A second passport for Russians in 2026: which programmes are open and where Argentina fits

A second passport for Russians: in brief

In brief: in 2026, the citizenship by investment programmes of Vanuatu, Turkey, Egypt, Sao Tome and Principe, Nauru and Argentina are open to Russian citizens. Vanuatu is faster and more affordable than the rest, Argentina is the only one with visa-free Schengen, and Turkey is the one where the money comes back.

The matrix shows the market's main contradiction for Russian citizens. The programmes that give visa-free Schengen are mostly closed to them, and the open programmes do not give visa-free Schengen. Argentina is the exception: as of its announcement, the programme did not restrict applications by citizenship, and it gives a passport with visa-free Europe. The price of this exception is $350,000, the newness of the programme and the dispute over its legal basis.

That is why the best second passport for a Russian citizen is determined by the goal, not by a ranking. If you need a fast backup document, Vanuatu. If you need to keep capital in an asset, Turkey. If you need Europe without a visa, Argentina, or an affordable passport combined with residence in Europe.

What is closed to Russian citizens

In brief: all five Caribbean programmes, the programmes of Malta and Cyprus, and the Bulgarian investment route are unavailable. The UAE has no citizenship by investment programme at all.

After 2022, under pressure from the US and the UK, the Caribbean countries stopped accepting applications from citizens of Russia and Belarus: St Kitts and Nevis enshrined the ban in law, and Grenada, Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica and St Lucia stopped accepting applications. The exceptions are narrow and concern those who have long lived in a third country. More in the article Argentina or the Caribbean.

There are no longer any citizenship by investment programmes in Europe. Cyprus closed its programme in 2020, Malta ended its programme after a ruling by the EU Court of Justice, and Bulgaria abolished citizenship by investment. A Russian citizen can obtain a European passport only through years of residence, marriage or descent. On these routes, see the articles Cypriot citizenship for Russians and Bulgarian citizenship for Russians.

The UAE is often cited as a second passport option, but the Emirates have no citizenship by investment programme: citizenship is granted by decree in isolated cases. The UAE is suitable for residence, not for a passport. More in the article UAE citizenship for Russians.

What is open: six programmes

In brief: Nauru and Sao Tome and Principe from $90,000, Vanuatu from $130,000, Egypt from $250,000, Argentina from $350,000, and Turkey from $400,000 in property.

The table shows the minimum amounts for one applicant. For a family the calculation changes: in Vanuatu a couple pays $150,000 and a family of four $180,000, in Argentina a separate amount is paid for each family member, and in Turkey one property covers the whole family. Timelines are based on programme practice and government announcements.

Vanuatu

Vanuatu issues a passport in 2-3 months from $130,000, and Russian citizens give biometrics in Moscow or St Petersburg. The application covers a spouse, children under 25 and parents over 50. The passport does not give visa-free Schengen, but with it families obtain the Greek Golden Visa or Hungarian residence and live in the EU. Details in the article Vanuatu citizenship for Russians.

Turkey

Turkey grants citizenship for property from $400,000 with a three-year ban on sale, or for $500,000 in a deposit, bonds or funds. The money stays with the family, and the passport works for the Middle East and Asia, with Schengen by visa. Details in the article Turkish citizenship for Russians.

Egypt

Egypt is open to Russian citizens: a non-refundable contribution of $250,000, property from $300,000, a project from $450,000 or a $500,000 deposit for three years. The process is handled remotely. Details in the article Egyptian citizenship for Russians.

Sao Tome and Principe and Nauru

Two new programmes with a threshold of about $90,000, lower than the others. The passports give fewer visa-free destinations, but the process is remote and fast. Details in the articles Sao Tome for Russians and Nauru for Russians.

Argentina: the only open passport with visa-free Schengen

In brief: the Argentine programme was announced on 2 October 2026 and contains no specific restrictions for Russian citizens. The passport opens 168 destinations on the BRIDGES index, including Schengen, the UK with an ETA, and Japan.

For a Russian citizen, the Argentine passport solves a problem the other open programmes do not: Europe without visa centres. An Argentine citizen enters the Schengen area visa-free for 90 days in any 180-day period, and the UK with an electronic authorisation. In addition, the passport gives the right to live and work in the MERCOSUR countries. Details in the article what Argentine citizenship gives you.

