More than 20 countries currently offer a realistic path to a new passport in under three years. Some deliver citizenship in weeks. Others require two or three years of residency before you qualify for naturalization. A handful apply only to specific populations, such as spouses of citizens or nationals from historically connected countries.
This guide covers all of them, organized by the type of pathway: Citizenship by Investment (CBI) programs that grant a passport through a financial contribution, naturalization routes where you earn citizenship by living in a country for two to three years, conditional fast tracks available to specific groups, and programs that have not yet launched but are expected to open in 2026 or 2027.
Each entry includes the timeline, the cost or investment required, and the trade-offs. Where a pathway has recently changed or faces regulatory pressure, the article says so.
For a breakdown of the fastest single route on each continent, see IMI’s fastest passport on every continent guide. For a deeper look at Latin American timelines specifically, see how long it takes to get citizenship in 21 Latin American countries.
Citizenship by Investment Programs
CBI programs are the fastest route to a new passport. You make a qualifying investment or donation, undergo due diligence screening, and receive citizenship without any prior residency. Processing times range from 30 days to 18 months depending on the country. Most require no language test, physical presence, or cultural integration.
The cheapest active CBI program starts at $90,000. The most expensive exceed $1 million when accounting for all required contributions, property purchases, and fees.
São Tomé and Príncipe holds the title of the world’s cheapest active CBI program by donation amount. The island nation off West Africa launched its program on August 1, 2025, and began accepting applications in September. Processing takes six to eight weeks. A single applicant donates $90,000 to the National Transformation Fund; a family of up to four pays $95,000. Dependents can be included, covering spouses, children under 30, and parents and grandparents over 55. The passport provides visa-free access to roughly 60 to 90 destinations, depending on the access category. Membership in the Community of Portuguese Language Countries (CPLP) opens a fast-track path to Brazilian naturalization, reducing the standard four-year requirement to one year.
Vanuatu regularly delivers citizenship within 30 to 60 days, making it one of the fastest CBI programs in the world. Agent surveys conducted by IMI put the average processing time at 3.3 months when accounting for document preparation and banking clearances. A single applicant donates $130,000 under the Development Support Program (DSP). Families of four pay $180,000. Applicants must demonstrate personal or shared net assets of at least $250,000.
The EU removed Vanuatu from its visa-exempt list, so the passport does not provide visa-free access to Europe. It opens doors across Asia, the Middle East, and parts of the Americas. Biometrics must be submitted in person in Vanuatu, Hong Kong, Dubai, or New Caledonia.
Nauru launched its Economic and Climate Resilience Citizenship Program in late 2024. Processing takes three to four months. The main route is a non-refundable contribution of $115,000 to the national development fund ($90,000 under a limited-time offer valid until June 30, 2026). Family members including spouses, children, parents, grandparents, and dependent siblings can be included. The passport grants visa-free access to roughly 90 destinations, including the UK, Singapore, and Hong Kong. Nauru remains unaffected by US visa restrictions that have hit Caribbean CBI nations.
Sierra Leone introduced fast-track citizenship routes within its GO-FOR-GOLD framework in early 2025. The standard fast-track route costs $140,000 and processes in approximately 90 days. A heritage naturalization route targeting applicants of African ancestry costs $100,000 and can deliver citizenship in as little as 60 days; it requires a DNA test to confirm African heritage. Sierra Leonean citizenship grants visa-free access to roughly 66 destinations and residency privileges across all 15 ECOWAS member states. The program is structured around gold-backed investment mechanisms rather than a pure donation model. No physical visit is required.
Dominica has operated a CBI program since 1993. A single applicant contributes $200,000 to the Economic Diversification and Resilience Fund or purchases approved real estate starting at $200,000. Processing typically takes six to nine months. The passport provides visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to roughly 140 destinations, including the Schengen Area, the UK, and China.
Dominica faces sustained US scrutiny over its CBI program. Washington has imposed partial travel restrictions on Dominican nationals and reduced US visa validity from ten years to three months with a single entry. In March 2026, Dominica suspended CBI processing for Iranian nationals, with narrow exceptions for those who have lived outside Iran for at least ten years with no assets or business ties there.
