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Saint Kitts Removes Education Requirements and Extends Dependent Age to 30 in “Best Move” Reform

Industry experts praise changes as Saint Kitts removes education requirements that "weren't working" for modern families.

Industry experts praise changes as Saint Kitts removes education requirements that “weren’t working” for modern families.

Saint Kitts & Nevis has announced upcoming amendments to its citizenship-by-investment program, which will allow dependent children up to the age of 30 and eliminate mandatory education requirements for adult dependents.

The amendments will modify existing regulations by extending the maximum age for dependent children from 25 to 30 years, “provided the application is submitted before the dependent’s thirtieth birthday.”

Adult dependents will no longer need enrollment in full-time education but must “demonstrate substantial financial dependence on the main applicant” through bank statements, proof of financial support, or sworn affidavits.

The CIU describes these changes as necessary “to enhance the competitiveness and attractiveness of our program and align with regional standards.” The updated regulation will define eligible dependents as “a child aged 18–30 who is unmarried and substantially supported by the main applicant.”

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Abdelrahman Hamdy of ClientReferrals is calling this “a positive and timely update from the Saint Kitts and Nevis Citizenship by Investment Program.”

He notes that “expanding the age limit for dependants and removing the full-time education requirement creates more flexibility for families, while still maintaining a clear framework for demonstrating financial dependence.”

Serhan Aysever, Managing Partner of Beyond Global Partners, notes that “these changes are positive and clearly enhance the competitiveness of the program, both within the Caribbean region and on the international stage.”

He believes the strategic adjustments “are likely to attract greater interest from countries where delayed education or prolonged financial dependence is culturally or economically prevalent.”

Current rules require that dependents aged 18 to 25 maintain “full-time attendance at a recognized secondary or tertiary level institution of learning” along with complete financial support from the main applicant. Removing this requirement addresses practical challenges facing modern families.

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“Clearly the Aim Is More Competitive”

Kevin Hosam, Founder and Chairman of EC Holdings, considers the upcoming education requirement elimination “the best move for sure” and notes that the education requirement “was a real pain.”

He explains that “there are a lot of young people who do not go to university after they graduate school” and emphasizes that this “does not make them financially independent.”

He believes “that dependency part with the education wasn’t working” and sees the changes as evidence that “clearly, the aim is to be more competitive, obviously. Probably a good sign from SKN that they’re trying to be competitive again.”

Nick Stevens, CEO of NTL Trust, attributes the changes to “competitive pressures” and notes that “addition of family members is important for many clients.”

He highlights that “some young adults might be in between studies, or pursuing professional training that is not officially recognized as studies.” The amendments will address these real-world scenarios that previously excluded eligible family members.

The timing of the announcement coincides with the implementation of the Eastern Caribbean Citizenship by Investment Regulatory Authority (ECCIRA), scheduled for September 2025.

The island of Nevis, Saint Kitts & Nevis

Hosam expresses some surprise at the timing, noting that Saint Kitts & Nevis “has done a lot of changes, sporadically,” and wonders if “it’s being done now to avoid extra hurdles once the regulator is fully in place.”

He doesn’t anticipate regulatory conflicts, noting, “I don’t see any issues with it under the Memorandum of Agreement (MoA); I don’t know what part of the agreement would tell them they can’t do that.”

The CIU emphasized that the update “ensures our program remains responsive to market evolution while upholding the core values of integrity and transparency that define it.”

All other dependent provisions, including eligibility for children under 18, physically or mentally challenged adult children, and parents aged 55 or older, remain unchanged.

Aysever believes the changes “emphasize and strengthen the family-friendliness of the program, allowing for more inclusive applications and accommodating a broader range of family structures.” The revised provisions make the program “especially attractive to larger families and those with older dependent children.”

The CIU is currently processing the regulatory amendment, advising agents to “prepare relevant client files for processing” while formal approval proceeds. The CIU expects the changes to take effect in a couple of weeks.

“That Dependency Part Wasn’t Working”

Stevens notes that “this will make the SKN program more attractive to families with young adults,” while Aysever suggests that “competing programs may introduce similar reforms in the near future to remain competitive.”

Hosam, however, believes that other Caribbean countries’ programs are doing well and that they may not be looking to implement any similar changes soon.

Hamdy sees broader implications for the jurisdiction’s market position, observing that “Saint Kitts and Nevis is demonstrating to us via actions, not just pretty words, that they are serious about regaining their pole position in the RCBI industry and their recent changes are working, we are seeing strong volume shifting back towards Saint Kitts & Nevis.”

Hosam notes that while the age change “brings it in line with some of the others,” it may not be “the most inclusive program available.” He does emphasize that the dependent criteria for Saint Kitts & Nevis, specifically the education requirement, “was not working.”

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