Buy Citizenship in 2026: What Is Sold Under This Term and Which Claims from Search Results Are Not Confirmed by Primary Sources

What lies behind the words "buy citizenship"

Citizenship is not sold as a commodity: what is sold is participation in a program where the state makes a decision after checking the applicant. Money is contributed before the decision, not after, and a rejection does not reverse part of the expenses already incurred—fees for background checks are non-refundable.

The market offers citizenship through three different methods, and their legal consequences are opposite.

The third row is not theoretical: a significant portion of queries with the word "buy citizenship" relates to purchasing Russian citizenship or documents about it. Such a service does not exist; Article 22 of Law No. 138-FZ directly names the presentation of forged documents as a ground for termination of Russian citizenship, and Article 25 assigns the establishment of this fact to the court. That is, a status purchased on forged documents is not protected by statute of limitations.

How much this costs at official rates: unified minimum and actual thresholds

The unified minimum contribution under five Caribbean citizenship programs is $200,000 from July 1, 2024. This is the lower limit of an intergovernmental agreement, not the price of a specific program: the actual thresholds of four out of five programs are higher.

The sixth citizenship program outside the Caribbean, Turkey's, is structured differently: the threshold there is $400,000—EUR 345,124 at the Central Bank of Russia rate on September 3, 2026—and the money goes not to a contribution but to a property that remains the applicant's property.

Prices "from $100,000" in search results: where they come from and why they don't match

Material from the top ten of Google promises to buy citizenship from $90,000, and a table in material from the top of Yandex shows from $100,000. Neither of these figures matches the current unified minimum of $200,000: the table lists $100,000 for Dominica, Antigua, and Saint Lucia.

The discrepancy is explained by the date: citizenship thresholds below $200,000 were in effect until June 30, 2024. The material citing them is dated 2023, and the headline contains "in 2026"—the headline was updated, not the table.

Anti-fake: "the cheapest citizenship costs $90,000–$130,000." Under five Caribbean programs, the lower limit is $200,000 from July 1, 2024, and this is the contribution only: background check fees, duties, and passport issuance are counted on top of it.

Malta in lists of active programs: an error over a year old

The Maltese citizenship by investment program has not been in operation since 2025. Yet it remains in lists of "available in 2026" in material from the top ten of both search engines. On April 29, 2025, the EU Court of Justice found it to contradict EU law, and in the summer of that year Parliament removed it from the law.

In one such material, the Maltese program is described as working, with amounts of investment in the national development fund and a timeframe for obtaining a passport of "1 or 3 years," and in the Q&A section it says Malta "still accepts documents from Russian citizens." As of September 3, 2026, neither is true: application intake for the program is impossible because the program does not exist, and naturalization by merit, which replaced it, has no fixed contribution amount and guarantees no result.

Dominica and the Dominican Republic: two different countries in one table

The same material provides a section "Second citizenship of the Dominican Republic by investment" and describes the conditions of Dominica under this heading. The Dominican Republic has no citizenship by investment program; the Commonwealth of Dominica does, and it is exactly its conditions that are listed in the section.

The error looks like a typo, but it has practical consequences. It is precisely Dominica—not the Dominican Republic—that is subject to US restrictions effective January 1, 2026: a proclamation of December 16, 2025, suspended the issuance of immigrant visas and B-1, B-2, F, M, and J category visas to the country's citizens. A reader guided by the heading will associate these restrictions with the wrong country.

What the state publishes about itself

Five types of documents about a citizenship program are published by the countries themselves, and they are verified without an intermediary. These are the law on the program, the official price list, the list of approved projects, the background check requirements, and statements on citizenship restrictions for the applicant. The difference between an agency that cites them and an agency that cites itself is the verifiability of every figure.

Practical caveat: the existence of a primary source does not mean it is accessible. As of September 3, 2026, the official website of the Grenada program returned a 404 error on all internal sections, and Saint Lucia and Dominica publish only part of the rates. This is the state of the source, not an assessment of the program, but it explains why figures in overviews diverge.