Saint Lucia requires a $240,000 contribution to the National Economic Fund or a $300,000 real estate investment held for five years. Processing takes six or more months. Draft regulations have been approved to implement a 30-day minimum residency requirement, expected later in 2026. The passport covers roughly 146 visa-free destinations.
Grenada stands out among Caribbean CBI nations for its E-2 Treaty Investor Visa arrangement with the United States. Grenadian citizens can apply for the US E-2 visa, which allows holders to live and work in the US through a qualifying business investment. The National Transformation Fund route requires a $235,000 contribution for a single applicant or a family of up to four, with additional government and due diligence fees on top. Approved real estate investment starts at $270,000. Processing takes approximately three to nine months. Visa-free access covers roughly 145 destinations, including the Schengen Area, the UK, China, and Singapore.
Antigua and Barbuda offers one of the more affordable Caribbean options for larger families, with a $230,000 contribution to the National Development Fund covering a family of up to four. Processing officially takes three to six months, though backlogs have pushed some applications beyond nine months. Visa-free access covers roughly 150 destinations. New citizens must spend at least five days in Antigua and Barbuda within the first five years. The US has imposed partial travel restrictions on Antiguan nationals and reduced visa validity, mirroring the restrictions applied to Dominica.
Saint Kitts and Nevis operates the world’s longest-running CBI program, established in 1984. A $250,000 donation to the Sustainable Island State Contribution fund is the main route. The program is undergoing its most ambitious transformation in 2026, introducing mandatory “genuine-link requirements” that will phase out passive financial contributions in favor of residency and active participation pathways. Processing currently takes six or more months. Approximately 150 visa-free destinations.
Turkey runs one of the most popular CBI programs in the world by volume. Tens of thousands of investors and their families have obtained Turkish citizenship since the minimum threshold was reduced to $250,000 in 2018, later raised to $400,000 in 2022. The most common route is purchasing real estate worth at least $400,000, held for a minimum of three years. Alternative options include a $500,000 bank deposit, government bond purchase, or investment fund contribution.
Processing from application to passport typically takes three to six months for well-prepared files. Turkish citizens are eligible for the US E-2 Treaty Investor Visa, though the State Department applies a three-year domicile requirement to newly naturalized citizens before they can qualify. The passport covers roughly 110 visa-free destinations.
Cambodia reformed its nationality law effective December 1, 2025, raising CBI thresholds from $245,000 (donation) and $305,000 (investment) under the original 1996 framework to $1 million (investment in approved priority sectors) and $3 million (donation to the national budget). Several agent sites still advertise the old pricing. Cambodia permits dual citizenship, grants full land ownership rights, and its passport covers roughly 53 visa-free destinations.
Egypt grants citizenship through investment starting at $250,000. Processing takes approximately ten months or more. Egyptian citizens are eligible for the US E-2 visa. The passport covers roughly 80 visa-free destinations. No residency or language requirements apply.
Jordan overhauled its investment immigration framework in July 2025, replacing three broad categories with eight specialized routes and capping annual approvals at 500. The program now separates residency and citizenship tracks. Lower-tier routes (JOD 350,000 to JOD 700,000, depending on location) grant residency first, followed by a temporary passport and then full citizenship after three years of investment maintenance and job-creation compliance. Higher-tier routes (JOD 1 million and above in equities, existing projects, or specialized sectors like pharmaceuticals and logistics) offer more direct citizenship pathways, though all require a three-year holding period. Passive bank deposit and treasury bond options were eliminated. Passport strength is limited at roughly 50 visa-free destinations; the program is chiefly of interest to regional investors with existing or planned operations in Jordan.
Pakistan offers a CBI program at approximately $18,000, but eligibility is restricted to nationals of the 54 Commonwealth countries. The limited scope and restricted passport value make it a niche option.
El Salvador launched a Bitcoin-denominated citizenship offering priced at $1 million, payable in Bitcoin or USDT. Details about the program’s structure, due diligence procedures, and application volume remain scarce.
Standard Naturalization in Two to Three Years
A smaller group of countries allow foreigners to naturalize after two to three years of legal residency, without requiring a large upfront investment for citizenship itself. You still need a residency pathway to enter the country, which may involve proving income, starting a business, or making a modest investment. The cost of these routes is a fraction of CBI programs, but you pay with time and physical presence instead of money.
