Short, sourced answers on costs, timelines, eligibility for citizens of Russia and Belarus, family, home-country reporting, visa-free travel, refusals and exit. Every figure comes from Aftera's own dated articles; each answer links to the article it is taken from. As of October 2026.
- Costs
- Timelines
- Eligibility for citizens of Russia and Belarus
- Family
- Taxes and reporting: MVD, FTS, CFC, CRS
- Visa-free travel and Schengen
- Refusals and money
- Exiting the investment
- Process
Costs
What is the cheapest citizenship by investment in 2026?
As of October 2026, São Tomé & Príncipe has the lowest entry threshold: a $90,000 non-refundable contribution to the National Transformation Fund for a single applicant. The turnkey cost with Aftera is about $115,750 ($90,000 contribution + $5,000 registration fee + $750 certificate, passport and ID + $20,000 legal support), excluding notarisation, translations and apostille.
Source: São Tomé breakdown
How much does Vanuatu citizenship cost in 2026?
As of October 2026, the Vanuatu citizenship contribution is $130,000 for a single applicant, $150,000 for a married couple, $165,000 for a family of three and $180,000 for a family of four, plus $15,000 for each additional member. Due-diligence fees for each adult and legal support are paid on top; the contribution is a non-refundable donation, not an asset.
Source: Vanuatu breakdown
What is the real all-in cost of Dominica citizenship in 2026?
As of October 2026, Dominica citizenship via the Economic Diversification Fund costs about $209,500–210,500 all-in for a single applicant: the $200,000 contribution plus $7,500 due diligence, $1,000 interview and $1,000 certificate fees. The real-estate route is not cheaper: $200,000 for the property plus a separate $75,000 government contribution and fees, about $284,000 or more.
Source: Dominica breakdown
What are the minimum fund contributions for the five Caribbean programmes in 2026?
As of October 2026, the minimum fund contributions for a single applicant are: Dominica $200,000, Antigua & Barbuda $230,000, Grenada $235,000, Saint Lucia $240,000 and Saint Kitts & Nevis $250,000. Due diligence and government fees are charged on top. None of the five programmes accepts citizens of Russia or Belarus.
Source: Caribbean overview
How much does Turkish citizenship by investment cost in 2026?
As of October 2026, Turkish citizenship requires real estate worth at least $400,000, confirmed by an SPK-licensed appraisal and paid through a Turkish bank with conversion to lira; the property cannot be sold for 3 years. On top of the price budget the title-transfer tax (about 4%), notary and translator, appraisal, legal support and government fees for each family member.
Source: Turkey breakdown
What does the Greek Golden Visa cost in 2026 for a family of four?
As of October 2026, the Greek Golden Visa costs from €287,425 for a family of four: €250,000 property, €2,500 lawyer, €3,750 notary, €7,575 transfer tax (3.03%), €1,000 cadastre fee, €20,000 residency legal services and €2,600 government fee. The €250,000 threshold applies only to commercial-to-residential conversions in specific areas; other property requires a higher threshold.
Source: Greece breakdown
What does Cyprus permanent residency cost in 2026?
As of October 2026, Cyprus permanent residency costs from €323,000 for a single applicant: a first-sale property from €300,000, VAT from €15,000 at the reduced 5% rate, plus lawyer, translations and fees. The main applicant must also show at least €50,000 of annual income from abroad (+€15,000 for a spouse, +€10,000 per minor child).
Source: Cyprus PR breakdown
Timelines
Which is the fastest citizenship by investment in 2026?
As of October 2026, Vanuatu is the fastest citizenship by investment: 2–3 months from filing to passport, fully remote. The steps are document preparation (1–2 weeks), Financial Intelligence Unit vetting (2–4 weeks), payment, Citizenship Commission approval (2–4 weeks), certificate and passport.
Source: Vanuatu breakdown
How long does each programme realistically take in 2026?
As of October 2026, Aftera's realistic end-to-end benchmarks are: Vanuatu 2–3 months, Saint Lucia 3–4 months, Dominica, Antigua and Saint Kitts 3–6 months, Grenada 4–6 months, São Tomé 5–6 months, Turkey 9–12 months, Greek Golden Visa 4–6 months and Cyprus fast-track permanent residency 6–8 months. These are averages from past files, not obligations of any state.
Source: Honest timelines
Is any government legally obliged to decide within a fixed time?
