, here is the first article on a comparison series.

Saint Kitts vs Vanuatu passport

We’ve chosen 6 categories to assess the passports. These were chosen arbitrarily, yet, considering the things people most often look for in such programs. Other writers can choose different categories, but this still provides a clear view of the Vanuatu and Nevis passport in 2023. Nonetheless, the present article is merely informative. If you are ready to become a citizen of a new country, make sure to contact your Mundo advisor for fresh and tailored information. 

#1 Possibility to travel

With a second passport in Vanuatu, citizens can visit 96 countries visa-free. This includes popular business destinations like Singapore, the UK, and Hong Kong. 

On the other hand, Nevis offers travel to 150 countries, including the three mentioned above. Besides, Saint Kitts and Nevis gives you the opportunity to travel to more European destinations like Ireland, Cyprus, Spain, Switzerland, and Germany. From other regions, we can add Turkey, Argentina, Brazil, South Korea, and Cuba. It’s worth noting that these are countries to which you can access with a Saint Kitts Caribbean passport, but not through Vanuatu.

There are some countries in common like Panama, Montenegro, Norway, Liechtenstein, Costa Rica, and Israel. In both cases, you can travel to the other country (from Vanuatu to St Kitts and vice versa). 

All in all, The Nevis passport in 2023 offers better options for business travel. 

#2 Straightforwardness 

When comparing Saint Kitts vs Vanuatu passport options, simplicity and timelines are worth considering. Once you comply with Nevis passport requirements you’ll get your citizenship in approximately 3 months, with a fast-track option that gets you the passport in 60 days. In Vanuatu, you’ll get it in approximately 2 months. 

In general, the essence of CBI programs is the possibility to get citizenship faster than through traditional methods, this means that give or take a few weeks, you’ll get your island passport quite fast. 

Anyway, Vanuatu wins this round. 

#3 Possibility to include family

All CBIs allow to include spouse and children, yet some of them include more relatives. In the case of the Saint Kitts vs Vanuatu passport, both countries allow you to add adult dependents for an extra 10,000 USD fee (Vanuatu) and 20,000 (Nevis). 

Now, if we compare the investment price for a family of four, Vanuatu is the most expensive option since it requires 195,000, while Nevis passport requirements only stipulate 175,000*. If you have a more complex family, then your Mundo agent can prepare a quotation for you. 

It seems that Saint Kitts has the lowest investment threshold for a family of four, but charges more for dependents over 18. 

*This amount is for the donation option only. 

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#4 Investment and costs 

Both jurisdictions have similar costs. For a quick comparison, we establish a few guidelines:

Single applicant investment:

Vanuatu: 130,000

Nevis: Donation 125,000/real estate: 200,000

Family of four investment:

Vanuatu: 180,000

Nevis: Donation 175,000/real estate 200,000

As you can see, the Vanuatu passport requirements stipulate a lower investment for a single applicant and a family of four when compared to Nevis’s real estate option. You can choose to invest less in Saint Kitts and Nevis through a donation to the government, but in such a case you won’t receive returns or capital gains. Also, donations are non-refundable. 

Since Vanuatu doesn’t have a real estate option, we consider that Saint Kitts and Nevis is cheaper, because a family of four can access a real estate asset for a difference of 20,000 dollars. 

These prices don’t include the legal or state fees. 

#5 Flexibility 

Here we find a tie between the Caribbean passport and the Vanuatu citizenship. In both cases, you don’t need to travel during the process nor have minimum stay requirements. 

#6 Lifestyle

If you’re looking for citizenship by investment on an island, you’re probably attracted to a laid-back lifestyle and a freer environment. If you want to live in any of these countries keep in mind that they don’t have the same infrastructure or cultural development as large nations. Nonetheless, this can be an attractive factor for you. 

In Vanuatu, you’ll find an interesting native culture, the ni-Vanuatu, who is very close to the wisdom of their ancestors and provide the place with a picturesque touch. However, this may not be enough of an attraction for a place to live. Also, Vanuatu is hard to reach. 

On the other hand, Saint Kitts and Nevis doesn’t have the same charm, but its location is a big plus: it’s one short flight away from important business centers like New York, Panama, South America, and relatively close to Europe. Also, the time zone is way more convenient. For this, we give the last round to Nevis. 

Get your island passport with Mundo 

Considering the 6 categories here presented, Mundo chooses the second passport in Nevis. Considering that the costs are not that different, it’s important to stress that Saint Kitts offers the real estate option. 

While both options are equally flexible, the second passport in Vanuatu has some drawbacks like, for example, distance and inconvenient time zones. Also, the Nevis passport requirements are easy to meet providing more places to visit visa-free. 

So, wait no more: contact your Mundo representative and get your Nevis passport in 2023.

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