10 best countries for citizenship in 2026
A comparison table and breakdown of 10 programs: cost, timeline, passport and who each suits.
A second citizenship in 2026 isn't a spare passport in a safe - it's freedom: visas, banks, taxes, safety and the right to live where you want. There are several routes - by investment, via residence and by descent - each with its own balance of money, time and passport power.
We compared the 10 best programs from our catalogue on four things that matter: cost, timeline, the resulting passport and who it suits. All figures come from programs we actually run.
| Country | Route | Timeline | Cost | Visa-free |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🇵🇾 Paraguay | By investment | - | from $70,000 | - |
| 🇹🇷 Turkey | By real-estate investment | 6-8 mo. | from $400,000 | about 90 countries |
| 🇲🇹 Malta | Via residence · EU passport (investment route abolished in 2025) | 5 of 7 years | - | - |
| 🇦🇬 Antigua and Barbuda | By investment · Caribbean | 3-6 mo. | from $230,000 | 150+ countries |
| 🇬🇩 Grenada | By investment · Caribbean | 4-9 mo. | from $235,000 | 147+ countries |
| 🇰🇳 Saint Kitts and Nevis | By investment · Caribbean | 3-6 mo. | from $250,000 | 157 destinations |
| 🇩🇲 Dominica | By investment · Caribbean | from 3 months | from $200,000 | 144 countries |
| 🇻🇺 Vanuatu | By investment | 1-3 mo. | from $130,000 | 86 |
| 🇦🇷 Argentina | Via residence (residency → citizenship) | - | - | 169 |
| 🇷🇴 Romania | By descent · EU passport | - | - | - |
1. Paraguay 🇵🇾
You can't buy a Paraguayan passport, but permanent residency here is cheap, and after three years you can apply for citizenship. Here's what it takes, how the exam works, how long it all lasts, what residents pay in tax and what Article 150 of the Constitution says.
- Route: By investment
- Investment: from $70,000
- Dual citizenship: Existing passports are kept, but acquiring another citizenship after naturalisation is grounds for losing the Paraguayan one
- Best for: For low taxes, a fast entry and a plan B
Details: Paraguay citizenship → · All Paraguay programs →
2. Turkey 🇹🇷
A home from $400,000 by valuation gets the whole family a passport in 4-8 months, with no relocation or exam. You can sell it after 3 years.
- Route: By real-estate investment
- Investment: from $400,000
- Timeline: 6-8 mo.
- Passport strength: about 90 countries visa-free
- Dual citizenship: Allowed
- Best for: For a fast passport with real estate as the asset
Details: Turkey citizenship → · All Turkey programs →
We will review your situation for free
Describe your task in the chat and we will tell you where to start.
3. Malta 🇲🇹
On 29 April 2025 the Court of Justice of the European Union ruled Malta's golden passports unlawful, and in July 2025 Malta abolished the scheme. We explain what happened to applicants and passport holders, how the merit route works and which options remain in Malta and nearby.
- Route: Via residence · EU passport (investment route abolished in 2025)
- Timeline: 5 of 7 years
- Dual citizenship: Allowed
- Best for: For an EU passport if you can live in Malta 5 years out of 7
Details: Malta citizenship → · All Malta programs →
4. Antigua and Barbuda 🇦🇬
A fast, strong passport for business and travel. The process is fully remote and requires no residence in the country.
- Route: By investment · Caribbean
- Investment: from $230,000
- Timeline: 3-6 mo.
- Passport strength: 150+ countries visa-free
- Dual citizenship: Allowed
- Best for: For families - one contribution covers up to 4 people
Details: Antigua and Barbuda citizenship → · All Antigua and Barbuda programs →
5. Grenada 🇬🇩
$235,000 to the national fund or $270,000 in approved real estate, a real timeline of about 7 months, the American E-2 treaty and visa-free China. The 2026 rules, and the European Union pressure behind them.
- Route: By investment · Caribbean
- Investment: from $235,000
- Timeline: 4-9 mo.
- Passport strength: 147+ countries visa-free
- Dual citizenship: Allowed
- Best for: For a path to the USA via the E-2 business visa
Details: Grenada citizenship → · All Grenada programs →
6. Saint Kitts and Nevis 🇰🇳
The world's first economic citizenship program, running since 1984. A strong passport for travel and business with no residence requirement.
- Route: By investment · Caribbean
- Investment: from $250,000
- Timeline: 3-6 mo.
- Passport strength: 157 destinations visa-free
- Dual citizenship: Allowed
- Best for: For the reputation of the oldest program
Details: Saint Kitts and Nevis citizenship → · All Saint Kitts and Nevis programs →
7. Dominica 🇩🇲
Conditions, benefits, and a step-by-step guide. One of the oldest and most respected citizenship-by-investment programs in the world, operating since 1993.