As of October 2026, Grenada is the only programme with a decision deadline for the state written into law: Citizenship by Investment Act No. 15 of 2013, s. 8(2) — 60 days from filing a complete application. Saint Lucia, Saint Kitts and Antigua set deadlines only for the applicant (90, 90 and 30 days after approval); Turkey sets none at all.
Source: Honest timelines
Why does São Tomé citizenship now take 5–6 months instead of 1–2?
As of October 2026, Aftera budgets 5–6 months from filing to passport for São Tomé & Príncipe, not the 1–2 months still seen in marketing. Two reasons: the government tightened due diligence in late June 2026, and printing and issuing the passports takes time.
Source: São Tomé breakdown
What most often stretches the timeline?
As of October 2026, the main cause of delay is an incomplete file: the official clock starts only from a complete application. Other causes are inconsistent name spellings across documents, a weakly evidenced source of funds, a namesake on sanctions lists, an undisclosed previous refusal, extra documents for children, in-person biometrics and rule changes mid-file. Document collection alone takes 3 weeks to 4 months.
Source: Honest timelines
Eligibility for citizens of Russia and Belarus
Which citizenship and residency programmes are open to Russian and Belarusian citizens in 2026?
As of October 2026, citizens of Russia and Belarus can apply for citizenship of Turkey, Vanuatu and São Tomé & Príncipe, and for Cyprus permanent residency directly on their passport. The Greek Golden Visa is available only with a second, non-sanctioned citizenship. The five Caribbean programmes do not accept them.
Source: What is open to RF/RB
Do Caribbean citizenship programmes accept Russian or Belarusian citizens in 2026?
No. As of October 2026, Grenada, Antigua & Barbuda, Saint Kitts & Nevis, Dominica and Saint Lucia do not accept applications from citizens of Russia and Belarus. This is a decision of those states; they review such lists periodically, so it is not necessarily permanent, but applying is not possible now.
Source: What is open to RF/RB
Can a Russian citizen get the Greek Golden Visa in 2026?
Only with a second, non-sanctioned citizenship. As of October 2026, the Greek Golden Visa does not accept applications on a Russian or Belarusian passport directly; a Turkish, Vanuatu or São Tomé passport opens the route. Cyprus permanent residency, by contrast, is available directly on a Russian or Belarusian passport.
Source: Greece vs Cyprus
Can a Russian citizen get a US E-2 visa through a second passport?
As of October 2026, the working route for Russian and Belarusian citizens is Turkish citizenship (Turkey is an E-2 treaty country), followed by a separate investment in an operating US business. Since 23 December 2022 US law requires three years of domicile in the treaty country for nationality acquired by investment, so the pairing has to be structured with a licensed US immigration attorney. Grenada also has an E-2 treaty but does not accept RF/RB citizens.
Source: E-2 via Turkey
Family
Which programmes let you include parents in the application?
As of October 2026: Grenada includes parents and grandparents with no age limit; Vanuatu from age 50 (dependent and living with the investor); São Tomé from 55; Dominica only over 65; the Greek Golden Visa includes parents of both spouses; Cyprus includes parents with confirmation of additional income. Turkish citizenship does not include parents at all.
Source: Three-way comparison · Grenada
Can adult children be included in Turkish citizenship?
No. As of October 2026, the $400,000 Turkish threshold covers only the spouse and children under 18; adult children (18+) and parents cannot be included and need a separate immigration route. Vanuatu accepts children up to 25 (18–25 if in full-time study and dependent) in one application.
Source: Turkey vs Vanuatu
Are adult dependants in São Tomé applications getting passports in 2026?
Not yet. Since 25 August 2026, São Tomé & Príncipe has suspended naturalisation of adult dependants — children over 18 and parents and grandparents over 55 — while the relevant provision of Nationality Law 07/2022 is reviewed by Parliament. Applications including them are accepted and processed, but their passports are not issued until the revised law enters into force; the government calls this temporary, with the revision expected after the 27 September 2026 elections.
Source: São Tomé breakdown
Which programme suits a large multi-generational family?
As of October 2026, among citizenship programmes Grenada has the broadest family definition: spouse, children up to 30, parents and grandparents with no age limit, and unmarried siblings — but it is closed to RF/RB citizens. Among residency options, the Greek Golden Visa covers the spouse (including a domestic partner), parents of both spouses and children under 21, whose status is kept to 24.