Argentina offers the world’s fastest standard naturalization timeline at two years. Dual citizenship is permitted. No language test is required, though applicants should be able to communicate in basic Spanish. Entry pathways include the Rentista visa (proof of foreign-sourced monthly income meeting current thresholds) and the Pensionado visa. The passport grants visa-free access to roughly 169 destinations, including the Schengen Area.
Decree 366/2025 tightened requirements considerably. Applicants must now remain physically present for the entire two-year period; any departure resets the clock. The same decree transferred jurisdiction from the federal courts to the National Directorate of Migration, which began processing applications through its RaDEX digital platform on October 6, 2025. As a Mercosur member, Argentine citizenship grants settlement rights across nine South American countries. IMI covered the Peru timeline change in Only Two Countries Still Offer 2-Year Citizenship, which noted that Argentina and the Dominican Republic are now the only two countries maintaining a two-year standard naturalization timeline.
Argentina is also preparing to launch Latin America’s first CBI program, which would make it the only country in the world offering both a two-year traditional naturalization and direct CBI citizenship. The legal framework was formalized through Decree 524/2025, which created the Agencia de Programas de Ciudadanía por Inversión under the Ministry of Economy. A master agent tender closed in January 2026. No official investment thresholds have been published, though early speculation cited $500,000. Unlike the naturalization route, the CBI track would not require residence. Full operational capacity is expected in late 2026 or early 2027.
The Dominican Republic formally requires two years of permanent residency before naturalization. In practice, the standard pathway involves five years of temporary residency followed by two years of permanent residency, totaling seven years from arrival. An investment-based route may compress the timeline. Citizens of Latin American countries and Spain benefit from a reduced period of just six months for naturalization.
The country does not yet have a biometric passport despite repeated government promises. The passport currently grants visa-free access to roughly 71 destinations. For most readers without Latin American nationality, the Dominican Republic’s pathway takes well beyond three years; it qualifies for this list because the statutory requirement is two years and certain profiles can reach that threshold faster.
In Bolivia, time to naturalization for foreign residents is three years of continuous legal residency. The timeline drops to two years for those married to a Bolivian citizen, those with Bolivian children, or those who have performed military service in Bolivia. Dual citizenship is permitted under the 2009 Constitution, with reciprocity agreements covering Spain and several Latin American countries. Other nationalities may face a formal requirement to renounce previous citizenship, though enforcement varies.
Bolivia is a Mercosur member, granting citizens settlement rights across the bloc. The passport provides visa-free access to roughly 80 destinations. The cost of the residency process is low: Permanent residency costs approximately $560. Bolivia’s appeal is primarily as a strategic entry point into the Mercosur settlement system rather than for passport strength.
Canada requires that permanent residents be physically present for at least 1,095 days (three years) within the five years before applying for citizenship. Language proficiency in English or French and a civics knowledge test are also required. The three-year clock starts from PR grant, not first entry. Streams that grant PR directly on landing (Provincial Nominee Programs, the now-closed Start-Up Visa with thousands still in the pipeline) can place the total timeline at three years from arrival.
The Canadian passport grants visa-free access to roughly 185 destinations. Processing times for citizenship applications currently run 12 to 14 months after submission, pushing the practical total to four years or more from PR to oath ceremony.
Honduras grants citizenship after three years of standard residency. The timeline shortens to two years for nationals of Spain and Ibero-American countries, and to one year for nationals of other Central American states. The passport covers roughly 133 visa-free destinations, including Schengen. Honduras recognizes dual citizenship for birthright Hondurans, but naturalized citizens face restrictions.
In Paraguay, time to naturalization for permanent residents is three years. The SUACE investor program allows foreigners to bypass the two-year temporary residency stage by establishing a company with a nominal capital of $70,000 (payable over ten years), delivering immediate permanent residency and placing the applicant on a three-year clock to citizenship. Applicants must pass exams in Spanish or Guaraní and tests on Paraguayan history. The court-based naturalization process adds one to two years after the qualifying period. Physical presence requirements are meaningful: Expect six to nine months per year in Paraguay.
Paraguay operates a territorial tax system with zero tax on foreign-sourced income. The passport grants visa-free access to roughly 145 destinations. As a Mercosur member, Paraguayan citizenship opens settlement rights across nine South American countries. Dual citizenship is formally permitted only through reciprocity treaties (currently Spain), though authorities rarely enforce renunciation for other nationalities.