The programme's limitations are known. The $350,000 contribution is not refunded, and the $800,000 bond is repaid after seven years without interest. Applications open in Q4 2026, and the regulations have not been published. The decree on which the programme rests has been declared null by the National Electoral Chamber, and the dispute is before the Supreme Court. The government has announced checks of the applicant's country risks, so Russian citizenship will be taken into account. Details in the articles Argentine citizenship for Russians and the programme's legal basis.

The scale shows that Argentina is the second most expensive of the open programmes after Turkey. But in Turkey the money is invested in an asset, while in Argentina it is gone for good. In non-recoverable costs, Argentina is more expensive than the other open programmes, and that is the price of visa-free Schengen.

What a family of four costs

In brief: for a couple and two children under 18, Sao Tome and Principe costs about $100,000, Vanuatu $180,000, Turkey one property from $400,000, and Argentina $500,000.

The price for one applicant is misleading, because programmes count the family differently. In Sao Tome and Principe, the contribution for a family of up to four is almost the same as for one person: about $100,000 including the due diligence fee. In Nauru, $2,000 is added to the main applicant's contribution for a spouse and for each dependant over 16. In Vanuatu, under the DSP programme a family of four pays $180,000, and through the CIIP fund $157,000, of which $50,000 is returned after five years.

In Turkey, one property from $400,000 covers a spouse and children under 18, with no extra payments for family members. In Egypt, the amount depends on the investment option, and fees are paid for family members. In Argentina, a separate amount is paid for each person: $350,000 for the main applicant, $100,000 for a spouse and $25,000 for each child under 18, a total of $500,000. The larger the family, the more noticeable the difference between Argentina and the other programmes.

Parents need to be considered separately. In Vanuatu, parents over 50 are included in the family application; in Turkey and Argentina they are not and need their own application. For a three-generation family, Vanuatu usually works out the most advantageous of the open programmes. A detailed calculation for Argentina is in the article the cost of Argentine citizenship.

Where each passport takes you

In brief: the Argentine passport opens Europe, the UK and Latin America. The Vanuatu, Turkish and Egyptian passports are stronger in Asia and the Middle East, and Schengen requires a visa.

For a Russian citizen, it is more useful to compare passports by destination than by the number of countries. In Europe, Argentina wins: visa-free Schengen and the UK with an ETA. In Asia, the Vanuatu passport gives Hong Kong for 90 days and Singapore for 30 days, while the Argentine passport gives Japan, Hong Kong and Singapore. The Turkish passport is good for the Middle East, Asia and Africa and makes Schengen visas easier to obtain than a Russian one.

The passports of Sao Tome and Principe and Nauru open fewer destinations and are suitable as a backup document and a basis for residence in third countries rather than as a passport for frequent travel. The list of countries for the Argentine passport is in the article visa-free countries for Argentine passport holders.

Timelines: from the first meeting to the passport

In brief: preparing documents takes 1-2 months in any programme. After that, Vanuatu issues a passport in 2-3 months, Turkey and Egypt within a few months of the investment, and Argentina according to regulations that have not yet been published.

The overall timeline has three parts: preparing documents, reviewing the application and issuing the passport. Preparation depends on the family: if documents were issued in different countries and the funds passed through several accounts, it takes longer. The review depends on the programme: Vanuatu works to a set procedure with regular commission meetings, Turkey after the property is registered and valued, and Argentina has announced 30 working days for a decision after the Agency's checks, whose duration is unknown.

Passport issuance differs too. For Vanuatu, Russian citizens give biometrics in Moscow or St Petersburg; for Turkey and Argentina a trip to the country is needed. That is why, when comparing timelines, you count the whole route, not just the review of the application. For a family with children it also matters that every family member gives biometrics, so the trip is planned for when the children are free from school.

Europe: passport or residence

In brief: a Russian citizen has two routes to Europe: an Argentine passport with visa-free Schengen, or an affordable second passport plus residence in an EU country.

The first route is the Argentine passport. It gives visa-free travel around Schengen, but not the right to live in the EU. To live there, an Argentine citizen needs a residence permit, which they obtain on general terms, and in Spain without even leaving the country. More in the article the Argentine passport and Europe.

The second route is a Vanuatu passport, or one from another open programme, plus residence in Europe. With a Vanuatu passport, banks and property sellers in Greece apply standard checks, and the family obtains the Greek Golden Visa for property from €250,000. The residence permit gives the right to live in Greece and travel around Schengen. About 80% of BRIDGES clients who choose Vanuatu use it in exactly this way. More in the article Argentine passport or Greek Golden Visa.

