Updated
CZ-ALL-14
BRIDGES GLOBAL · an overview of the programmes
All citizenship-by-investment programs:an overview of 14 routes
A government-fund contribution, real estate, a deposit or ancestry-based repatriation — 14 active routes to a passport. Entry from $90,000, timelines from 30 days. How to choose a program for your goal, not off a price list.
01 / If you only have one minute
If you only have one minute
A second citizenship is a working tool that solves specific tasks for a family and its capital. There are 14 active routes to a passport: a government-fund contribution, approved real estate, a deposit or ancestry-based repatriation. Most of our clients keep living exactly where they lived before.
A fit if you need mobility and a plan B for the family, a fallback status and banking access, or inheritable status for your children.
Not a fit if the goal is to live and work in the EU (no EU investment passports remain) or your budget is below $90,000.
The principal sum is paid only after Due Diligence approval. The main risk is an unprepared file; BRIDGES reviews your case free of charge before any agreement.
02 / What a second passport delivers
What a second passport delivers
Mobility
Strong Caribbean passports open 140+ destinations, including the Schengen Area, the UK, Singapore and Hong Kong.
Plan B
The ability to move your family to a safe jurisdiction at any moment: housing, accounts, schooling for the children.
Banks and markets
A neutral citizenship simplifies compliance: accounts and brokerage platforms closed to some passports stay open to others.
Taxes
A passport changes nothing by itself; paired with a change of residency, it becomes part of a legal strategy.
Children
They receive citizenship alongside their parents, and with it access to schools, universities and job markets.
Inheritance
Citizenship passes down by descent: the contribution keeps working for children and grandchildren.
03 / What changed by 2026
What changed by 2026
Europe has left the field
By the EU Court of Justice ruling of 29 April 2025, Malta’s investment program was struck down. Routes to an EU passport are now long ones — naturalization and ancestry-based repatriation.
The Caribbean
A $200,000 floor, a mandatory interview and shared refusal data. Filing with a neighboring country after a refusal no longer works.
Vanuatu lost Schengen access (the EU withdrew the waiver in December 2024, the UK imposed visas in 2023). It remains the fastest program, but its travel value has fallen.
The EU tightened its visa-waiver lever
Since April 2025 countries with weak vetting risk losing visa-free access — an argument for programs with strong Due Diligence.
New players
Nauru from $90,000, Sierra Leone issues passports in 60-90 days, Egypt has legalized dual citizenship. The market is shifting toward Oceania and Africa.
04 / Map of the sector: three regions
Map of the sector: three regions
| Region | Programs | Entry and timeline |
|---|---|---|
| The Caribbean (5) | Dominica, Antigua, Grenada, St Lucia, St Kitts | from $200,000 · from 3 mos. |
| Oceania and Africa (5) | Vanuatu, Nauru, São Tomé, Sierra Leone, Egypt | from $90,000 · from 30 days |
| Europe and Asia (4) | Turkey, Malta, repatriation Bulgaria and Hungary | repatriation from €15,000 · Turkey from $400,000 |
The Caribbean is the core of the market since 1984, with visa-free access to Schengen and the UK. Oceania and Africa is the speed-and-budget segment, but grants no European visa waiver. Europe and Asia — Turkey through a recoverable asset, Malta through a long naturalization, and ancestry-based repatriation as the most underrated path to an EU passport.
05 / All 14 programs: entry, timeline, family
All 14 programs: entry, timeline, family
from $90,000Nauru — the lowest official threshold of 2026
| Country | Timeline | Entry | Family |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vanuatu | 30-60 days | $130,000 | whole family in one application |
| Nauru | 3-4 mos. | $90,000 | broadest scope, siblings included |
| São Tomé and Príncipe | 4-6 mos. | ~$120,000 | whole family in one application |
| Dominica | 3-6 mos. | $200,000 | surcharge per family member |
| Antigua and Barbuda | 4-6 mos. | $230,000 | best economics for families of 6+ |
| Grenada | 6-9 mos. | $235,000 | up to 4 people included |
| Saint Lucia | 3-6 mos. | $240,000 | up to 4 people included |
| Saint Kitts and Nevis | 4-6 mos. | $250,000 | up to 4 people included |
| Sierra Leone | 60-90 days | $100,000 | whole family in one application |
| Turkey | 3-6 mos. | $400,000 | spouse and children under 18 |
| Egypt | 6-12 mos. | $250,000 | spouse and children |
| Malta | 18-48 mos. | from €690,000 | family in the application |
| Bulgaria (repatriation) | 24-36 mos. | from €15,000 | children join the applicant |
| Hungary (repatriation) | 8-12 mos. | from €50,000 | children join the applicant |
Minimum official thresholds as of July 2026. Government fees, Due Diligence and professional services are paid on top — the full math is below. Family scope for São Tomé, Sierra Leone and Malta is confirmed for your exact quote.