Ecuador requires three years of permanent residency for naturalization following reforms that took effect in 2022. Refugees and stateless persons face a reduced two-year timeline. Applicants must maintain continuous residence and cannot be absent from Ecuador for more than 90 days total during the qualifying period. The naturalization decision is discretionary, issued by the Executive. Ecuador permits dual citizenship and its passport covers roughly 92 visa-free destinations.
In Armenia, time to naturalization for foreign residents is three years of holding a residence permit. IMI has previously detailed the nearly free, entirely remote 3-year path to Armenian citizenship. The total cost amounts to a few thousand dollars. Ethnic Armenians qualify through a simplified process that eliminates residency and language requirements entirely. For non-ethnic applicants, the requirements include three years of legal residence, basic Armenian language ability, and passing a 33-question test on the Armenian Constitution (17 correct answers required).
Armenia currently does not enforce a strict physical presence requirement; as of early 2026, the Migration Service focuses on whether the applicant held a valid permit for three years, not how many days were spent in the country. Armenia is a member of the Eurasian Economic Union, granting citizens the right to live and work in Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Belarus. The passport covers roughly 69 visa-free destinations. A new fast-track investor permanent residency route launching November 1, 2026, will offer five-year cards with digital-first processing.
Cyprus introduced the EU’s shortest ordinary naturalization period at three years, under legislation detailed in our coverage of the Cyprus fast-track. To qualify under the accelerated route, applicants must have spent 12 months of continuous legal residence immediately before applying, with a total of three years of lawful residence within the preceding decade.
Language requirements scale with the residency pathway: B1 Greek proficiency for the seven-year standard route, A2 for the four-year skilled professional route, and A1 for the three-year accelerated route paired with additional integration criteria. Applicants must also demonstrate knowledge of the political and social environment and pass character assessments.
Cyprus also operates a non-domicile tax program offering 17 years of exemptions on dividends and interest income. The golden visa program, requiring a €300,000 property investment, provides the residency base from which to pursue the three-year citizenship track. Cyprus is an EU member state, so naturalization delivers full EU citizenship, including the right to live and work anywhere in the EU/EEA. The passport grants visa-free access to roughly 176 destinations.
Conditional Fast Tracks
Several countries offer accelerated citizenship timelines that apply only to specific groups. These routes can deliver a passport in under three years, but eligibility depends on ancestry, nationality, or religious heritage.
Spain allows nationals of Ibero-American countries, the Philippines, Equatorial Guinea, Andorra, and Portugal to naturalize after just two years of legal residency, compared to the standard ten-year requirement for most other nationalities. This makes Spain one of the most accessible EU citizenship routes for Latin Americans. Applicants must pass the CCSE exam (testing knowledge of Spanish culture and the constitution) but are exempt from the DELE A2 language exam. Spain permits dual citizenship with Ibero-American nations, so applicants from those countries do not need to renounce their original nationality. The Spanish passport ranks among the world’s most powerful, with visa-free access to roughly 190 destinations.
One important caveat: The two-year preference applies only to nationals “de origen” (by birth or descent) of qualifying countries, not to those who acquired Ibero-American nationality through naturalization. A person who naturalizes as Argentine, for example, would not qualify for Spain’s two-year track; they would face the standard ten-year requirement.
In Colombia, time to naturalization for citizens of Latin American and Caribbean countries is just one year of holding a Resident Visa. Spanish nationals qualify after two years. All other nationalities face a five-year requirement. Colombia allows dual citizenship without restriction. The passport covers roughly 133 visa-free destinations.
Mexico reduces its standard five-year naturalization timeline to two years for nationals of Latin American and Ibero-American countries. Mexican citizenship grants visa-free access to roughly 159 destinations and offers a strong regional passport. Dual citizenship is permitted. For non-Latin American applicants, the five-year standard applies.
Brazil reduces its standard four-year naturalization timeline to one year for individuals who are married to a Brazilian citizen, are parents of a Brazilian child, or are nationals of a Portuguese-speaking country (under the CPLP framework, which now includes São Tomé and Príncipe CBI holders). The jus soli birthright citizenship rule means any child born in Brazil automatically becomes Brazilian, and the parent of a Brazilian citizen can apply for permanent residency immediately, creating one of the fastest paths to citizenship in the region: Potentially under two years from arrival if you have a child born in Brazil.
