Citizenship by investment
Vanuatu
A Pacific citizenship with no residence rule and no interview in the regulations, decided within three months by law.
From USD 130,000Government minimum. Agent and professional fees are additional.
Information checked 4 October 2026
- From
- USD 130,000
- Processing
- A decision within three months is the legal maximum; no typical time is published
- Residence
- None
- Interview
- None in the regulations; the oath can be taken by video
- Schengen
- Visa required
- UK
- Visa required
Overview
The programme at a glance
Vanuatu grants honorary citizenship through its Development Support Program, from USD 130,000 for one person. It has no residence rule, and its regulations set no interview.
What changed is the passport. The EU withdrew visa-free short stays for Vanuatu nationals in stages from 2022, and the UK has required visit visas since 2023.
Benefits
What it offers, and what to weigh
Advantages
- One due diligence check covers the whole application, however many people it includes.
- No visit needed: the oath of allegiance can be taken by video.
- Parents qualify once they are over 50.
Worth knowing
- A Schengen visa is needed: Vanuatu moved to Annex I of the EU visa list in 2025.
- A UK visit visa is needed.
- A driving licence requires tests taken in Vanuatu.
Travel and the passport
From 4 May 2022 the EU suspended its visa waiver for some Vanuatu passports, from 4 February 2023 for every Vanuatu national, and Regulation (EU) 2025/11 then moved Vanuatu to the list of countries whose nationals need a visa. For anyone who wants a second passport for European travel, this rules Vanuatu out.
Eligibility
Who can apply
The citizenship office's pages name no barred nationality. Since January 2025 every file goes through a weekly screening committee after checks by the Financial Intelligence Unit, Interpol and the immigration service.
No nationality is named as barred on the official page, checked 4 October 2026.
Family
Who can be included
Spouse, children, students 18 to 25, and parents over 50
Children of 18 to 25 count as dependants if they live with the applicant and study full time, and parents qualify once they are over 50 if they live with and depend on the applicant.
Process
How the application runs
Applications are lodged through designated agents, who must be Vanuatu citizens with their main office in Port Vila. The law gives the commission three months to decide, the intelligence unit 96 hours for its checks, and 90 days from approval to the certificate.
A designated agent in Port Vila lodges the application.
The Financial Intelligence Unit runs its checks, within 96 hours by law.
Part of the government amount is paid before the commission considers the file.
The commission decides within three months; the certificate follows within 90 days of approval.
UAE residents: print the document checklist before your consultation.
What a new citizen can and cannot get
The citizenship office does not issue passports itself. On paper a new citizen can get a national ID card, and must apply within 28 days of the grant; a driving licence needs tests taken in Vanuatu. Children of 18 to 25 who study full time count as resident dependants, a definition that matters when the file is assembled.
Updates
What's changed
- 8 Feb 2025: Citizenship Office states it does not issue any passports; diplomatic passports are issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
- 16 Jan 2025: new FIU due diligence process for DSP, CIIP and VCP — email submissions with passport (6+ months validity), police clearance, notarised CV and Government payment receipt; weekly internal screening committee
- 2 Dec 2024: Citizenship Commission announces enhanced due diligence (FIU, Interpol, Immigration), biometric passports with capture at diplomatic offices by March 2025, and lapse of all agent agreements by January 2025
- EU visa-waiver agreement suspended in whole from 4 February 2023 (Council Decision (EU) 2022/2198)
- Reported by Discus Holdings (licensed agent) news, 10 April 2025: March 2025: CIIP reportedly suspended for new applications
Questions people ask
Can a Vanuatu passport holder travel to Europe without a visa?
No. The EU suspended its visa-waiver agreement with Vanuatu in full from 4 February 2023 and then moved Vanuatu to the list of countries whose nationals need a Schengen visa, by Regulation (EU) 2025/11.
Do I need to visit Vanuatu?
Not to obtain citizenship: there is no residence rule and the oath of allegiance can be taken by video. A driving licence, however, requires tests taken in Vanuatu.
Can my parents be included?
Yes, once they are over 50, if they live with and depend on the applicant.