Overwater villas, Erongo Island, Port Vila, Vanuatu

Vanuatu: Dual Nationality, Second Citizenship by Investment, Naturalization and Golden Passport

Development Support Program (DSP)

Apply for the Vanuatu passport

Description of Vanuatu's Citizenship by Investment Program

Vanuatu is the only citizenship by investment program in the Asia Pacific region and the fastest worldwide. It grants citizenship for life that can be passed on to future generations by descent against a non-refundable capital contribution to its economy. The green Vanuatu passport is valid for 10 years.

Do I Need to Travel to Vanuatu to Apply for a Second Passport

Key Benefits of Vanuatuan Citizenship

• Vanuatu has the fastest CBI program in the world: passports are issued within 1-2 months
• Vanuatu's passport program is the only economic citizenship scheme in Asia Pacific
• Vanuatu recognizes dual citizenship
• In Vanuatu there is no personal and corporate income tax
• Vanuatu's passport program is a major government revenue source (25%) after cyclone Pam affected most of Vanuatu’s population in 2015
• Bauerfield International Airport near Vanuatu's capital Port Vila offers direct flights to Auckland, Sydney, Melbourne, but not to Europe or the US
• A Vanuatu company and a bank account are offered for free (for example at ANZ Bank)
• Vanuatu's economic citizenship program provides the possibility to apply for an Australian Visitor Visa (Subclass 600, Tourist Stream) allowing visits to Australia of up to 12 months as a tourist, to see family and friends, or for purposes other than business or medical
  

Key Downsides of Vanuatu's Citizenship Program

• The most unstable and non-transparent of all CBI programs due to frequent administrative and policy changes, absence of statistics
• In March 2022, the EU suspended its visa waiver agreement with Vanuatu "due to the risks posed by its investor citizenship schemes (golden passport schemes)". The suspension only concerns citizens of Vanuatu holding ordinary passports issued after May 2015.
• Vanuatu is on the EU blacklist of non-cooperative jurisdictions for non-implementation of its tax commitments. According to the EU, "Vanuatu facilitates offshore structures and arrangements aimed at attracting profits without real economic substance"
• Vanuatu already revoked 30 citizenships that were "contrary to law"
• There is no real-estate option
• Citizens from Iran, Iraq, Syria, North Korea, and Yemen cannot apply to Vanuatu's citizenship program unless evidence of 5-year permanent residence elsewhere is provided
• Vanuatu is the world’s most "at risk" country for natural hazards: volcanic activity is common, in addition to earthquakes, storms, tsunamis and the risk of rising sea levels
• The country is heavily dependent on foreign aid (Australia, New Zealand)
• Vanuatu's citizenship program is among the CBI/RBI schemes which were identified by the OECD in November 2018 as "potentially posing a high risk to the integrity of the CRS" warranting enhanced bank due diligence
• Starting from 01.01.2022, all visa-free non-EU citizens wishing to travel to the Schengen area must apply online for a 3-year travel authorization via the European Travel Information and Authorization System (ETIAS), similar to the American ESTA, involving (i) a fee payment of €7 (ii) background questions relating to public health risks, criminal records, previous refusals of entry (iii) background checks against relevant EU (and not only national) databases (such as SIS, VIS, Europol, Interpol, Eurodac, ECRIS), as part of a major move to strengthen Europe's external borders

Personal Income Tax in Vanuatu

There is no income tax on individuals in Vanuatu.

Corporate Income Tax in Vanuatu

There is no corporate income tax in Vanuatu.

How to Get the Golden Passport in Vanuatu and What Are its Costs

Non-refundable contribution of $130,000 to Vanuatu’s Government Development Fund:

• Main applicant | $130,000
• Main applicant / spouse | $150,000
• Family of 3 persons | $165,000
• Family of 4 persons | $180,000
• Extra dependant | $10,000 (per person)

> Persons with criminal convictions are not eligible for the Vanuatu citizenship program.