How to choose a second passport

In brief: five questions determine the choice: urgency, Europe, preserving capital, the family's composition and readiness for legal risk.

1. How urgently is the passport needed? In the coming months: Vanuatu, Sao Tome, Nauru. No urgency: Argentina, once the regulations are out.
2. Is visa-free Schengen needed? Yes: Argentina, or an affordable passport with residence in Europe.
3. Does capital need to be preserved? Yes: Turkey, or Egypt with property.
4. Who is in the family? Parents over 50: Vanuatu. Children under 25: Vanuatu or Argentina.
5. Is the family ready for legal risk? No: programmes with an established basis. Yes: Argentina.

Often the answer is not one programme but a sequence: a fast passport now and a second, stronger one later. The documents and history of funds gathered for the first programme are largely suitable for the second.

The obligations of a Russian citizen with a second passport

In brief: a Russian citizen notifies the Interior Ministry of a second citizenship within 60 days, enters Russia on a Russian passport and reports foreign accounts if they remain a tax resident.

Second citizenship is not prohibited in Russia, but it requires notification. The notification is filed with the Interior Ministry within 60 days of receiving a document confirming the other citizenship. For failure to notify, the Criminal Code provides for a fine of up to 200,000 roubles or community service. On Russian territory, a citizen with two passports is treated only as a Russian citizen and crosses the border on a Russian passport.

Tax obligations depend on residence: a Russian tax resident reports the opening of foreign accounts, movements of funds and controlled foreign companies. A second passport does not remove these obligations. More in the article dual citizenship in Russia.

What to prepare in advance for any programme

In brief: birth and marriage certificates with an apostille, criminal record certificates, proof of the source of funds and the banking route for the payment. This preparation is common to all programmes.

Every citizenship by investment programme checks identity, background and money. Birth and marriage certificates are needed for every family member, with an apostille and a translation into the country's language: Spanish for Argentina, English for Vanuatu, Turkish for Turkey. Criminal record certificates are obtained from Russia and from the countries where the applicant has lived in recent years. Proving the source of funds takes the most time: bank statements, contracts for the sale of assets, documents on income and taxes.

Transferring money from Russia to any programme country requires preparation. Banks in the programme country check the route of the money, and payment often comes from an account in a third country. It is better to start this work before choosing a programme: it will not be wasted whatever you decide. Apostilled documents remain valid for a long time, while criminal record certificates are renewed before filing if more than a few months have passed since they were issued. For Argentina there is a pre-screening questionnaire.

How BRIDGES selects a programme

In brief: BRIDGES starts with a free preliminary check, compares the open programmes using the family's own figures and proposes a sequence if one programme is not enough.

Work begins with a review of the situation: citizenship, country of residence, family composition, source of funds, travel history and any refusals. On that basis BRIDGES names the programmes that are available to the family in practice and costs each one for the whole family: contributions, fees, documents, travel and support. If the goal requires two steps, for example Vanuatu now and Argentina later, the plan is built for both at once so that the documents are prepared only once.

Before a contract is signed, BRIDGES carries out preliminary due diligence and discusses the risks from the outset. If a programme does not suit the family, BRIDGES says so before any payment. We have been working since 2004, and more than 8,000 families have gone through BRIDGES. The scope of services and how we work are shown on the page Argentine citizenship with BRIDGES.

Where people go wrong when choosing

In brief: they look for closed programmes, choose by the number of countries, expect a European passport by investment and forget to notify the Interior Ministry.

1. Looking for a Caribbean passport. The programmes are closed to Russian citizens, apart from narrow exceptions.
2. Expecting a European passport for money. There are no longer any such programmes in the EU.
3. Choosing by the number of countries. What matters is the family's destinations, not the total in a ranking.
4. Believing offers of a "guaranteed passport". The decision is made by the state after its checks.
5. Not notifying the Interior Ministry. The deadline is 60 days, and failure to notify carries criminal liability.

What to check before deciding

In brief: whether the programme is open to your citizenship, the urgency, the family's composition, the budget including non-recoverable costs, and the main travel destinations.

• Whether the programme is open to a Russian citizen on the filing date.
• How much the programme costs for your family, including all fees.
• Which destinations matter more: Europe, the US, Asia, the Middle East.
• Whether capital must be preserved or a non-refundable contribution is acceptable.
• Whether the family is ready to wait for the Argentine regulations or needs a passport now.

The calculation for Argentina is in the article the cost of Argentine citizenship and in the estimate, and a comparison with Vanuatu is in the article Argentina or Vanuatu.