Official · 02.10.2026Argentina announces South America's first Citizenship by Investment Programme→
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Comparisons

The cheapest passports for sale in 2026, and the catches

Ten programmes, ranked by headline price. The cheapest ticket rarely gives the best value: family pricing, fees, passport reach and legal durability can reverse the order.

Updated 9 min readSourced from official announcements

Key facts

  • Cheapest headline prices: São Tomé and Príncipe and Nauru (promotional), both US$90,000.
  • Cheapest established Caribbean option: Dominica, from US$200,000.
  • Argentina: US$350,000, but the widest reach of the ten, about 170 destinations.
  • Prices exclude most fees. Family pricing can change the order completely.

Price is the first number most people see, and the least useful on its own. This ranking lists ten active or newly launched programmes by their 2026 headline price for a single applicant. We then show what that price actually buys. Figures are as of 2 October 2026 and come from official programme sites where possible.

The ranking by headline price

# Programme Minimum (single) Route type Processing Family of four Passport reach (Henley, July 2026)
1 São Tomé and Príncipe US$90,000 + US$5,000 fee Donation ~2 months to approval US$95,000 59 (78th)
2 Nauru (promotional, hedged) US$90,000 to 31 Dec 2026; then US$115,000 Donation 3–4 months Varies by ages 84 (60th)
3 Dominica US$200,000 Donation or real estate 3–4 months US$250,000 144 (30th)
4 Antigua and Barbuda US$230,000 per application Donation or real estate Varies; reported up to about 14 months US$230,000 + fees 154 (24th)
5 Grenada US$235,000 (up to four people) Donation or real estate 3–6 months official; 6–9 reported US$235,000 148 (27th)
6 St Lucia US$240,000 Donation, bonds or real estate Reported 15–16 months Supplements apply 143 (31st)
7 St Kitts and Nevis US$250,000 (up to four people) Donation or real estate 120–180 days to decision US$250,000 157 (21st)
8 Egypt US$250,000 donation (reported) Donation, real estate, business or deposit 6–9 months (reported) Varies 49 (87th)
9 Argentina US$350,000 (or US$800,000 bond) Donation or bond Not yet published US$500,000 (two minors) About 170 (16th)
10 Türkiye US$400,000 real estate, held 3 years Investment 3–6 months US$400,000 112 (49th)

Presence rules and key risks

Programme Physical presence Key risks
São Tomé and Príncipe None; passports issued remotely Post-approval backlog; hold on applicants with three or more nationalities; adult dependant passports frozen
Nauru None published Very small programme; few approvals; passport reach falling
Dominica None, per the CBIU; interview for 16+ US visa restrictions since 1 January 2026; UK visa required
Antigua and Barbuda 5 days in 5 years historically; a 30-day rule reported passed in December 2025 US visa restrictions since 1 January 2026
Grenada Regional 30-day rule not yet in force EU pressure on Caribbean programmes
St Lucia Regional 30-day rule not yet in force UK visa required since March 2026; slow processing
St Kitts and Nevis Interview; biometric enrolment by 31 July 2027 EU pressure on Caribbean programmes
Egypt Not reported Weak passport; currency risk on the deposit route
Argentina Not yet published Supreme Court appeal on DNU 366/2025; fees unpublished
Türkiye None Property resale and lira risk; Schengen visa required

Notes on each programme

São Tomé and Príncipe launched in 2025 under Decree-Law 07/2025. Its first-year report showed 548 applications, 350 approvals and only 29 passports delivered by 1 September 2026, according to IMI Daily. The price is low, but so is reach: 59 destinations, with visas needed for the Schengen Area and the UK.

Nauru’s official site lists a US$25,000 discount, cutting the contribution to US$90,000 for applications filed by 31 December 2026, plus a US$5,000 application fee and US$6,000 due diligence. We treat Nauru with caution: the programme is very small and its passport score fell from 89 to 84 in a year.

Dominica is the cheapest established programme, with an official minimum of US$200,000. Since 1 January 2026, its nationals face partial US visa restrictions, and the UK requires visas. Read Argentina vs Dominica and Grenada.

