Working in Saint Kitts and Nevis as a French Citizen: Work Visa, Salary, Contributions and Taxes

According to France Diplomatie (the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs travel advice service), the electronic travel authorisation allows a stay of 90 days at most, with a possible extension from the Ministry of Security. To carry out paid activity, the government portal refers to the “Work Visa Procurement” section: the work visa is aimed at people coming to work in the country and is prepared in three steps (obtain a job, gather the required documents, submit the file). Once the file is accepted, the consulate or embassy of Saint Kitts and Nevis issues the visa, and a waiting period is provided for. The page publishes neither the full list of documents, nor the fees, nor the length of validity: these should be confirmed with the competent consulate before committing.

The Social Security Board confirms the central role of the permit: a foreigner presents a valid work permit to obtain their social security number, and no card is issued when the permit is granted for one year or less. It is therefore useful to ask the employer who files the application who bears the costs and for how long the permit will be issued. Until the authorisation is obtained, it is better not to start any activity locally. The page on living in Saint Kitts and Nevis describes the entry and stay formalities.

For registration with the Social Security Board, the card is requested in person with originals or certified copies: valid passport, or birth certificate certified by an authorised person (justice of the peace, doctor, senior official), plain copies being refused and a passport expired for more than twelve months not being accepted. The first card is free; a replacement card costs 20 Eastern Caribbean dollars, a third card or more 150 dollars. Each insured person has only one number, the card is personal and changes of name or address must be reported. A CARICOM national holding a certificate of recognition of qualifications also receives a card.

The CLEISS records no social security agreement with Saint Kitts and Nevis; the French rules on secondment and expatriation outside an agreement therefore apply. A posted employee sent by a French employer remains affiliated to the French scheme during their assignment, for three years renewable once; their contributions are paid in France as if they were working there, which does not exempt them from contributions that may exist in the host country (CLEISS). Care received locally is reimbursed within what France would pay for the same care, on paid invoices and form S 3125c; a supplementary policy is justified when local prices are high. Children who accompany the employee do not give entitlement to French family benefits. See the posted worker glossary entry and the guide to secondee or expatriate.

An expatriate employee, hired on a local contract, leaves the French scheme and comes under the scheme of the country of work (CLEISS). They declare their departure to their health insurance fund, to the CAF (family benefits fund) and to France Travail (the French employment agency), and return their carte Vitale. Pension rights are examined separately by each country, with no totalisation of periods. Voluntary membership of the Caisse des Français de l’Étranger (CFE, the voluntary health insurance body for French people abroad) covers for employees sickness, maternity, disability, accidents at work and basic retirement, without exempting them from compulsory local contributions; see CFE contributions.

The government information service states, in an article, a minimum wage of around 500 Eastern Caribbean dollars a week, or about €165. The conversions on this page rely on the ECB reference rate and on the fixed parity of 2.70 Eastern Caribbean dollars to 1 US dollar.

No official source consulted publishes a salary scale by occupation. The government jobs portal shows public service vacancies, and the Statistics Department offers sections on employment and the labour force. To place an offer, ask in writing for the gross salary, the currency, the length of the contract, the probation period, leave and notice, then compare the net pay with your spending in euros: the “Economic indicators” block gives the day’s exchange rate.

The Inland Revenue Department states, in its frequently asked questions on corporate tax, that personal income tax was abolished in 1980. People who carry out activity on their own account may be audited by the tax administration.

• Social Security Board: for ages 16 to 62, the employee bears 5% of their salary and the employer 5% plus 1% for work accidents, or 11% in total; outside this age band, only 1% is due. Cash benefits include sickness, maternity and old-age pension; the pages read describe no coverage of medical care.
• Housing and Social Development Levy: no deduction from wages up to 520 dollars a week (27,040 dollars a year, or about €8,900) since the law of 10/07/2025. The scale above this threshold can be read from the Social Security Board.

On the French side, no tax treaty between France and Saint Kitts and Nevis was identified in the sources read. French-source income of a non-resident (pensions, rent from a property in France) follows French rules, with withholding tax of 0%, 12% then 20% on salaries and pensions after a 10% allowance (scale revised each year, impots.gouv.fr). Tax residence is determined before departure with the tax office for non-resident individuals.

A self-employed person aged 16 to 62 registers themselves with the Social Security Board, which assigns them a social security number; their contributions are chosen from a scale published in the self-employed workers’ booklet. The Inland Revenue Department reminds readers that people who carry out activity on their own account may be audited: keep invoices and supporting documents. Health cover remains to be built yourself: the CFE, which offers self-employed workers sickness and maternity cover, or international insurance; see digital nomad insurance.

For a remote worker who keeps French clients, the 90-day stay opened by the ETA covers a trial, not a move. No remote stay scheme was read on the official sources consulted: the Ministry of Citizenship and Immigration specifies the possibilities before any ticket is bought, and the extension of a stay is requested from the Ministry of Security (France Diplomatie).

The government highlights relief for approved projects: import duty exemptions, tax holidays of up to 15 years and, for hotels, ten years from 30 rooms under the hotel aid law. It cites as priority sectors financial services, information technology, tourism, industry and agro-industry, specifies that local and foreign investors are treated in the same way and that foreigners can hold 100% of their investment, and mentions an e-government platform that allows forms to be filed online. The overview page also reminds readers that English is the country’s first language and that literacy is close to 98%, two assets for an immediately operational workforce. This information dates from the page consulted and should be confirmed with the competent ministry before any plan to set up a business.

The currency is the Eastern Caribbean dollar, pegged to the US dollar at 2.70: a salary is therefore negotiated in a currency that is stable against the dollar but variable against the euro. The “Economic indicators” block gives updated growth, inflation, unemployment and the exchange rate. Before signing, cross-check these benchmarks with the pages on the healthcare system and healthcare reimbursement, which detail access to care and cover depending on employment status.