BASSETERRE, Saint Kitts and Nevis, April 17, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- St. Kitts and Nevis's passport has been ranked top of all Caribbean countries with citizenship-by-investment programmes once more for entitling visa-free travel to 156 countries.
An updated independent ranking of all the world's passports published in April 2020 by Henley & Partners, based on the number of countries that citizens can travel to without a prior visa, places St. Kitts and Nevis 26th out of 199 passports just behind Israel (24th) and Mexico (25th) but well ahead of Montenegro (47th) and Turkey (55th).
St. Kitts and Nevis has jumped up by one place since the beginning of 2020, when the ranking was last updated.
The authoritative 2020 Q2 Passport Index found that passports belonging to all other Caribbean citizenship-by-investment schemes trail behind St. Kitts and Nevis which has long been recognised as operating the world's Platinum Standard citizenship programme.
Placed below St. Kitts and Nevis are Antigua and Barbuda (29th place), St. Lucia (33rd) and Grenada (35th). Dominica trails at the bottom of all Caribbean CBI programmes at 38th place, falling from 37th place in January 2020, with access to just 140 countries.
The ranking is based on data collected by citizenship investment advisers Henley & Partners from the International Air Transport Association (IATA) which maintains the world's largest and most accurate database of travel information. Across the entire Caribbean and Central America, St. Kitts and Nevis's passport is bettered only by Barbados (23rd place) which does not have a citizenship-by-investment programme.
St. Kitts and Nevis Citizenship Investment Unit chief executive Les Khan said:
"We are proud to continue 2020 with yet another accolade for St. Kitts and Nevis. This prestigious, independent, global ranking shows that the St. Kitts and Nevis passport is the undisputed best among all Caribbean countries with citizenship-by-investment programmes.
"Many people investing in citizenship programmes want the ability to travel the globe with confidence and flexibility. Once the current pandemic travel restrictions are lifted, we are delighted that the St. Kitts and Nevis passport will continue to allow them to do this better than any other citizenship programme in the region."
NOTES TO EDITORS
1. The Henley & Partners 2020 Q2 Passport Index can be found here: https://www.henleypassportindex.com/assets/2020/Q2/HENLEY_PASSPORT_INDEX_2020_Q2_INFOGRAPHIC_GLOBAL_RANKING_200407.pdf
2. Further information and contact details for the St. Kitts and Nevis Citizenship Investment Unit, Government of St. Kitts and Nevis, are available here: https://www.ciu.gov.kn/
St. Kitts and Nevis Citizenship Investment Unit
ciuunitskn@gmail.com
(1-869) 467-1474
