Vanuatu

How you qualify.

Global mobility.

What's involved in Vanuatu citizenship.

Family inclusion

The main applicant must be 18 or over. DSP contribution tiers are family-priced on the official fee page: single US$130,000; married couple US$150,000; couple + 1 child US$165,000; couple + 2 children US$180,000; +US$10,000 per additional dependant. Includable dependants under the DSP framework are the spouse, dependent children, and dependent parents and grandparents. The Form D (capital-investment) fee schedule on the same official page sets out the Citizenship Office's age structure: a child is treated as under 18 (additional under-18 child fee US$19,250) and a separate dependant bracket exists for ages 18-21 (US$44,250), so dependent children can be included up to age 21 on that route. Exact DSP dependent-child and parent/grandparent dependency-age thresholds are confirmed directly with the Citizenship Office.

Due diligence

Mandatory due diligence is coordinated by the Vanuatu Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU), which assists the Citizenship Screening Committee with final checks, as required under Citizenship (Development Support Program) Regulations Order No. 33 of 2019. Screening uses international databases (INTERPOL, sanctions, PEP, bankruptcy and solvency, terrorism and global watchlists). Applicants must have no criminal record, be of good character, and demonstrate a legitimate source of funds. A non-refundable FIU due-diligence fee of US$5,000 applies per application per the official fee page. The Citizenship Office has progressively strengthened its due-diligence regime.

Timeline

One of the fastest CBI programmes in the world. Following Citizenship Commission approval, the applicant is given 3 months to complete the final two steps - the oath of allegiance and the final citizenship-fee payment - extendable by a further 2 months on written request to the Secretary General; failure to comply expires the approval. No interview is required for the investment route, and the written Bislama language test applies only to ordinary naturalisation under Forms A and B, not the investment routes.

Physical presence

There is no residence requirement and no minimum stay to obtain or maintain citizenship. The official Citizenship Office Application-Process page provides that the oath of allegiance is completed in the presence of a Commissioner for Oaths at a Vanuatu court, and that applicants living abroad travel to Vanuatu (or, if in Santo, use the Luganville court) to complete it.

Tax

Vanuatu is a long-standing zero-direct-tax jurisdiction: no personal income tax, no capital gains tax, no inheritance or estate tax, no wealth tax and no gift tax; the main public revenue is VAT and import duties. Citizenship does not by itself make the holder Vanuatu tax-resident or change their home-country tax position - there is no residence requirement and most CBI citizens do not relocate. Vanuatu is a CRS-participating jurisdiction, so the passport is not an automatic information-exchange shield. Current tax treatment is confirmed with Vanuatu authorities and counsel as part of any engagement.

Legal basis & official sources.

Citizenship Act [Cap 112] (1980, amended by Act No. 34 of 2018) and the Citizenship (Development Support Program) Regulations Order No. 33 of 2019 (current DSP instrument), as further affected by Orders Nos. 38 and 39 of 2020. Statutory routes: Contribution Program (s.13D), Capital Investment / Form D (s.13C), and Real Estate Option / REO (s.13F). Confirmed on the official Citizenship Office Legislative Framework and Application Forms pages. · Administered by Vanuatu Citizenship Office & Citizenship Commission (Office of the Prime Minister), Port Vila, Vanuatu. The programme is administered under the Citizenship Commission with mandatory due-diligence support from the Vanuatu Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU). Official site: https://vancitizenship.gov.vu. Applications are lodged through Government-designated agents listed on the official Citizenship Office site..

Vanuatu, answered.

How much does Vanuatu citizenship by investment cost?

The lowest qualifying investment is USD 130,000 via the Donation route. Government, due-diligence and professional fees are additional. Every figure is confirmed in writing before you commit to anything.

How long does the Vanuatu citizenship process take?

One of the fastest CBI programmes in the world. Following Citizenship Commission approval, the applicant is given 3 months to complete the final two steps - the oath of allegiance and the final citizenship-fee payment - extendable by a further 2 months on written request to the Secretary General; failure to comply expires the approval. No interview is required for the investment route, and the written Bislama language test applies only to ordinary naturalisation under Forms A and B, not the investment routes.

Does the Vanuatu passport allow visa-free travel to the Schengen Area?

Visa required. Vanuatu sits in Annex I (visa required) of Regulation (EU) 2018/1806. Visa-free access was partially suspended from May 2022 and FULLY suspended from 4 February 2023 over the investor-citizenship scheme; the visa requirement was then made permanent by Regulation (EU) 2025/11 (adopted 19 December 2024, OJ L 2025/11 of 14 January 2025, in force 3 February 2025), which inserted Vanuatu in Annex I and deleted it from Annex II. Vanuatu passport holders require a Schengen visa.

Can I include my family in the Vanuatu application?

The main applicant must be 18 or over. DSP contribution tiers are family-priced on the official fee page: single US$130,000; married couple US$150,000; couple + 1 child US$165,000; couple + 2 children US$180,000; +US$10,000 per additional dependant. Includable dependants under the DSP framework are the spouse, dependent children, and dependent parents and grandparents. The Form D (capital-investment) fee schedule on the same official page sets out the Citizenship Office's age structure: a child is treated as under 18 (additional under-18 child fee US$19,250) and a separate dependant bracket exists for ages 18-21 (US$44,250), so dependent children can be included up to age 21 on that route. Exact DSP dependent-child and parent/grandparent dependency-age thresholds are confirmed directly with the Citizenship Office.

What due diligence does Vanuatu require?

Mandatory due diligence is coordinated by the Vanuatu Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU), which assists the Citizenship Screening Committee with final checks, as required under Citizenship (Development Support Program) Regulations Order No. 33 of 2019. Screening uses international databases (INTERPOL, sanctions, PEP, bankruptcy and solvency, terrorism and global watchlists). Applicants must have no criminal record, be of good character, and demonstrate a legitimate source of funds. A non-refundable FIU due-diligence fee of US$5,000 applies per application per the official fee page. The Citizenship Office has progressively strengthened its due-diligence regime.

Does Vanuatu citizenship grant the right to live in the European Union?

No. Vanuatu citizenship can confer a second passport and visa-free or visa-on-arrival travel, but it grants no right to live, work or settle in the EU and no path to an EU passport. For a European foothold, residence by investment is the direct route.