Taxes and reporting: MVD, FTS, CFC, CRS
Does a second passport change my tax residency?
No. As of October 2026, no citizenship or residency programme changes tax residency by itself: it is determined by days of physical presence (the 183-day rule) and the centre of vital interests, not by the passport you hold. A Russian tax resident keeps all obligations — notifications, CFC rules, currency control and CRS exchange.
Source: MVD & FTS guide
Who must a Russian citizen notify about a second citizenship or residence permit, and by when?
As of October 2026, a Russian citizen notifies the MVD (not the FTS) within 60 calendar days of acquiring a foreign citizenship or residence permit, with a separate notification for each document. From abroad it can be filed at a Russian consulate within the same 60 days; otherwise a new 60-day period runs from the day of entry into Russia (Art. 11 of Citizenship Act 138-FZ). Filing is in person, via Gosuslugi or at a consulate.
Source: MVD & FTS guide
What is the penalty for not notifying the MVD of a second citizenship?
As of October 2026, late or incorrect filing is an administrative offence with a fine of 500–1,000 roubles (Art. 19.8.3 of the Administrative Code). Not filing at all is a criminal offence under Art. 330.2 of the Criminal Code: a fine of up to 200,000 roubles or up to one year's income, or up to 400 hours of compulsory labour. A late notification is always better than none.
Source: MVD & FTS guide
Will the Russian tax service learn about my account in Turkey, the UAE or Vanuatu?
Yes. As of October 2026, Turkey, the UAE and Vanuatu are on the FTS automatic-exchange (CRS) list: FTS Order No. ED-7-17/883@ of 14 October 2025, in force from 22 December 2025, covers 71 states and 9 territories. Exchange depends on where the account is held, not on your passport. Accounts in a listed country with annual turnover or year-end balance up to 600,000 roubles are exempt from the funds-movement report, but not from notifying about opening the account.
Source: CRS 2026
Do CFC rules still apply after I get a second passport?
Yes. As of October 2026, Russian CFC obligations depend on Russian tax residency, not citizenship. A controlling person (stake above 25%, or above 10% where Russian residents jointly hold over 50%, or de facto control) files a participation notice within 3 months (fine 50,000 roubles) and an annual CFC notice by 30 April (fine 500,000 roubles per CFC), regardless of profit. Tax arises only on CFC profit of 10 million roubles or more.
Source: CFC for business owners
Can the investment programme itself create a new CFC?
Yes. As of October 2026, the US company you must own and run for an E-2 visa via Turkey, or a Turkish operating company, is a foreign organisation under Russian rules. If you remain a Russian tax resident and control it, the same two notifications and the same fines apply. The only real exit from CFC rules is a deliberate, correct loss of Russian tax residency.
Source: CFC for business owners
Visa-free travel and Schengen
Which programmes open to Russian citizens give visa-free Schengen in 2026?
None. As of October 2026, neither the Turkish, the Vanuatu nor the São Tomé passport gives visa-free entry to the Schengen area; this is a systemic trait of the routes open to RF/RB citizens. Stable access to Europe comes from residency instead: the Greek Golden Visa (Schengen, with a second passport) or Cyprus permanent residency (EU, but Cyprus is not in Schengen).
Source: Where passports work
When did Vanuatu lose visa-free access to the Schengen area?
As of October 2026, Vanuatu citizens need a Schengen visa. The EU partially suspended the visa waiver in March 2022, fully suspended it on 4 February 2023, and on 12 December 2024 the Council of the EU removed Vanuatu from the visa-free list for good — the first such withdrawal because of a citizenship-by-investment programme. Aftera's Vanuatu articles date the final abolition of visa-free Schengen entry to February 2025. The UK has required a visa since 19 July 2023.
Source: Where passports work
Will Caribbean passports lose visa-free Schengen?
As of October 2026, no Caribbean passport has lost visa-free Schengen, but the risk is concrete. Since 30 December 2025, Regulation (EU) 2025/2441 makes operating a citizenship-by-investment scheme a standalone ground for suspension; on 25 June 2026 all five governments received European Commission letters asking them to wind the programmes down by 1 June 2028. The next Commission report is scheduled for December 2026.
Source: Where passports work
Does a second passport guarantee a US or Schengen visa?