Family price: the complete price can be calculated from primary sources for two out of five programs

The full price of citizenship for a family of four under official rates can be calculated for two out of five programs. This is $266,700 for Antigua and Barbuda and $274,600 for Saint Kitts and Nevis. The composition is the same: main applicant, spouse, and two children ages 10 and 15, fund option.

The difference between the contribution and the total is $24,600 to $36,700. This is usually what doesn't make it into the promotional "from $200,000": background check fees are charged to each family member and are not refunded on rejection.

Anti-fake: "the program price is the passport price." The fund contribution makes up 86 to 91% of the total amount for the two programs where it can be calculated. For the other three, the complete rate is not published, and the total price cannot be stated from primary sources.

Promises that do not match official timelines and facts

Timelines of "1–2 months" and "visa-free access to 95 countries" do not match what the states themselves publish. Here the gap is not in price but in result.

The reasoning part of the Vanuatu decision describes the cause directly: over 10,500 passports issued by March 2021 with an extremely low rejection rate, citizenship to persons from Interpol databases, absence of presence requirements, and lack of systematic information exchange with countries of origin. The restriction affected all citizens, not just program participants.

Restriction by applicant's passport: four out of five programs officially refuse

Russian and Belarusian citizens are refused by four Caribbean programs out of five, and this is published by the countries themselves. Dominica maintains a list of forbidden citizenships, Grenada issued a clarification on December 15, 2023, and closed intake on March 31, 2023, Saint Lucia acts under a memorandum of March 18, 2022. Saint Kitts and Nevis publishes a list in admission criteria: applications from citizens of Afghanistan, Belarus, Iran, Iraq, North Korea, and Russia are not accepted on grounds of national security and public order—and this is a participation condition on par with conviction and bankruptcy, not a temporary measure.

Materials from the search results either omit this restriction or cite a paraphrase. In one of the analyzed texts, the source for information about the suspension in Grenada is cited as industry publication rather than the program's own press release—even though the press release is published.

Anti-fake: "the program accepts everyone who has the amount." A restriction by applicant's passport is not related to the amount and is not lifted by an extra payment. It is checked before budget calculation, not after: when intake is closed, the amount size is irrelevant.

What someone who went through the program must do in Russia

Dual citizenship is not prohibited by law, but requires notification to the Ministry of Internal Affairs within 60 days from the date of acquisition. The deadline runs from the date of acquiring the status, not from the date of returning to Russia.

Liability is divided between two codes. The absence of notification is described in Article 330.2 of the Criminal Code: a fine up to RUB 200,000 or the amount of income for up to a year, or mandatory labor up to 400 hours. Delay, incompleteness, and inaccuracy are administrative Article 19.8.3 of the Code of Administrative Offenses, RUB 500–RUB 1,000.

Anti-fake: "notification can be filed anytime, the fine is peanuts anyway." The peanut penalty is for delay and inaccuracies. The absence of notification as such is described in criminal law, and these are different offenses.

Citizenship is offered for sale where no program exists: signs

A citizenship program is recognized by three signs at once: published law, published price list, and authorized body. The absence of any one of the three moves the offer into a different category.

When program participation does not justify expenses

A program by investment solves a narrow range of tasks, and outside this range its cost does not pay for itself. Four situations where the calculation does not work out, and a figure that shows this.

1. Goal: visa-free entry to the EU. Vanuatu shows that visa-free status is withdrawn from an entire country: from the first partial measure to full suspension was eleven months, and on December 12, 2024, the EU Council permanently terminated visa exemption; the European Commission demanded by letter of June 25, 2026, that all five Caribbean programs be wound down by June 1, 2028.
2. Goal: E-2 visa to the US on Grenada passport. The right to apply arises only after three years of continuous domicile, not immediately upon obtaining a passport.
3. Applicant is a Russian or Belarusian citizen. Four out of five programs officially refuse; calculate the budget not from the amount but from whether the program accepts the application.
4. Budget calculated by contribution. Fees beyond the contribution add $24,600 to $36,700 per family of four and are not refunded on rejection.

