Nauru has announced the launch of a Citizenship by Investment programme in the end of 2024. The Government of the Pacific country disclosed this information during the latest international climate summit.
Nauru is a small island that lies north-east of Australia and Papua New Guinea and covers an area of 21 sq. km. Its population is just over 12,000 and only a narrow strip of coast is inhabited. The island is unlikely to attract citizenship seekers looking for a permanent place to relocate. But its programme may interest investors that value global mobility: the possibility to travel with no visa restrictions and to open accounts in foreign banks with minimum due diligence.
Benefits of the Nauru passport:
- Visa-free entry to 89 countries, including the UK, Ireland, Nepal, UAE, and Singapore
- No entry or residency requirements
- Passports for the entire family, including siblings and parents of the investor
- Investment from $105,000
- Passport in 3–4 months
- Full payment only after the application is approved
- No need to renounce other citizenships
Nauru Program Conditions
The programme offers only one option: a non-refundable contribution to a fund that moderates the impact of climate change on the island’s community. It was the climate change consequences, such as shrinking coastlines and hurricanes, that led the Government to launch the Citizenship by Investment program.
The amount of the donation depends on the family size. Applications are accepted from couples with children of any age, elderly parents, and siblings of each spouse.
| Donation to the fund | Due diligence | Application fee | Passport fee | |
| 1 person | $105,000 | $10,000 | $25,000 | $500 |
| Family of up to 4 members, except siblings of the investor or his/her spouse | $110,000 | $7,500 for each adult over 16 years old | $27,500 | $500 each, regardless of age or status |
| Family of 5 or more members, excluding siblings | $115,000 | $7,500 for each adult over 16 years old | $30,000 | $500 each, regardless of age or status |
| Brothers and sisters of the investor or his/her spouse | +$15,000 each | +$7,500 for each adult over 16 years old | The amount does not increase | $500 each, regardless of age or status |
Applications can be submitted only through authorised agents, and the announced processing time is 3–4 months. No visits to the island are required: interviews can be held online and documentation is handed over through an agent.
Citizenship can be granted to an investor over 18 years old, who has a legally earned income and no criminal record.
The due diligence requires a minimum package of documents:
- passports, marriage and birth certificates
- criminal record certificates for all adult family members
- bank account statement or other proof of investment capacity
If implemented as stated, the Nauru initiative will be the second of its kind within the Pacific region, along with the long-running Vanuatu program, which is the closest neighbour of the small island. As of early 2025, it is considered one of the most accessible and fastest in the world.
