Russians seek fast-track passports from island nations to bypass sanctions

Wealthy Russians are rapidly acquiring citizenship in island nations such as Vanuatu and St. Kitts and Nevis, using these "golden passports" as a means to circumvent international sanctions imposed following the war in Ukraine. The demand for dual citizenship programs in these exotic locales has surged in recent months, according to international real estate agency Intermark Global.

Vanuatu, a Pacific island nation, offers citizenship for a fee of $170,000 to $200,000 per family, obtainable remotely within two to four months and granting visa-free access to 90 countries. The Republic of St. Kitts and Nevis, located off the coast of Africa, provides a similar remote citizenship option for $90,000 per family within the same timeframe.

Intermark Global reported a threefold increase in transactions for Vanuatu citizenship in the first half of the year compared to the previous year. A new citizenship-by-investment program launched in St. Kitts and Nevis in late 2025 has already seen a significant number of Russian transactions, nearing Vanuatu's levels within six months. While specific figures are not disclosed, real estate market intermediaries estimate dozens of such transactions are in progress.

These island nations' passports offer a strategic advantage for Russians seeking to escape the intensifying economic crisis and sanctions. Although they do not provide direct visa-free entry to the European Union or the United States, they significantly simplify the process of obtaining long-term visas for these regions. Crucially, they help Russian individuals and their companies shed the burden of sanctions, facilitating international business and financial activities.

This trend marks a shift in the "golden passport" market. Several Caribbean nations, including Saint Kitts and Nevis, the Dominican Republic, Antigua and Barbuda, Grenada, and Saint Lucia, which were previously popular among Russians, have ceased issuing "golden" passports to them after Russia's aggression in Ukraine. This has redirected demand towards other available options, highlighting the evolving landscape of global citizenship-for-investment programs.

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These passports are not ideal in terms of freedom of movement; they do not provide free entry to the European Union or the USA, but they facilitate obtaining long-term visas to these countries and, most importantly, free Russians and their companies from the burden of sanctions.