- Route: By investment · Caribbean
- Investment: from $200,000
- Timeline: from 3 months
- Passport strength: 144 countries visa-free
- Dual citizenship: Allowed
- Best for: For the most affordable investment citizenship
Details: Dominica citizenship → · All Dominica programs →
We will review your situation for free
Describe your task in the chat and we will tell you where to start.
8. Vanuatu 🇻🇺
The DSP is still open: a contribution from $130,000 and a passport within a few months without relocating. But Schengen and the UK now require a visa, checks are stricter and the rules change every few months. Here is what you actually get.
- Route: By investment
- Investment: from $130,000
- Timeline: 1-3 mo.
- Passport strength: 86 visa-free
- Dual citizenship: Allowed
- Best for: For the fastest possible passport
Details: Vanuatu citizenship → · All Vanuatu programs →
9. Argentina 🇦🇷
Two years in the country and a judge's ruling. After the National Electoral Chamber's ruling of 30 June 2026, Argentine citizenship is once again granted by federal courts, while citizenship by investment was only announced on 2 October 2026.
- Route: Via residence (residency → citizenship)
- Passport strength: 169 visa-free
- Dual citizenship: Allowed
- Best for: For those without big capital who want a strong passport
Details: Argentina citizenship → · All Argentina programs →
10. Romania 🇷🇴
A B1 exam instead of a 20-word oath and 130,000 applications in the queue from Moldova alone. Since 2025 Romania restores citizenship to descendants only if they speak the language, and in September 2026 a bill reached the Senate to strip grandchildren and great-grandchildren of that right. We cover every legal route, timelines, documents and costs.
- Route: By descent · EU passport
- Dual citizenship: Allowed
- Best for: For those with Romanian/Moldovan roots - an EU route with no investment
Details: Romania citizenship → · All Romania programs →
How to choose
Want a passport fast and cheap - look at the Caribbean and Vanuatu. Need the EU - Romania by descent, or Malta after years of living there. No large capital but want a strong passport - Argentina via residence. Low taxes and a safe haven - Paraguay. Not sure? Tell us your goal in the chat, and we match a program to it.
What changed in 2025-2026
- In 2024 Caribbean countries agreed a minimum citizenship price of $200,000 and mandatory interviews.
- On 29 April 2025 the EU Court of Justice ruled Malta's golden passports unlawful, and from 24 July 2025 Malta abolished the programme, leaving only the route through years of living on the island.
- A new EU visa regulation made citizenship by investment a standalone ground for suspending visa-free travel, a direct risk for Caribbean passports. Vanuatu has already lost visa-free access to Schengen.
- Since 2025 Romania restores citizenship to descendants only with Romanian at B1.
- In April 2026 Paraguay approved permanent residence without a temporary stage for investments from $70,000, which brings forward the start of the three years before citizenship.
How to compare programmes
The advertised price is not the final amount. Compare programmes by the full cost for the whole family including due diligence and fees, the time to a passport, the real visa-free list and how stable it is, whether the programme is open to your citizenship (see rules for specific nationalities), dual citizenship rules and any residence requirement. Check taxes separately: a passport alone does not change tax residence. Murblz specialists calculate a full budget for your family and check which programmes are open to you.
Rules for specific nationalities
Each programme sets its own list of nationalities it does not accept, and in this comparison the strictest rules apply to citizens of Russia and Belarus.
- Caribbean programmes. All four in the table - Antigua and Barbuda, Grenada, St Kitts and Nevis and Dominica - are closed to citizens of Russia and Belarus, and a second passport does not change that: due diligence and the interview reveal Russian citizenship.
- Open to citizens of Russia. Turkey with property from $400,000 and Vanuatu. On 9 March 2026 the Vanuatu Citizenship Office added Russia to its restricted countries list, and on 11 March the Commission chairman withdrew the memo as issued in error, so Russian applications go through the standard due diligence.
- Routes that do not depend on the passport. Residence routes in Paraguay and Argentina and Romanian citizenship by descent.
- Reporting at home. A Russian citizen reports a second citizenship to the Interior Ministry within 60 days.
FAQ
Which citizenship can be obtained fastest?
Which citizenship programmes are open in 2026?
Can I get an EU passport by investment?
Do I need to live in the country for citizenship by investment?
Must I give up my current citizenship?
How much does citizenship cost for a family?
Does a second passport change tax residence?
Can a country lose visa-free access to the EU?
Which of these 10 passports suits you best?
We compare the programs from this ranking against your budget, family and goals - travel, tax, business - and handle the one you choose. The catalogue covers citizenship in every country.
The Murblz consultant replies straight away in the chat on this page. Describe your situation and we will work it out together.
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