Non-refundable Passport Due Diligence and Processing Fees in Vanuatu

What is a Dependant under the Vanuatu Citizenship Program

A dependant is (i) a biological (or legally adopted) child under the age of 18 or (ii) a child between 18 and 25 (enrolled as a student) or (iii) the lawful mother or father over 50 of the applicant or spouse.

What are the Steps to Get the Golden Passport in Vanuatu

1. Submission of application
2. 25% pre-payment of the non-refundable due diligence fee
3. 48 hours: Pre-approval stage: due diligence checks by Vanuatu’s Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU)
4. 1 week: Consideration by Vanuatu's Screening Committee
5. 4 weeks: Approval by Vanuatu's Citizenship’s Office and Commission (COC)
6. 75% payment of the due diligence fee and full contribution
7. 1 week: Certificate of Vanuatu Citizenship issued
8. Oath of allegiance taken in Vanuatu or in a foreign embassy (or, since 2023, by video conference)
9. 10-year Vanuatu passport issued
   

** Visa-Free Countries for Vanuatuan Citizens - focus on Asia Pacific

ETIAS required since 2023 for Schengen entry

Andorra, Antigua and Barbuda (30 days), Armenia (120 days), Austria (90 days), Bahamas (90 days), Barbados, Belarus (30 days), Belgium (90 days), Benin (30 days), Bolivia (90 days), Bosnia (90 days), Botswana (90 days), Bulgaria (90 days), Cambodia, Cape Verde, Comoros, Costa Rica (30 days), Croatia (90 days), Cyprus (90 days), Czech Republic (90 days), Denmark (90 days), Djibouti (31 days), Dominica (6 months), Dominican Republic, Ecuador (90 days), Egypt, El Salvador (90 days), Estonia (90 days), Eswatini (ex-Swaziland, 30 days) Ethiopia (90 days), Fiji (4 months), Finland (90 days), France (90 days), Gambia (90 days), Georgia (90 days), Germany (90 days), Greece (90 days), Grenada (90 days), Guatemala (90 days), Guernsey, Guinea-Bissau, Haiti (90 days), Honduras (90 days), Hungary (90 days), Iceland (90 days), India (60 days), Indonesia (30 days), Iran, Ireland (90 days), Israel (90 days), Italy (90 days), Jamaica, Jordan (3 months), Kenya (3 months), Kiribati (30 days), Laos (30 days), Latvia (90 days), Lesotho, Liechtenstein (90 days), Lithuania (90 days), Luxembourg (90 days), Madagascar (90 days), Malawi, Malaysia (30 days), Maldives (30 days), Malta (90 days), Marshall Islands, Mauritania, Mauritius (90 days), Micronesia (30 days), Moldova (90 days), Monaco, Montenegro (90 days), Mozambique (30 days), Myanmar (28 days), Nauru, Nepal (90 days), the Netherlands (90 days), Nicaragua (90 days), Norway (90 days), Palau (30 days), Panama (180 days), Papua New Guinea, Peru (180 days), Philippines (30 days), Poland (90 days), Portugal (90 days), Romania (90 days), Saint Kitts, Saint Lucia (6 weeks), Saint Vincent (1 month), Samoa (60 days), San Marino, Senegal (90 days), Singapore (30 days), Slovakia (90 days), Slovenia (90 days), Solomon Islands, South Ossetia, Spain (90 days), Sri Lanka, Suriname, Sweden (90 days), Switzerland (90 days), Tanzania (90 days), Thailand (15 days), Timor-Leste (30 days), Togo (7 days), Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tuvalu (30 days), Uganda (90 days), Ukraine (30 days), United Kingdom (6 months), Vatican City, Zambia (90 days), Zimbabwe (90 days)

*** List of Schengen States

The Schengen area, that is, the area without internal border controls, currently includes 26 countries, of which 22 are EU Member States: Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Slovenia, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden and four associated countries (Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland).

Download factsheet on how to get citizenship in Vanuatu