El Salvador, beyond its Bitcoin CBI offering, maintains reduced naturalization timelines for Central American nationals under its conventional immigration framework.
Panama requires five years of standard residency for naturalization, with reduced timelines for nationals of certain Latin American countries holding reciprocity agreements. A Friendly Nations Visa provides a straightforward residency entry point for citizens of approximately 50 countries. The Panamanian passport covers roughly 142 visa-free destinations and carries the added advantage of Panama’s territorial tax system.
In Uruguay, time to naturalization for married foreign couples is three years of residency. Single applicants face a five-year requirement. The income threshold for permanent residency is $1,500 per month. New residents who established residency before 2026 can access generous tax benefits, including an 11-year exemption on foreign-sourced income. Those arriving from 2026 onward face updated requirements under the Tax Holiday 2.0 regime.
Marriage-based routes exist in dozens of countries and can deliver citizenship in under three years, but they depend on a spousal relationship rather than an independent decision. Turkey allows naturalization after three years of marriage; Portugal after three years of relationship; Albania, Armenia, Kosovo, and Malta after one year or less. These routes fall outside this guide’s focus on independently pursuable pathways.
Programs on the Horizon
Several countries are preparing to launch CBI programs that could expand the under-three-year list further.
Argentina’s CBI program, covered in detail above, is the most anticipated new entrant. The program could begin accepting applications in late 2026 or early 2027.
Botswana has set a CBI price floor of $75,000 to $90,000, which would make it the world’s most affordable open CBI program upon launch. The registration portal, developed by Arton Capital, is accepting expressions of interest. A dual citizenship law amendment must pass Parliament before the program can accept applications.
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines plans to launch a CBI program by mid-2026, with mandatory residency requirements built in.
Tonga has proposed a CBI program at $190,000, but no legislation has been enacted.
What Changed Recently
The landscape of fast citizenship has narrowed in several ways over the past 18 months.
Peru extended its naturalization timeline from two years to five years under Law No. 32421, published on August 15, 2025. Marriage-based naturalization increased from two to four years. The new law has not yet entered into force; it awaits implementing regulations. Until those are published, the old two-year law still governs all applications, and applicants who meet the two-year threshold before the transition can still apply under the old rules.
Cambodia overhauled its nationality law effective December 1, 2025, raising CBI thresholds from $245,000/$305,000 to $1 million (investment) and $3 million (donation). The reform also formally codified dual citizenship for the first time.
Paraguay previously appeared on lists claiming a three-year total timeline, but the practical reality is more nuanced. The three-year clock runs from the date permanent residency is granted, not from first entry. For non-investor applicants who start with temporary residency, the total timeline is five to six years. Only the SUACE investor route, which grants immediate permanent residency, keeps Paraguay within the under-four-year range.
The Caribbean CBI programs collectively face their most challenging regulatory environment in history. The EU has stated that operating CBI programs constitutes grounds for suspending visa-free access. The US has imposed partial travel restrictions on Antigua and Barbuda and Dominica, with reduced visa validity for both nations. Saint Kitts and Nevis is restructuring its program to introduce genuine-link requirements. These pressures have not shut down any programs, but they are reshaping what Caribbean CBI citizenship delivers in practice.
Choosing Your Route
The right pathway depends on budget, timeline, physical presence tolerance, and what the passport needs to do. For speed, CBI programs deliver fastest: São Tomé, Vanuatu, and Nauru can issue passports within two to four months. For budget, Argentina (two years, modest income visa) and Armenia (three years, a few thousand dollars total) are the cheapest routes to citizenship. For passport strength, Cyprus delivers EU citizenship at three years with a €300,000 property investment, and Canada offers one of the world’s strongest passports at three years from PR grant.
For regional settlement rights, Mercosur citizenship through Argentina, Paraguay, or Bolivia opens nine South American countries, while Armenian citizenship covers the Eurasian Economic Union.
One stacking route worth noting: Citizens by birth of Ibero-American countries can use their nationality to access Spain’s two-year EU citizenship track, though Spain’s fast track requires nationality de origen (by birth or descent), not naturalization. For more detail on specific programs, use our Program Finder.
