5 Low Cost Citizenship by Investment Programs in 2026

The cheapest citizenship by investment program in 2026 starts at $90,000, and five government-approved routes now sit below $250,000.

São Tomé and Príncipe and Naoero, formerly Nauru, share the lowest entry point in the market at $90,000. Vanuatu follows at $130,000, Dominica at $200,000 and Antigua and Barbuda at $230,000.

All five grant full citizenship for life, allow dual nationality and require no relocation. All investment figures below are in US dollars and exclude government, due diligence and professional fees.

Cost is only one part of the decision. In La Vida’s 2025 survey of US investors, 76.4% named a Plan B back-up option as a main goal of their application, ahead of relocation at 52%. Programs at this end of the market are bought for security and optionality rather than for passport strength, and the access each one delivers varies widely.

The Five Cheapest Citizenship by Investment Programs in 2026

São Tomé and Príncipe: The Cheapest Citizenship by Investment Program

São Tomé and Príncipe requires a minimum donation of $90,000 to the National Transformation Fund. The program launched in 2025 and issued its first passports in January 2026, making it the newest route in the market alongside Naoero.

There is no residency, visit or interview requirement and the process runs remotely. Processing is quoted at two to three months, though timelines have moved since launch as the unit has built out its procedures.

A São Toméan passport reaches 86 of the world’s 227 destinations, covering 10.1% of global GDP and 19.3% of the world’s most visited travel destinations. The country is a member of the Community of Portuguese Language Countries, which gives citizens a simplified route to residence in Portugal.

Investors who want European access directly, rather than through a later application, generally look at the Portugal Golden Visa instead.

Full details are on the São Tomé and Príncipe program page.

Naoero: Second Citizenship From $90,000 Until December 2026

Naoero’s contribution is $90,000 under the Iruwa Initiative, reduced from a standard $115,000, for applications submitted before 31 December 2026.

The Government extended the offer in June 2026, having originally set it to close on 30 June. The contribution is flat regardless of family size, with separate fees for dependants, and the program moved to an individual fee model in February 2026. Processing averages 90 days from submission, with citizenship typically granted within three to four months.

Nauru changed its official name to the Republic of Naoero with effect from 26 June 2026, and the program is now the Naoero Economic and Climate Resilience Citizenship Program. Citizenship certificates carry the new name immediately.

Passports continue to be issued under the name Nauru during the transition, and existing passports remain valid. Investment thresholds, due diligence standards and processing times are unchanged.

The passport reaches 132 of 227 destinations, made up of 55 fully visa-free, 26 with visa on arrival, three by eTA and 48 by eVisa, including the UAE, Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong and Qatar. It ranks 131st in the La Vida Passport Value Index, reaching 17.5% of global GDP and 27.7% of the worldwide visitor market.

Read the Naoero program details and the full passport analysis.

Vanuatu: The Fastest Citizenship by Investment Program

Vanuatu’s Development Support Program requires $130,000 for a single applicant and $180,000 for a family of four. Approvals are the fastest in the market, with many applications completed within one to two months of submission. There is no residency, language or interview requirement, but all applicants now attend in person for biometric enrolment in Vanuatu, Dubai, Hong Kong or Nouméa.

A Vanuatu passport reaches 135 of 227 destinations, made up of 60 fully visa-free, 31 with visa on arrival, three by eTA and 41 by eVisa. That access covers 14.2% of global GDP and 26.8% of the worldwide visitor market, including India, Russia, the UAE, Singapore, Hong Kong, Thailand and Malaysia. The passport ranks 144th in the La Vida Passport Value Index.

Vanuatu citizens require a visa for both the Schengen Area and the UK. The EU suspended visa-free access in 2022 and removed Vanuatu from its visa-exempt list in December 2024. The UK introduced a visa requirement in July 2023. Investors whose priority is European and UK travel should look at the Caribbean programs below, all of which retain visa-free access to both.

See the Vanuatu program page for current costs.

Dominica: The Cheapest Caribbean Citizenship by Investment Program

Dominica requires a minimum donation of $200,000 for a single applicant and $250,000 for a family of four, or an equivalent real estate investment from $200,000. It sits at the $200,000 floor agreed across the Eastern Caribbean in 2024 and is the only one of the five Caribbean programs priced at it. The program has run since 1993, one of the longest track records in the industry. Processing typically runs from three to six months, and applicants attend a mandatory interview.

A Dominica passport reaches 183 of 227 destinations, with 115 fully visa-free and a further 68 by visa on arrival, eTA or eVisa. That access represents 55.5% of global GDP, worth $58.2 trillion, and 72.3% of the world’s most visited travel destinations. China, Germany, France, Switzerland, Singapore, the UAE and Hong Kong are all included.

Read the Dominica Citizenship by Investment program and the Dominica passport value report.

Antigua and Barbuda: Widest Travel Access at the Low End of the Market

Antigua and Barbuda requires a contribution of $230,000 to the National Development Fund, covering a main applicant and up to three dependants.

A donation to the University of the West Indies Fund starts at $260,000 for a family of up to six, and government-approved real estate starts at $300,000. Family eligibility is the broadest in the Caribbean, extending to siblings, parents and grandparents aged 55 and over.

Applicants must spend five days in the country within the first five years, the only physical presence requirement among the five programs.

An Antigua and Barbuda passport reaches 186 of 227 destinations, the widest access of any program on this list, including the EU Schengen Area, the UK, Canada, Hong Kong and Singapore. The country remains a Commonwealth member and levies no tax on worldwide income, capital gains or inheritance for non-residents.

See the Antigua and Barbuda Citizenship by Investment program for the current fee schedule.

Where the Extra Capital Goes Further

Above $230,000 the Caribbean market opens up further. Grenada starts at $235,000 through the National Transformation Fund, or $270,000 in approved real estate that can be sold after the holding period, and is the only program in the region with an active E-2 treaty with the United States.

That treaty allows Grenadian citizens to apply for a US residency visa through a business investment, provided they have lived in Grenada for at least three years. A Grenada passport reaches 179 of 227 destinations and 59.6% of global GDP, worth $62.5 trillion.

St Lucia starts at $240,000 and St Kitts and Nevis at $250,000, having levelled its two donation routes at a single price for a family of up to four.

The right program depends on the passport you already hold. A second citizenship is worth what it adds to your existing access, not what it scores in isolation, and the same $90,000 or $235,000 buys a very different result for a UK investor than it does for one travelling on a Nigerian or Lebanese passport.

La Vida is an approved agent for all five Caribbean programs as well as Naoero, Vanuatu and São Tomé and Príncipe, and our free Passport Value Report compares your current passport against each option before you commit.

Speak to La Vida’s expert advisers for a full costing and a confidential assessment of which program fits your family.

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