Citizenship by Investment
The Cheapest Passports In the World (Citizenship by Investment)
A handful of countries grant a passport directly in exchange for an investment or donation. Below is every program we track, 11 currently active, ranked by the cheapest route, each with its status and the applicant nationalities it restricts. For residency rather than a passport, see golden visas.
The cheapest passports in the world are São Tomé and Príncipe ($90,000), Nauru ($115,000), Dominica ($200,000), Grenada ($235,000) and Saint Lucia ($240,000).
14 of 16
Sao Tome and Principe active
Sao Tome and Principe Citizenship by Investment
from $90k
Newest CBI: launched Aug 2025, first passports reported Jan 2026. Figures from secondary sources pending official verification.
Nauru active
Nauru Economic and Climate Resilience Citizenship Program (ECRCP)
from $115k
4 restricted nationalities
Active (launched Nov 2024). CONTESTED reputationally: UK removed visa-free/ETA access for Nauru nationals from 9 Dec 2025, citing the CBI program as high-risk.
Vanuatu contested
Development Support Program (DSP); Vanuatu Contribution Program (VCP, Greater China only)
from $130k
7 restricted nationalities
CONTESTED: EU PERMANENTLY revoked Schengen visa-free access. Moved Vanuatu to Annex I (visa-required) via Regulation (EU) 2025/11, in force 3 Feb 2025. Grounds: ~14-day processing, no residence/interview, very low rejection rate. Program figures commercial-sourced (official gov site was down at verification).
Dominica active
Commonwealth of Dominica Citizenship by Investment Programme
from $200k
7 restricted nationalities
Active (est. 1993). Reformed 2024: min contribution raised 100k->200k, mandatory interviews, 5-year name-change ban. EU/Schengen access still in effect as of 2026-07-08.
North Macedonia contested
Naturalisation in the economic interest of the Republic (marketed as CBI)
from $216k
CONTESTED / de facto stalled. EU 2024 report: only ~5 applications, none processed. EU candidate under active pressure to end it. ~121 economic citizenships 2005-2022 (~7/yr) = discretionary, not a functioning program.
Antigua and Barbuda contested
Antigua and Barbuda Citizenship by Investment Programme (CIP)
from $230k
6 restricted nationalities
Legally active but CONTESTED: EU Commissioner letter (25 Jun 2026) asked Antigua to phase out its CIP by 1 Jun 2028; PM says it will continue. Threat is to Schengen visa-free travel, not the program's existence.
Grenada active
Grenada Citizenship by Investment Programme
from $235k
7 restricted nationalities
Active. Notable US E-2 treaty access (in force since 1989). ECCIRA ~30-day presence rule may apply ~2026, not yet in force officially.
Saint Lucia active
Saint Lucia Citizenship by Investment Programme
from $240k
3 restricted nationalities
Active. EU (2025) named Saint Lucia among 5 Caribbean CBI states warranting visa-free suspension. No suspension in force yet.
St Kitts and Nevis active
St. Kitts and Nevis Citizenship by Investment Programme
from $250k
6 restricted nationalities
Active. EU (Dec 2025) treats the scheme itself as a Schengen-suspension ground; Ireland reintroduced visas for SKN nationals from 15 Jun 2026; Turkey revoked its visa waiver from 1 May 2025.
Egypt active
Egyptian Citizenship in Exchange for Investment
from $250k
Active. Thresholds set by PM Decree 876/2023 (real estate cut 500k->300k). GAFI confirms route STRUCTURE + $10k fee + no-residency + 3-6mo, but does NOT publish exact USD minimums (those corroborated by secondary sources).
Turkey active
Turkish Citizenship by Investment (Law 5901 Art.12; Reg. Art.20)
from $400k
4 restricted nationalities
Active. Real-estate min raised 250k->400k on 13 Jun 2022. NOT on OECD high-risk CBI list. No government donation.
Jordan active
Investor Citizenship Program (restructured Jul 2025)
from $705k
OVERHAULED by Cabinet decision 2-3 Jul 2025: eliminated ALL passive routes (old $1M treasury deposit & bonds gone), now active-investment/job-creation only. 500 naturalizations/year cap. Binding figures are in JOD; USD are ~1.41 conversions.
Cambodia active
Khmer nationality by investment/donation (Law on Nationality + Sub-Decree 225)
from $1M
Active but thresholds RAISED SHARPLY by Sub-Decree 225 (1 Dec 2025). Old ~$245k figure is DEAD. Highly discretionary; few foreigners have ever naturalised.
Austria active
Citizenship for extraordinary achievements in the special interest of the Republic (StbG Sec. 10(6))
from varies
Active but NOT a priced CBI. Discretionary grant for extraordinary achievement; BMI explicitly states 'mere cash flows are not sufficient'. No statutory price. No residency, no language test; prior citizenship retained. Commercial EUR 2-10M figures are NOT official.
Amounts are the cheapest qualifying route in USD. Citizenship-by-investment is a fast-moving, legally sensitive area (Malta's program was struck down by the EU Court in 2025). This is a starting point for comparison, not legal advice. Building something? Use the free Citizenship API.