What it costs to buy property in Saint Kitts and Nevis
A foreign buyer should budget roughly 12.5%–13.0% of the purchase price on top of the price itself. A licence is required before you can take title.
What you pay
- Alien Landholding Licence10.0% of the price$50,000
- Legal fees2.5%–3.0% of the price$12,500–$15,000
| On a purchase of | $250,000 | $500,000 | $1,000,000 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alien Landholding Licence | $25,000 | $50,000 | $100,000 |
| Legal fees | $6,250 – $7,500 | $12,500 – $15,000 | $25,000 – $30,000 |
| Total on top of the price | 12.5%–13.0% | 12.5%–13.0% | 12.5%–13.0% |
Who carries the taxes and fees
What the seller pays — not you
- Stamp duty — 10%Stamps Act CAP 20.40, Schedule — 10% of the consideration, payable by the vendor (12% in a Special Development Area or the South East Peninsula). Section 62 makes it an offence for a seller to pass this on to the buyer.
Guides that add every tax together and present the total as a buyer's bill overstate the cost. These are the seller's.
Can you buy as a foreigner?
Licence required
Non-citizens need an Alien Landholding Licence before they can hold land, costing 10% of the land value. Property bought inside an approved Citizenship by Investment development is generally exempt — worth checking whether this listing qualifies.
Allow 2–4 months
A sale cannot complete until the licence is granted, so it sits on the critical path.
Take it with you
These figures as a PDF, worked out at the price you enter, with every source and the date it was checked.
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Nearby markets compared
What a foreign buyer pays on top of a $500,000 price, here and in the markets around it nearest in cost.
- Antigua and BarbudaLicence needed9.5%–10.0%
- MontserratLicence needed9.8%–10.3%
- AnguillaLicence needed10.1%–17.6%
- Saint Kitts and NevisLicence needed12.5%–13.0%
- British Virgin IslandsLicence needed13.1%–14.1%
An estimate for budgeting, not legal or tax advice. These rates are traced to published sources but have not been reviewed by a practitioner in this jurisdiction. Confirm the current position with an attorney before you commit.
Rates read directly from the Stamps Act CAP 20.40 as revised to 31 December 2020, and no later amendment to either was found when rechecked in October 2026. Some agency guides describe stamp duty moving to the buyer at a lower rate; nothing in the Act supports it, but if that has happened, the total shown here understates the cost by around 10% of the price. A citizenship bill read for the first time in September 2026 would exempt grandchildren of citizens from the licence fee; it is not law.