Pacific citizenship by investment 2026: Vanuatu and Nauru costs, timelines and trade-offs
Two small Pacific nations, Vanuatu and Nauru, run some of the cheapest and quickest citizenship-by-investment programmes in the world. The price of speed and affordability is limited travel access, which matters if you want the passport for visa-free travel to Europe or the UK.
Vanuatu
Contribution (non-refundable, as reported in 2026):
| Applicant group | Reported contribution |
|---|---|
| Single applicant | USD 130,000 |
| Married couple | USD 150,000 |
| Family of three | USD 165,000 |
| Family of four | USD 180,000 |
| Each additional family member | USD 15,000 |
A "refundable" investment-plan variant at about USD 115,000 was reported, with USD 50,000 supposedly returned after four to five years. That refund is a promise from the fund, not a bank guarantee, so check the terms carefully.
Timeline: the official benchmark is about 30 to 60 days, and realistic timelines including document collection are reported at one to three months, up to three to four months for some investment plans.
Fees: mandatory processing, due-diligence and document fees depend on family size and ages, and are additional. Service fees are generally not refunded if an application is refused.
Travel: the passport is reported to give visa-free access to a large number of destinations, including Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines. However, the EU has removed Vanuatu from its visa-free list and the UK requires a visa. The US E-2 investor visa is not available because Vanuatu is not a treaty state.
Nauru
Nauru launched an economic and climate resilience citizenship programme in 2025.
| Item | Reported figure |
|---|---|
| Standard contribution (single applicant) | USD 115,000 |
| Temporary discounted contribution | USD 90,000 (offered in 2026; sources disagree on whether it ended on 30 June or 31 December 2026) |
| Application fee | USD 5,000 principal, USD 2,000 per additional dependant |
| Due-diligence fee | USD 6,000 principal, USD 3,000 per dependant aged 16 or over |
| Timeline | About 3 to 4 months from a complete application |
| Visa access | Reported 87 destinations visa-free or on arrival |
Reported features include no requirement to visit, reside or speak a language, and family inclusion across up to four generations. Citizens of North Korea, Iran and Myanmar are reported as ineligible, and some other nationalities face conditions.
Pros and cons
Advantages - Lowest entry cost among established programmes. - Fast processing compared with the Caribbean. - No residence requirement.
Trade-offs - Weaker travel access, especially to Europe, the UK and the US. - The contribution is non-refundable and creates no asset. - Both programmes are relatively new or small, so rules, fees and recognition can change. - Island risks: limited healthcare and exposure to natural hazards, especially in Vanuatu.
Checklist before applying
- Check the current visa-free list for each passport against the countries you actually travel to.
- Confirm all fees in writing, including due diligence.
- Confirm the programme is licensed through an authorised agent.
- Check your home country's dual citizenship and tax rules.
- Keep documents proving the source of your funds.
Confirm all amounts with the programme's official page, since 2026 figures include temporary discounts that may already have expired.
Citizenship-by-investment programmes change often and are frequently suspended, repriced or restricted without much notice. Amounts and timelines below were gathered in October 2026 from law-firm and industry summaries, which sometimes disagree with each other; they are not official price lists. Always confirm figures with the government's own CBI unit or a licensed agent before paying anything, and take independent legal and tax advice. Visa Ray is not an immigration adviser. You can run a free assessment on Visa Ray to compare residence and citizenship pathways.