06 / Choosing a program for your goal
Choosing a program for your goal
| Goal | Route | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Visa-free Schengen and UK | The Caribbean: 5 programs | the strongest visa-free list in the segment — 140+ destinations |
| Status by a set date | Vanuatu | 30-60 days — the fastest in the world |
| Minimal budget | Nauru, Sierra Leone | entry at $90,000-100,000 — the lowest thresholds |
| Keep capital in an asset | Turkey | real estate from $400,000, resale allowed after 3 years |
| A path to US business | Grenada, Turkey | the E-2 treaty opens the American business visa |
| A large family | Antigua and Barbuda | favorable terms for families of six or more |
| Citizens of Russia and Belarus | São Tomé + shortlist | some programs are closed, the jurisdiction is matched to your passport |
| An EU passport | Repatriation: Bulgaria, Hungary | by ancestry, from €15,000; no EU investment passports exist |
07 / What it really costs
What it really costs
The contribution in the brochure is 70-85% of the real budget. Here is where the rest comes from, using a Caribbean program for a family of four as the example:
| Cost item | Typical range | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Principal contribution / investment | $200,000-250,000 | depends on the program and family size |
| Due Diligence | $7,500-10,000 per adult | the state’s vetting fee, non-refundable |
| Government fees | $25,000-75,000 | processing and government fees |
| Passport fees and oath | $1,000-3,000 | per passport issued |
| Legal support | per quote | the file, translations, legalization, filing |
| Additional family members | $10,000-25,000 per person | parents and children beyond the base set |
08 / The process: six steps to a passport
The process: six steps to a passport
- 01Free assessment1-2 weeks: case review and program shortlist
- 02Agreement and file3-8 weeks: documents, source of funds, legalization
- 03Filing and Due Diligence1-6 months: database screening, interview in the Caribbean
- 04Approval2-4 weeks: the commission decides
- 05Investmentcontribution, property or deposit — after approval
- 06Oath and passports2-6 weeks: passports for the whole family
The mechanics are the same in every legitimate program — only the timelines differ: from 30 days in Vanuatu to a year or more on the long routes. The principal sum is paid only after Due Diligence approval; a demand for the full amount up front is a red flag.
09 / Seven selection mistakes
Seven selection mistakes
Choosing on price
The cheapest passport without the visa-free list you need does not solve the mobility problem.
Hiding facts in the forms
The vetting will find everything; concealment is itself grounds for refusal and a mark in the databases.
Paying before approval
The principal investment follows Due Diligence; the full amount up front is the signature of a scheme.
Using an unlisted intermediary
Someone else’s hands on your documents and money, with no accountability.
Ignoring tax consequences
Plan the citizenship-plus-residency structure as a whole.
Deciding on outdated data
Visa lists and thresholds change every year.
Filing once it is already urgent
Processing takes months; insurance is bought before the fire.
The programmes have run since 1984. In that time tens of thousands of families have received a passport by investment.
10 / Your team
Who runs your case
Anna KovalevskayaHead of LegalAnswers for the legal position on the case and for the filing itself.
Viktoria LebedevaManaging Director, Private ClientsChooses the programme for the task and stays in touch the whole way.
Klara RihterHead of Compliance and Due DiligenceChecks the source of funds before filing, not after.
Dmitry NagyInternational Tax ConsultantHandles the tax side: residence, reporting, banking.11 / Cases
Real citizenship cases
Amounts and details within the limits clients allowed us to publish.
TurkeyTurkish citizenship through commercial property
DominicaDominica citizenship for life in retirement
GreeceGreek Golden Visa at €250,000 through conversion
ItalyItalian residence with a flat tax
GrenadaGrenada citizenship for the owner of a trust
Saint LuciaSaint Lucia citizenship for three generations
12 / BRIDGES · practice
What clients say
VladimirCo-owner of an IT integratorI chose Hungary for its clear rules and for the BRIDGES office in Budapest. A lawyer came with me to the filing in person — with the papers in perfect order.
Read the case
DanielOwner of a car dealership chainI compared four companies and stayed with the one that told me about the risks in my case first and about prices second. Compliance went through without a single additional request.
Read the case
RashidDeveloperI come from construction myself, so I checked every property. Valuation, title deed, the seller’s history — the BRIDGES lawyers dug deeper than I did. The whole family received passports.
Read the caseMaterial
Check which programme suits your family
A summary of 14 programmes: entry, timelines, family composition and the requirements for the applicant — in one document.
- Entry thresholds and the full budget for a family
- Timelines for each programme
- Who can be included in the application
- What due diligence checks
13 / Questions and answers
Frequently asked questions
There are no direct EU investment passports anymore: the Malta program was struck down by the EU Court of Justice in April 2025. The real routes to an EU passport are a long naturalization and ancestry-based repatriation (Bulgaria, Hungary) from €15,000.
In most programs, no: no residence, no visit, no exams. 8 out of 10 of our cases are programs with no residence requirement.
Nauru — from $90,000, the lowest official threshold of 2026. But a low entry grants no European visa-free access, so weigh the price against the goal: a cheap passport without the visa-free list you need saves no money.
You do not lose the investment — it is paid only after approval. Due Diligence fees are non-refundable, and a refusal enters the shared Caribbean databases. That is why the first application is made to count, after a preliminary screening.
Some programs are closed, others apply enhanced vetting. Working routes exist (São Tomé, for example); the jurisdiction is matched to your passport at the consultation.
INITIAL ASSESSMENT
Tell us what outcome your family needs
We will design a solution for your case, choose the country and the right status, and take the whole process through to the result.
