Vanuatu Citizenship by Investment

David Davies

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February 16, 2025

The Vanuatu citizenship by investment programme commenced in 2017 and offers citizenship and a Vanuatu passport in exchange for investment in the country. Below, we explain the basics of citizenship by investment in Vanuatu and the pros and cons compared to other CBI programmes.

Table of contents

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Example H3

Why choose Vanuatu for CBI?

Due to its remote location, almost all applicants for citizenship by investment in Vanuatu are looking to take advantage of the:

relatively low cost of the programme
availability to extend the application to family members
highly favourable tax regime with zero income, capital gains and inheritance tax and zero business tax on income derived from outside Vanuatu
very fast application process

to obtain a second passport for security and financial and tax planning.

The downsides are the remoteness of the location and the limited visa-free or visa-on-arrival destinations that the Vanuatu passport supports, compared with equivalent programmes in, for example, the Caribbean.

What are the investment requirements?

Citizenship by investment in Vanuatu can be achieved through three different methods of investment.

Contribution to the Vanuatu Citizenship Development Support Programme (DSP) of USD 130,000 (or USD 150,000 for the main applicant and spouse, USD 180,000 for the main applicant, spouse and two children, with an additional USD 25,000 for each other dependent). This is a pure contribution and carries no investment or refund potential.
Investment of at least USD 200,000 in an approved real estate project in Vanuatu. This carries the potential for investment returns and dependents are included in the cost so for a large dependent family, this can actually be less expensive than the contribution option.
Contribution of USD 155,000 to the Capital Investment Immigration Plan (CIIP) of USD 155,000. USD 50,000 of this is an investment in the Cocoa Sustainable Fund, which is redeemable after four years. This covers the main applicant, spouse and two children with each additional dependent requiring a further USD 25,000 non-refundable contribution.

Applicants, therefore, have a choice between an investment route or a donation route, and the make-up of the group they wish to include in their application will also need to be taken into account.

How long does the process take?

This is one of the most attractive elements of the Vanuatu citizenship by investment programme. Everything can be completed in as little as two months with two to three months being the norm from date of application. This does not take into account the time taken to prepare the application or, if relevant, locate the real estate investment and negotiate terms. From November 2024, all applicants (including all sub-applicants) will need to visit Vanuatu to provide biometric data in person as part of the application process. This has been introduced in response to concerns about the security of the process when completed fully remotely.

Can family members be included in the application?

Yes. Spouses, dependent children and dependent parents and grandparents can be included in the application although this will raise the bar for the requirement to be able to show that the main applicant is able to financially support themself and all sub-applicants.

Eligibility requirements

The main applicant must:

be over 18
not be a citizen of Iran, Iraq, North Korea, Syria or Yemen (unless the applicant has permanent residency in a non-restricted country and has had permanent residency there for at least five years)
have the equivalent of USD 250,000 in liquid funds (not including the investment amount) and be able to show that they are able to financially support themselves and any dependent sub-applicants
have a clean criminal record

Other costs of application

There is a flat fee for due diligence of USD 5,000, regardless of how many sub-applicants are included in the application. There is also an administration fee of around USD 40 per applicant under the DSP and real estate options and USD 250 per applicant under the CIIP programme.

Applications must be submitted by an authorised agent who will also charge a fee.

In addition to the above, there is a USD 120 per person fee for a citizenship certificate and a fee of USD 160 per passport. If an applicant wishes to swear the citizenship oath at a place of their choosing, this also carries a fee.

Does an applicant need to travel to/reside in Vanuatu to obtain/maintain citizenship?

Yes. Previously no physical visit was required but from November 2024, each applicant will need to attend personally in Vanuatu to provide biometric data. There is no residency requirement to maintain citizenship.

Is Dual citizenship permitted in Vanuatu?

Vanuatu permits its citizens to hold dual citizenship. You will need to consider whether your existing country(ies) of citizenship permits dual citizenship.

Final Thoughts

Vanuatu’s citizenship by investment programme is undoubtedly cost-effective. However, the benefits it brings when compared to similar citizenship by investment programmes in the Caribbean, especially in relation to travel are limited. There is also the concern that the value of the Vanuatu passport has been eroded owing to the withdrawal of visa-free access by the UK and the Schengen area (which made a suspension permanent after not being convinced that enough was being done to ensure that its security concerns were adequately addressed) and this raises concerns that other countries may follow suit.

So, all in all, if you’re looking to move to Vanuatu or base a business from there or just want a second passport for security (especially if you have a large family), Vanuatu may be the right second citizenship for you. If you’re looking for a stable programme with broad travel benefits, other programmes (such as those in the Caribbean) might well be worth the slightly higher investment cost.

FAQs on Vanuatu Citizenship by Investment

Who can receive Vanuatu citizenship?

Any person over the age of 18 and their dependents (other than citizens of Iran, Iraq, North Korea, Syria and Yemen unless they have lived outside of such country for at least five years as a permanent resident of the non-restricted country) may apply provided they meet the criteria described above.

What happens if my application is rejected?

You will not be granted citizenship, and the fees will be lost so it is important to ensure that your application is fully complete and accurate and that the required criteria have been met.

Do I need to learn the language to obtain citizenship?

There are no language requirements.

Is there a minimum stay requirement after obtaining Vanuatu citizenship?

There are no minimum stay requirements to maintain Vanuatu citizenship.

Can I sell the real estate investment after obtaining Vanuatu citizenship?

Only after five years have expired from the grant of citizenship.

Can I apply for Vanuatu citizenship by investment for my entire family?

Yes. A spouse and economically dependent children, parent and grandparents may apply alongside the main applicant although the main applicant will need to be able to show that they can financially support all sub-applicants.

Is Vanuatu citizenship obtained through investment passed onto future generations?

This is not entirely clear and specialist advice would need to be sought. A child born in Vanuatu is automatically granted citizenship and some official sources say that any child born to a Vanuatu citizen is a Vanuatu citizen whereas others say that this is the case where the parent is a citizen by birth.

David Davies

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David Davies

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Vanuatu Citizenship by Investment

Why choose Vanuatu for CBI?

What are the investment requirements?

How long does the process take?

Can family members be included in the application?

Eligibility requirements

Other costs of application

Does an applicant need to travel to/reside in Vanuatu to obtain/maintain citizenship?

Is Dual citizenship permitted in Vanuatu?

Final Thoughts

FAQs on Vanuatu Citizenship by Investment

Who can receive Vanuatu citizenship?

What happens if my application is rejected?

Do I need to learn the language to obtain citizenship?

Is there a minimum stay requirement after obtaining Vanuatu citizenship?

Can I sell the real estate investment after obtaining Vanuatu citizenship?

Can I apply for Vanuatu citizenship by investment for my entire family?

Is Vanuatu citizenship obtained through investment passed onto future generations?

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