The Federation of Saint Kitts and Nevis has launched a mandatory biometric enrolment programme, selecting the United Arab Emirates as the first phase location.
Citizens of Saint Kitts and Nevis living in the United Arab Emirates are among the first globally to access the Federation’s new biometric passport under its National Biometric Enrolment and Passport Modernisation Programme launched by the Ministry of National Security and the St. Kitts and Nevis Citizenship Unit.
As part of Phase 1, appointments opened on 1 May 2026 at government-designated collection centres in the UAE, allowing residents to complete enrolment locally via an official biometric portal without travelling abroad.
The upgraded passport is chip-enabled and aligned with biometric standards used by the European Union, the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia, incorporating fingerprints, facial scans, and digital signatures. Biometric data is captured once and remains valid for the lifetime of the passport, eliminating the need for re-enrolment at renewal.
Each appointment takes around 15–30 minutes, during which applicants submit biometric data at a designated centre and later receive the updated passport. Fees are set at USD 2,500 for the first adult, USD 2,000 for a second adult in the same family, and USD 1,300 for children under 16, covering both enrolment and passport upgrade.
The deadline for completing enrolment is 31 July 2027, after which, from 1 August 2027, non-upgraded passports will be deactivated. Citizens of Saint Kitts and Nevis whose passports are deactivated will be unable to travel until they complete the biometric enrolment process, with the government stating that the deadline is final and non-negotiable.
Data protection has been made a core part of the system’s design. All biometric information is transmitted directly to secure government-controlled systems in Saint Kitts and Nevis, with processing aligned to international standards, including principles derived from the EU General Data Protection Regulation. Service providers operating in Phase 1 locations such as the United Arab Emirates act only as administrative facilitators during appointments, without access to government systems and with no ability to store or reuse biometric data.
The programme does not affect the rights, status, or citizenship of any individual; it is solely a modernisation of the travel document, not a review of citizenship. Citizens of Saint Kitts and Nevis retain all existing rights and entitlements under the Federation’s legal framework.
Enrolment must be arranged through an Authorised Agent. UAE-based citizens are advised to contact the agent who handled their original application to schedule appointments. If the original agent is no longer available, support is provided by the St. Kitts and Nevis Citizenship Unit via biometrics@sknciu.com.
With the United Arab Emirates included among the earliest rollout locations, residents benefit from earlier access to appointment slots and preferred centres. The government has encouraged early registration to avoid scheduling pressure as the 31 July 2027 deadline approaches.
For further assistance, citizens may also contact the St. Kitts and Nevis Citizenship Unit directly at biometrics@sknciu.com.