How we verify data

Methodology

Program prices and conditions are taken from individual materials in the series, where they were verified against official program websites, authorized unit price lists, press releases, and EU Council acts. Claims from search results were verified word by word: competitor texts were pulled in full, figures compared to primary source. Currency conversion—at the Central Bank of Russia rate on September 3, 2026: 86.9963 rubles per dollar and 100.8287 rubles per euro.

Sources

The unified minimum of $200,000 and the European Commission requirement—materials from the series on Caribbean programs and the forecast to 2028. Thresholds of five programs, family rates, and timelines—material on comparison of five programs. Grenada, bond for US visas, and the requirement of three years domicile—material on Grenada passport. US restrictions on Dominica—separate material. Closure of Malta program by EU Court decision—separate material. EU Council decisions on Vanuatu and Article 8a(1)(e) of Regulation (EU) 2025/2441—material on forecast. Notification obligation, Article 330.2 of the Criminal Code, and Article 22 of Law No. 138-FZ—material on second passport.

Limitation of liability

The information is for reference and reflects the state as of September 3, 2026. Program conditions, thresholds, and fees change, and some primary sources were not accessible on the verification date—this is noted in the text. A legal assessment of a specific offer is given by a lawyer in the jurisdiction of submission. Check the conditions before the transaction.

Questions and answers

Can citizenship be bought for money?

Citizenship cannot be bought as a commodity. There are programs under which the state grants citizenship in exchange for investment, but the authorized body makes the decision after checking the applicant, money is contributed before the decision, and background check fees are not refunded on rejection.

What is the cheapest citizenship now?

By contribution amount among five Caribbean programs—Dominica's, $200,000. By total cost for a family of four that can be calculated from official rates—Antigua and Barbuda, $266,700. Comparing these two figures to each other is incorrect: the first applies to one applicant, the second to four.

Why do some overviews offer citizenship for $100,000 and others for $200,000?

Thresholds below $200,000 were in effect until June 30, 2024. The unified minimum of five programs was introduced by intergovernmental agreement on July 1, 2024. Overviews with the old figures are typically dated 2023, and the year in the headline was updated without revising the tables.

Does the Malta program operate?

No. On April 29, 2025, the EU Court of Justice found it to contradict EU law, and in the summer of that year the program was removed from the law. Naturalization by merit replaced it: it has no fixed contribution amount, and the decision is made by the minister at his discretion.

Does the Dominican Republic have such a program?

No. The investment program exists in the Commonwealth of Dominica—a different country. They are regularly confused, including in material from the top ten of search results, and US restrictions as of January 1, 2026, apply specifically to Dominica.

Can one obtain Turkish citizenship when buying property?

The Turkish program sets a threshold of $400,000—EUR 345,124 at the Central Bank of Russia rate on September 3, 2026. Unlike a Caribbean contribution, this money is invested in a property that remains the applicant's property, but it cannot be disposed of until the holding period expires.

What happens to the money on rejection?

The fund contribution is transferred after approval, while background check fees are paid before the decision and are not refunded. For two programs with published rates, this is $15,500 and $17,500 for a family of four.

How to check an agency offering the program?

What is verifiable is not the agency but its claims. Each is checked against what the country itself publishes: the law, the price list, the list of approved projects, and statements on citizenship restrictions for the applicant's passport. A claim that cannot be verified against primary source remains a claim by the agency.

Do I need to inform Russia about the passport received?

Notification is filed with the Ministry of Internal Affairs within 60 days from the date of acquisition. Non-filing is covered by Article 330.2 of the Criminal Code, and delay and inaccuracies—by Article 19.8.3 of the Code of Administrative Offenses, with a fine of RUB 500–RUB 1,000.

What will happen to Caribbean programs after June 1, 2028?

The European Commission demanded by letter of June 25, 2026, that all five programs be wound down by that date. The requirement concerns the intake of new applications, not the annulment of issued passports. The nearest checkpoints are interim measures with a deadline in September 2026 and the Commission's report in December 2026.