São Tomé vs Vanuatu vs Nauru: Citizenship by Investment Compared (2026)

São Tomé vs Vanuatu vs Nauru: which citizenship by investment programme fits you in 2026?

São Tomé and Príncipe is the lowest-cost of the three for a single applicant and for a family, at USD 95,750 and USD 103,000 in government charges. Vanuatu is the fastest, at 45 to 60 days, and reaches the most destinations, 88. Nauru sits between them: USD 90,000 until 31 December 2026, 3 to 4 months and 86 destinations.

All three grant citizenship in return for a non-refundable government contribution, and none gives visa-free access to the Schengen Area or the United Kingdom. Full rules sit on our programme pages for São Tomé and Príncipe citizenship by investment, Vanuatu citizenship by investment and Nauru citizenship by investment. Every figure below comes from Mirabello's verified data. Where our data holds no figure, the table says so, and we do not estimate.

How do São Tomé, Vanuatu and Nauru compare side by side?

São Tomé and Príncipe, Vanuatu and Nauru all run contribution-based citizenship programmes, and the main differences are the fees charged on top, the time to a passport and the reach of each passport. The table sets out twelve points, with figures dated 10 November 2026.

Sources: São Tomé and Príncipe Citizenship by Investment Unit; Vanuatu Citizenship Office and Commission; Nauru Economic and Climate Resilience Citizenship Program; Mirabello verified programme data, 10 November 2026. Totals exclude professional fees.

Have questions about which column fits your family? Contact Mirabello Consultancy for a complimentary consultation.

How much does São Tomé, Vanuatu or Nauru citizenship cost in full?

São Tomé and Príncipe citizenship costs USD 95,750 in government charges for a single applicant, Nauru about USD 102,700 at its limited-time contribution, and Vanuatu USD 135,000 counting the contribution and due diligence fee. The contribution is the minimum investment; the government budget adds due diligence, application and document fees; professional fees are separate in every case.

São Tomé and Príncipe. The contribution to the National Transformation Fund is USD 90,000 for a single applicant or USD 95,000 for a family of 2 to 4. A USD 5,000 due diligence and processing fee is charged per application, whatever the family size, and citizenship documents cost USD 750 per applicant. The arithmetic is 90,000 + 5,000 + 750 = USD 95,750 for one person, and 95,000 + 5,000 + (4 x 750) = USD 103,000 for a family of four. Our São Tomé and Príncipe cost breakdown itemises each charge.

Nauru. The contribution is USD 90,000 for a principal applicant, a limited-time price available until 31 December 2026; the standard USD 115,000 resumes on 1 January 2027. Fees are payable on top: an application fee of USD 5,000, due diligence of USD 6,000, a bank transaction fee of USD 1,200 to 2,200 and USD 500 for the passport. A single applicant pays about USD 102,700 all-in at the limited-time contribution. At the standard contribution, the contribution, application fee and due diligence alone come to about USD 126,000.

Vanuatu. The Development Support Programme contribution is USD 130,000 for a single applicant, USD 150,000 for a couple, USD 165,000 for a family of three and USD 180,000 for a family of four, with USD 10,000 for each additional applicant. A due diligence fee of USD 5,000 is charged per application, which gives USD 135,000 for one person and USD 185,000 for a family of four. Our data holds no other Vanuatu government charges, so treat those two totals as a floor.

The gap is plain. Against São Tomé and Príncipe, a single applicant pays about USD 6,950 more in Nauru and USD 39,250 more in Vanuatu.

Which programme is fastest: São Tomé, Vanuatu or Nauru?

Vanuatu is the fastest of the three citizenship programmes, at 45 to 60 days in Mirabello's practice experience. Nauru takes 3 to 4 months. São Tomé and Príncipe takes about 2 months on average to a decision and about 4 months from approval to passport, so 5 to 6 months in total.

Two points keep the comparison fair. Vanuatu's government publishes no official processing time, so 45 to 60 days is what we see in practice and not a government commitment. São Tomé and Príncipe publishes its own timing, and the longer part is the issue of documents after approval, not the decision itself. If six months is acceptable, timing no longer separates the three.

Where does each passport travel, and where does it not?

