Russians Are Buying Microstate Passports to Gain Access to the EU

Passports issued by small island nations are helping Russians obtain long-term visas to the European Union more easily.

Demand among Russian citizens for second citizenship programs in countries such as Vanuatu and São Tomé and Príncipe has surged following tighter EU visa restrictions, according to The Moscow Times, citing data from overseas real estate agency Intermark Global.

The agency reported that the number of Vanuatu citizenship applications tripled in the first half of the year compared with the same period last year. Although São Tomé and Príncipe launched its citizenship-by-investment program only in late 2025, Russian demand has already reached levels comparable to Vanuatu within six months.

While the agency did not disclose exact figures, real estate experts say the number of transactions amounts to several dozen—a significant level of demand for such small countries.

Vanuatu consists of 83 Pacific islands with a total land area of about 12,100 square kilometers. São Tomé and Príncipe covers just 1,000 square kilometers, yet its passport can be obtained remotely within two to four months for approximately $90,000 per family.

The passport provides visa-free access to around 60 countries and simplifies the process of obtaining residency, study, and work permits within the Community of Portuguese Language Countries (CPLP), including Portugal and Brazil.

A Vanuatu passport is more expensive, costing between $170,000 and $200,000 per family. It can also be obtained remotely within a few months and offers visa-free travel to approximately 90 countries.

According to consultants, these passports do not grant unrestricted access to the EU or the United States, but they make it significantly easier to obtain long-term visas while reducing many of the restrictions facing Russian citizens and their businesses.

Following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, several popular “golden passport” programs—including those in Saint Kitts and Nevis, Antigua and Barbuda, Grenada, Saint Lucia, and Dominica—stopped accepting applications from Russian nationals.

Earlier, Hungary suspended the acceptance of Schengen visa applications in several Russian cities, while nine EU member states, together with Iceland and Norway, urged the European Commission to introduce even stricter visa restrictions for Russian citizens.