Antigua and Barbuda charges US$230,000 to its National Development Fund per application, which favours large families. It shares Dominica’s US restrictions.

Grenada charges US$235,000 for up to four people, and is the only Caribbean programme here with a US E-2 treaty.

St Lucia starts at US$240,000. Its citizens have needed a UK visa since 5 March 2026.

St Kitts and Nevis, the oldest programme, charges US$250,000 for up to four people and is introducing biometrics. See Argentina vs St Kitts and Nevis.

Egypt offers several routes from a reported US$250,000 donation. We could not confirm the details from an official Egyptian source, so treat them as indicative.

Argentina opens in Q4 2026 at US$350,000. It ranks ninth on price but first on passport reach. Its legal basis is under appeal; see legal status and our cost guide.

Türkiye sits last on price, but the US$400,000 is spent on property you can sell after three years. See Argentina vs Türkiye.

Other low-cost options exist but are not ranked here. Sierra Leone launched a US$95,000 single-applicant route on 1 October 2026, and Vanuatu is reported at about US$130,000, though its citizens lost visa-free Schengen access in 2025.

Price is not value

Four adjustments change the picture.

1. Family size. São Tomé, Grenada, St Kitts and Dominica all price families of four close to the single price. Argentina charges per person: US$500,000 for a couple with two minors. For a family, Argentina is roughly twice the Caribbean cost.

2. Recoverable versus spent. Türkiye’s money buys property; the donation routes are gone for good. Argentina’s bond route is reported to return capital after seven years, with no interest.

3. Reach per dollar. Divide the single price by the number of destinations. Nauru (about US$1,070 per destination at the promotional price) and Dominica (about US$1,390) look efficient. Argentina costs about US$2,070 per destination; Egypt, about US$5,100. The measure ignores which destinations you gain, and for most buyers Schengen, the UK and North America matter more than the count.

4. Durability. A cheap passport that loses Schengen access, or a programme struck down in court, is expensive. Regulation (EU) 2025/2441 now lets the EU suspend visa-free travel for countries that sell citizenship, and the Commission has reportedly asked Caribbean programmes to end by June 2028. Read what the Malta ruling teaches.

Note. Argentina's programme rests on DNU 366/2025. Two appeal courts ruled against it in June 2026, and the government has appealed to the Supreme Court. See legal status.

Who the cheapest options suit

The lowest-priced programmes suit people who need a second nationality mainly as a safeguard, such as a document for banking or residence elsewhere, and who do not depend on it for travel. They suit applicants who accept administrative delays and a newer, less tested process.

Buyers who need real mobility, especially Schengen and the UK, should look further up the price list. Our companion piece ranks the best programmes by use case.

The honest verdict

On price alone, São Tomé and Nauru lead. On value for a family seeking Schengen access, Dominica, Grenada and St Kitts are the strongest of the low-cost group, with external risk attached. Argentina is not cheap, especially for families, but it buys the widest reach on this list and a country you could live in. Its legal risk is real and should be priced in. Speak to a qualified adviser before you choose.

Sources

Frequently asked questions

What is the cheapest citizenship by investment in 2026?

São Tomé and Príncipe, from a US$90,000 donation plus fees. Nauru advertises a US$90,000 contribution as a limited offer until 31 December 2026, against a standard price of US$115,000.

What is the cheapest Caribbean citizenship?

Dominica, from US$200,000 for a single applicant through its Economic Diversification Fund. Antigua and Barbuda's US$230,000 fund contribution covers a whole family, which can make it cheaper for larger households.

Where does Argentina rank on price?

Ninth of the ten programmes here, at US$350,000 for a single applicant. It has the widest passport reach of the ten, about 170 destinations, but its legal basis is under appeal at the Supreme Court.

Is the cheapest programme the best value?

Not usually. Weak passports, backlogs, travel restrictions and legal risk can make a low price expensive. Compare the full family cost, the passport's reach and the programme's durability, and speak to a qualified adviser.

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