São Tomé vs Vanuatu, Nauru and the Caribbean: Which Citizenship Programme Fits

Clients rarely ask me about São Tomé alone. They ask “São Tomé or something else”. Here is the comparison I use, with figures from BRIDGES and the official sites, checked on 25 October 2026.

Entry price

Programme	Minimum contribution or investment	Source
São Tomé and Príncipe	$90,000	Decree-Law 07/2025
Nauru	$90,000 (applications before 31 December 2026), $115,000 standard	Nauru Program Office
Vanuatu	about $130,000	BRIDGES
Dominica	$200,000	BRIDGES
Antigua and Barbuda	$230,000	BRIDGES
St Kitts and Nevis	$250,000	BRIDGES

These are entry thresholds, not full budgets. In São Tomé the gap grows for families: up to four people pay the same $95,000.

Speed and maturity

São Tomé opened in September 2025. The CIU reports about 2 months to approval, while BRIDGES saw around 9 months in October 2026. Vanuatu has granted citizenship in about two months for years. Caribbean programmes are older and their procedure is more predictable. With a young programme I would budget time and nerves for surprises: a pending court challenge, a new parliament after the 27 September 2026 election, and fees the government can change by joint order.

Travel

Passport	Schengen without a visa
São Tomé and Príncipe	no
Nauru	no
Vanuatu	no (the EU removed the waiver in December 2024)
Caribbean programmes	yes

São Tomé has 58 destinations without a prior visa in the BRIDGES index. Its distinctive extra is the CPLP: a residence route to Portugal and 7 years to naturalisation instead of 10.

Who each one suits

• São Tomé: a tight budget, a large family, a long-term interest in Portugal or the Portuguese-speaking world.
• Nauru: a fast backup document in the Pacific, with siblings in the same file.
• Vanuatu: a mature process and Asian destinations, at a higher price.
• Caribbean: visa-free Schengen and a long track record, at two to three times the price.

My view

If the question is “the cheapest lawful second passport for the whole family”, São Tomé is usually the answer in 2026. If the question is Europe now, it is not. For the full picture start with the complete guide and the cost guide.