Vanuatu's passport reaches 88 destinations visa-free or with visa on arrival, Nauru's 86 and São Tomé and Príncipe's 58, on the single method Mirabello applies to every passport in its data. None of the three gives visa-free access to the Schengen Area or the United Kingdom.

The counts follow one method so that they can be compared: destinations that admit the passport visa-free or issue a visa on arrival, with e-visas left out. Official and agent sites often quote larger numbers because they add e-visas. São Tomé and Príncipe and Vanuatu both record visa-free entry to Hong Kong and Singapore and require a visa for China. São Tomé and Príncipe also requires a visa for the United States, Portugal and Brazil. Our data does not record Nauru's position for Hong Kong, Singapore or China, so we do not state it. For the São Toméan list, see where the São Tomé and Príncipe passport travels.

If visa-free travel in Europe is your aim, none of these three delivers it, and the citizenship by investment programmes we compare include options that do, at a higher contribution. Our São Tomé vs Dominica comparison shows what that step costs.

What is the cost per visa-free destination for each passport?

Measured as the minimum single contribution divided by the number of destinations reached, Nauru costs about USD 1,047 per destination, Vanuatu about USD 1,477 and São Tomé and Príncipe about USD 1,552. The lowest entry price therefore does not give the lowest cost per destination.

Use the metric with care. Destinations are not equal in value: one country you visit every month matters more than twenty you will never see, and a count says nothing about length of stay or the right to work. The metric also uses the contribution only, and fees change the order slightly. It shows that São Tomé and Príncipe wins on price and not on travel per dollar.

How does each programme treat families?

São Tomé and Príncipe prices a family of two to four at USD 95,000, only USD 5,000 above a single applicant, which makes it the lowest-cost of the three for families at USD 103,000 in government charges for four people. Vanuatu charges USD 180,000 for a family of four, and Nauru adds charges for each person.

São Tomé and Príncipe. The official site lists a spouse or de facto partner, children up to 30, and parents and grandparents from 55 as dependants. Each additional dependant beyond four people adds USD 5,000 to the contribution and USD 750 in document fees.

Vanuatu. The official fee schedule steps from USD 130,000 for one person to USD 180,000 for four, then USD 10,000 per additional applicant. Our data does not hold Vanuatu's dependant eligibility rules, so we confirm them for your family before any commitment.

Nauru. The programme covers a spouse and dependants, including parents and siblings. Nauru adds USD 2,000 to the contribution for each additional dependant aged 16 or over and USD 15,000 for each sibling, and charges an application fee of USD 2,000 per dependant, due diligence of USD 3,000 per dependant aged 16 or over and USD 500 per passport. We do not publish a single family total for Nauru because it depends on ages and relationships. Our São Tomé vs Nauru comparison works through the two USD 90,000 programmes in more detail.

Who does each programme suit?

São Tomé and Príncipe suits families and applicants for whom total cost decides, Vanuatu suits applicants who need citizenship quickly and value the widest reach of the three, and Nauru suits single applicants who can file before 31 December 2026 and want more destinations than São Tomé and Príncipe offers.

• A family of four on a fixed budget: São Tomé and Príncipe. USD 103,000 in government charges is USD 82,000 below Vanuatu's floor of USD 185,000.
• A single applicant who needs a passport within about two months: Vanuatu, at 45 to 60 days in our practice, accepting the higher contribution of USD 130,000.
• A single applicant who travels widely in Asia and the Pacific: Nauru or Vanuatu, at 86 and 88 destinations. Nauru costs about USD 32,300 less than Vanuatu for one person while its limited-time price lasts.
• An applicant who values a longer record: Vanuatu, whose programme dates from 2017, against 2024 for Nauru and 2025 for São Tomé and Príncipe.
• An applicant with ties to the Portuguese-speaking world: São Tomé and Príncipe, with the limits of that link understood before applying.
• An applicant who needs Europe: none of the three.

There is no single winner, and we would be wary of any comparison that names one. Applications to São Tomé and Príncipe are filed through a government-licensed agent, and Mirabello Consultancy advises you and coordinates the file. Mirabello Consultancy is a Swiss investment migration advisory and a member of the Investment Migration Council, with 2,100+ cases handled, of which 250+ are citizenship by investment cases, and a high approval rate. To see the three programmes set against your own family and travel pattern, book your free consultation with Mirabello Consultancy.