No. As of October 2026, no programme is sold with a guarantee of a US, Schengen or any other visa; a visa is issued only by a consulate. A second passport changes the rules you apply under — a different document list, timelines and refusal history — but not the consulate's decision. Turkey also lets you apply for the US E-2 visa, which requires a real, substantial US business investment.
Source: Where passports work
Refusals and money
How much money do I lose if my application is refused?
As of October 2026, in programmes where the main contribution is paid after approval (São Tomé, Vanuatu, the Caribbean), a refusal at vetting costs roughly $10,000–30,000: registration and due-diligence fees plus the part of the professional fee already worked. In São Tomé the state part at risk is the $5,000 registration fee, against a full state part of $95,750. In Turkey and Greece the investment is made before applying, so the money is tied up in the property rather than lost.
Source: Money on refusal
How often are citizenship-by-investment applications refused?
Verified statistics exist only for closed programmes. Montenegro reported 1,113 applications, 869 approvals and 239 refusals — 21.5%, roughly one in five. As of October 2026, open programmes such as Turkey or Greece publish no approval rates, so any rate quoted for them comes from the seller.
Source: Money on refusal
What are applications actually refused for?
In Aftera's practice, as of October 2026, refusals come from three causes, all visible in advance: EU and US sanctions lists (screened for the applicant, connected persons and income sources), inability to document the source of funds, and errors or omissions in the file such as an undeclared previous visa refusal. A pre-check before any payment takes 24–48 hours.
Source: Money on refusal
Exiting the investment
Can I get my money back after the holding period?
It depends on the route. As of October 2026: a state-fund contribution never comes back. Turkish property can be sold to anyone after 3 years and citizenship is kept, but the price depends on the asset type. Caribbean real estate is usually a share in an approved hotel project that can be transferred only through the developer (a fee of around $10,000); without a written buy-back obligation, expect to lose up to half.
Source: Exiting the investment
Is there tax on selling Turkish citizenship property?
As of October 2026, a gain on sale of real estate by an individual in Turkey is taxed only if the property is sold within five years of purchase; after five years there is no tax. For sales within five years there is a tax-free allowance (150,000 lira in 2026) and the purchase price is indexed for inflation, so a sale at the dollar entry price usually produces a small tax. A Russian tax resident must also declare the income at home.
Source: Exiting the investment
Process
Do I have to move or live in the country?
No, for most routes. As of October 2026, Turkish and Vanuatu citizenship have no residence requirement, São Tomé requires no visit at any stage, and the Greek Golden Visa has no minimum stay for renewal. Exceptions: Dominica requires an in-person visit to collect and renew the passport (announced 11 June 2026), Antigua requires 5 days in the country within the first 5 years, and Cyprus permanent residency requires a visit at least once every 2 years.
Source: Plan B without emigration
Does Greek or Cypriot residency lead to citizenship?
Not by itself. As of October 2026, both statuses are about residence, not a passport. Cypriot citizenship is ordinary naturalisation after roughly 7–8 years (residence for 7 of the last 10 years) with real presence; the Cyprus golden-passport scheme (CIP) is closed. Greek citizenship is a separate, long route that requires genuine residence and integration; a no-relocation Golden Visa does not lead to it.
Source: Greece vs Cyprus
Does a second passport help my child get into a foreign university?
No. As of October 2026, no citizenship-by-investment programme Aftera works with affects admission, makes tuition cheaper or qualifies a child for Commonwealth scholarships, which require permanent residence in the country, a 2:1 bachelor's degree and proven financial need. What it does change is logistics: parents' trips to the child, gaps between student visas and room to stay after the student status ends.
Source: Education and a second passport
Will a second passport or residency get me a foreign bank account?
It raises the odds but guarantees nothing. As of October 2026, residency usually works better for banking than a distant second passport, because a bank needs a real tie to the country — a local address, a tax number, economic presence. The bank's form asks about all citizenships, so a Russian passport cannot be hidden, and the final decision is always the bank's compliance.
Source: Banks article
Do Dominica applicants need an interview or an in-person visit in 2026?
Yes. As of October 2026, Dominica requires an interview for every applicant aged 16 and over (usually in Dominica, remotely only with Financial Intelligence Unit approval and at the applicant's expense). On 11 June 2026 Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit announced a mandatory in-person visit to collect and to renew the passport; procedural details had not been published at the time of Aftera's article.
Source: Dominica breakdown