The Pacific Ocean country is the world’s smallest independent republic and third-smallest country, with a population of around 12,000 people.

Investors can now become citizens of the microstate within three to four months by investing at least $105,000 USD in a new national fund.

Nauru’s government has said its “unique approach to citizenship… combines economic growth with environmental stewardship”.

Climate change minister Asterio Appi said: “Nauru, like many South Pacific nations, plays an outsized role in protecting globally significant biodiversity. Our ecosystems support more rare, endangered, and threatened species than those anywhere else on Earth.

“Yet we stand on the frontlines of climate change, facing rising sea levels, intensifying storm surges, and accelerating biodiversity loss. The consequences of global warming are rendering Pacific Island states increasingly uninhabitable.

“By choosing Nauru’s citizenship program, investors aren’t merely securing their own future — they’re investing in the future of our planet.”

Benefits for investors include visa-free access to 89 destinations, unrestricted dual citizenship, and the ability to extend citizenship to family members.