How To Get Residency in Vanuatu | An Incomplete Guide
Capital: Port Vila
Population: 335,908 (2023, 182nd)
Ethic Group: 98.5% Ni-Vanuatu
Area: 12,189 km2(157th)
Offical Language: English, French and Bislama
Currency: Vatu (as of May 13, 2024, 1 Vatu = 0.00827 USD)
GDP per Captial: $3,001 (2023 estimated)
Human Development Index: 0.614 (140th)
Country Profile:
Vanuatu is situated in the southwestern Pacific Ocean and is made up of 83 islands. It is often considered a backyard retreat for Australia and New Zealand.
Economically, the country is primarily driven by agriculture, fishing, and tourism. Tourism, alongside the passport industry, ranks among Vanuatu’s most important sources of foreign exchange.
Visa and Immigration System:
Citizenship by Investment Program:
In the immigration world, when Vanuatu is mentioned, it is best known for its donation-based citizenship by investment program, with the official minimum donation set at $130,000 in exchange for a passport.
The passport industry is one of Vanuatu’s important sources of foreign exchange and has played a significant role in helping the country shed its label as one of the world’s least developed nations.
However, Before exploring Vanuatu’s passport program, we can first take a look at other types of residence visas available in the country that allow for immigration.
Long Term Residency Visas:
Although Vanuatu’s small size, remote location, and modest economy mean that relatively few people choose to settle there permanently, the country offers a range of long-term residence visa options and pathways to naturalization beyond its well-known passport program.
Below, we highlight some of the key long-term residence options available in Vanuatu:
1. Work Visa: Requires employment with a local company and proof that the applicant can contribute to the local community.
Vanuatu work visas are typically valid for one year and can be continuously renewed under the same conditions.
2. Investor Visa: Foreigners who invest over 5 million Vatu (approximately 42,249 USD) in Vanuatu’s business sector are eligible to apply for an investment visa.
3. Visa for self-funded resident: Issued to foreigners who can demonstrate a monthly income of over 250,000 Vatu (approximately $2,113) from sources outside Vanuatu. If applying with a spouse, the required income must be at least doubled to over 500,000 Vatu per month.
4. Visa for leasehold holders: Available to individuals who enter into a long-term property lease in Vanuatu with a contract value exceeding 10 million Vatu (approximately $84,500).
All of these visas can be continuously renewed under the original conditions upon expiration.
For these long-term residence visas, the main applicant’s spouse, children under 18, and dependent children aged 18 to 20 can generally accompany them as dependents to settle in Vanuatu.
Citizenship:
Foreigners who have legally resided in Vanuatu for at least 10 years and meet other relevant requirements can apply for citizenship.
Alternatively, marrying a Vanuatu citizen grants you immediate eligibility for naturalization.
Vanuatu Citizenship By Investment Program:
What is Vanuatu citizenship by investment program?
The Vanuatu passport program, launched by the Vanuatu government in 2017, is designed to attract foreign investment and stimulate economic growth through an investment-based citizenship initiative.
Currently, although Vanuatu government offers various investment options such as real estate and bonds, the primary method remains a donation of at least $130,000 (official price) in exchange for a passport.
Compared to similar programs in other countries, the Vanuatu passport program offers several advantages:
1. Minimal Applicant Requirements: As long as the donation is made, applicants are almost guaranteed to obtain a Vanuatu passport, with very lenient background checks.
2. Quick Passport Acquisition: The approval process is very fast, typically within 14 days, and at most around 30 days.
3. No Residency Requirement: Applicants never need to enter Vanuatu from the start of the application process to holding the passport. The only requirement is to renew the passport remotely every five years.
3. Broad Dependent Eligibility: The main applicant’s spouse, children, and parents over 65 years old can all obtain passports as dependents.
4. Tax Haven: Vanuatu is a tax haven with no personal income tax, corporate tax, property tax, value-added tax, capital gains tax, or inheritance tax.
However, Vanuatu passport program also has some clear drawbacks:
1. Limited Passport Mobility: While the Vanuatu passport used to allow travel to over 140 countries and regions, it currently only provides visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to 91 countries and regions, including Russia and Southeast Asia.
2. Limited Practical Residency Value: Vanuatu is one of the world’s least developed countries and is relatively remote. With only about 60 habitable islands, only 14 of which are over 100 square kilometers in size, the country lacks sufficient diversity and is not ideal for foreigners to reside in or use as a base.
Who is eligible for a Vanuatu citizenship by investment program?
The policies of Vanuatu’s citizenship by investment program have evolved over time, offering several officially authorized options, including DSP, VCP, CIIP, IGBO, and REO, each targeting different regions and types of investors.
In the VCP and DSP programs, the official minimum price for a passport is $130,000. For a family of two, it is $150,000; for a family of three, $165,000; and for a family of four, $180,000. Each additional family member requires an extra donation of $15,000.
Main applicant must also pay a $5,000 background check fee, a $160 passport issuance fee per person, a $120 nationality verification fee per person, and a $100 government fee per person.
Apart fromfina ncial requirements, the program has very few other conditions for applicants: you must be at least 18 years old, have no criminal record, and be in good health.
How to apply for Vanuatu citizenship by investment program?
Vanuatu passport program cannot be applied for individually; it must be processed through a government-licensed intermediary. Required steps are as follows:
1. Prepare Required Documents and Apply for a Background Check: The first step is to find a suitable intermediary, prepare the necessary funds, and gather all required documents.
Required documents for this program include:
Identity documents of all applicants: copies of passports and ID cards for all main and dependent applicants, six passport-sized photos per person, etc.;
Proof of relationship between main and dependent applicants: marriage certificates, birth certificates, etc;
Police clearance certificates: all main and dependent applicants must provide police clearance certificates issued within the past 12 months from their places of residence;
Personal resume: main applicant must submit a resume outlining their key professional and business background;
Medical health certificate;
Proof of payment of application fees.
2. Background Check: After submitting the application, a licensed anti-money laundering agency will conduct a detailed background check on the main and dependent applicants.
At this stage, you need to pay a background check fee of approximately $5,000 and provide all personal information to the intermediary, who will forward it to the Vanuatu authorities for review.
3. Submit Formal Application: After passing the background check, the investor can submit a formal application to the Vanuatu Citizenship Commission (VCC). At this stage, you must also complete a 25% donation payment.
4. Approval, Oath, and Passport Issuance: VCC will review the application within two weeks. Upon approval, you will receive an Approval in Principle letter.
At this point, you must complete the full donation within 90 days. VCC will then submit your application to the Vanuatu Citizenship Office. After receiving approval from the Citizenship Office, you can prepare for an online or video oath-taking ceremony for naturalization.
The entire process is very fast, theoretically around 30 days, but in practice, it can usually be completed within one or two weeks.
Passport Utility:
The passports of individuals who acquire citizenship through donation are identical to the passports of native Vanuatu citizens in terms of appearance, document number, quality, and other aspects. The only distinction lies in their political and voting rights. It’s important to note that children and spouses of donation-based citizens who haven’t obtained citizenship together will not automatically gain Vanuatu nationality.
Vanuatu recognizes dual citizenship, and its passport is ranked 55st globally. Holders of the passport enjoy unrestricted travel to 91 countries and territories worldwide(May 2, 2025).
Useful Links:
Vanuatu Citizenship’s Office and Commission：https://vancitizenship.gov.vu/
Vanuatu official lists of agents：https://vancitizenship.gov.vu/index.php/about-us/designated-agents
Vanuatu CIIP: https://www.imidaily.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/CIIP-CNO_Brochure_V9.pdf