Nauru Island Is Promoting Citizenship for $105,000

In November, following the latest U.S. presidential election, the variety of Google searches for how you can “go away the nation” elevated by 1,514 %, in line with knowledge by VisaGuide.World. However as many rapidly discovered, shifting to a different nation is not as simple as it could appear. There’s often a visa course of concerned, loads of immigration legal professionals in between, and a prolonged wait time earlier than you may receive that coveted second passport. Nonetheless, one tiny island nation is hoping to make issues a little bit simpler by promoting citizenship for $105,000—and it may very well be the one factor that saves it from local weather catastrophe. 

In 2025, the island nation of Nauru, situated within the South Pacific between the Solomon Islands and Marshall Islands, launched its new passport scheme, permitting individuals to buy citizenship by funding. It is the vacation spot’s method of elevating as a lot money as potential to maneuver a lot of its 12,000 residents to greater floor because the coastal areas of the eight-square-mile island are getting ravaged by erosion because of local weather change. Moreover, massive swaths that have been as soon as used to mine phosphate deposits (an ingredient in fertilizer) have each dried up and made some 80 % of the land uninhabitable, in line with The Guardian.

“For Nauru, it isn’t nearly adapting to local weather change, however about securing a sustainable and affluent future for generations to return,” David Adeang, the nation’s president, shared with AFP. “That is about greater than survival. It’s about guaranteeing future generations have a secure, resilient, and sustainable residence. We’re prepared for the journey forward.”

There’s, nonetheless, an enormous catch. Sure, you should purchase the passport, however no, you may’t truly stay there. However in line with consultants, it could nonetheless be price it. 

“A second passport isn’t only a luxurious—it’s a strategic asset. It unlocks better international mobility, granting visa-free or visa-on-arrival entry to extra locations,” Armand Arton, the founding father of the Passport Index, shared with Journey + Leisure. “Whereas these with highly effective passports take seamless journey with no consideration, hundreds of thousands face bureaucratic, time-consuming hurdles at each border. That’s why residency and citizenship by funding (CBI) packages stay in excessive demand, providing freedom, safety, and new alternatives.” 

As for who this system targets, Arton famous it is an amazing possibility for anybody whose passport limits their journey choices. “With visa-free or visa-on-arrival entry to 90 nations, together with South Korea and Hong Kong, Nauru citizenship is a strategic improve for these with restricted mobility.” 

Kyle Maltz, the COO at Greenback Flight Membership, agreed it is a incredible strategy to see extra of the world in the event you in any other case cannot, however added that this specific visa comes with one different main bonus.

“Some of the distinctive issues about this program is the truth that you are investing in a real-world environmental venture that may have a considerable impression for a small group,” he stated. “Investing on this venture additionally comes with the good thing about an extra passport/citizenship, which is a cool bonus.”

In accordance with Edward Clark, the pinnacle of Nauru’s Financial and Local weather Resilience Citizenship Program, the passport scheme is already attracting candidates. Clark advised the AFP the federal government is hoping to obtain 66 functions this 12 months, however its long-term aim is far greater, with the goal of attracting 500 candidates, which works out to about $52.5 million. “Growing climate-vulnerable nations are disproportionately affected by local weather change,” Clark advised AFP. “And there’s due to this fact an pressing want to make sure they disproportionately profit from local weather innovation.”