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Vanuatu Citizenship by Investment: Cost, Requirements and Passport Process 2026
The fastest programme in the world: 30 to 60 days, no visit, from $130,000. Still open to Russian nationals. It carries no visa-free access to the European Union or the United Kingdom, and we set out why plainly below rather than after you have paid.
Is Vanuatu the right programme for you?
Vanuatu solves one problem extremely well: a second nationality, quickly, cheaply, without travel, and open to applicants the Caribbean has closed its doors to. It solves nothing else. If you are being sold Vanuatu as a route to Europe, you are being sold something that no longer exists.
Works well if
- You need speed: 30 to 60 days, against sixty business days for Grenada and up to 180 days for St Kitts and Nevis
- You hold Russian nationality: Vanuatu remains open where all five Caribbean programmes exclude you
- You cannot travel: no visit, no residence and no language requirement at any stage
- Cost is the binding constraint: roughly half the price of the cheapest Caribbean programme
- Your objective is a lawful second nationality for optionality, banking or family security, rather than mobility
Does not work if
- You want European access: visa-free entry to the Schengen area was permanently withdrawn with effect from 12 December 2024 and has not been restored
- You want UK access: withdrawn in 2023
- You need certainty on price: Vanuatu publishes no consumer fee schedule, so every figure on this page is indicative
- Reputational standing matters to you: Vanuatu was grey-listed by the Financial Action Task Force in 2023 over the programme itself
- You want to include parents or adult children broadly: dependency criteria are narrower than the Caribbean programmes
How the Development Support Program works
Vanuatu operates several citizenship pathways. The Development Support Program is the one that functions normally and the one nearly all applicants use.
| Programme | From | Status | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Development Support Program | $130,000 | Reported open | Non-refundable contribution to government revenue. The main route |
| Vanuatu Contribution Program | varies | Reported open | Parallel contribution route |
| Capital Investment Immigration Plan | approx $170,500 | Suspended | Suspended in March 2025 pending regulatory reform |
| Real Estate Option | varies | Limited | Opened under Regulation Order No. 93 of 2021. Narrow in practice |
The Capital Investment Immigration Plan was suspended by the Prime Minister’s office in March 2025 for what was announced as a hundred-day regulatory overhaul. Reporting on whether the wider programme was also paused has been inconsistent. We confirm the live status in writing with the Citizenship Commission before accepting any engagement, and we would not ask you to pay a due diligence fee into a programme whose status we had not verified that week.
What the contribution actually is
The Development Support Program payment is a non-refundable contribution to Vanuatu government revenue. It is not an investment, there is no asset, and nothing is recoverable. Vanuatu is a small Pacific state of roughly 320,000 people for which the programme has at times represented close to a fifth of government revenue, and contributions fund general expenditure rather than a designated fund.
What Vanuatu costs, and why these figures carry a caveat
Every other jurisdiction on this site has its fees traced to a published government schedule. Vanuatu does not have one that we can read, so we are telling you that rather than presenting agent restatements as official figures.
| Composition | Contribution, USD |
|---|---|
| Single applicant | 130,000 |
| Applicant and spouse | approx 150,000 |
| Applicant, spouse and one child | approx 165,000 |
| Family of four | 180,000 to 186,000 |
| Due diligence fee | 5,000 to 5,500 |
| Passport and registration, per person | approx 2,000 to 3,000 |
Read this before you pay anything
These figures are the market consensus among authorised agents, and they have been stable. They are not, however, published by the Vanuatu Citizenship Commission in a form we can point you to, and sources disagree on whether the due diligence fee is charged per application or per adult. We confirm the exact figures in writing with the Commission before any engagement. Any adviser quoting you Vanuatu fees as though they were officially published is overstating what is knowable.
Professional fees are not shown on this page. They depend on family composition, nationality and the complexity of the source of funds position, and are set out in writing before any engagement begins.
Vanuatu citizenship by investment requirements
The Russian nationality position, in full
Russian nationals remain eligible. On 9 March 2026 a memorandum circulated appearing to add Russia and Sudan to Vanuatu’s restricted list. On 11 March 2026 the Chairman of the Citizenship Commission formally withdrew it, stating that the notice had been released in error and that there had been no additions to the list of restricted countries.
Several advisory websites still state that Russians are banned from Vanuatu. That is incorrect and reflects the retracted memorandum rather than the current position. We re-confirm this with the Commission before each engagement, because a position that changed twice in three days is a position worth checking rather than assuming.
Enhanced due diligence nationalities
Nationals of Iraq, Iran, North Korea, Yemen, Syria and Afghanistan are subject to enhanced due diligence rather than outright exclusion. Approval is possible but the screening is materially deeper and the timeline extends.
Who can be included
Documents required
From assessment to passport in 30 to 60 days
The fastest process of any programme covered on this site, and the only one that can be completed without leaving your desk.
Status and nationality check
We confirm the live programme status with the Citizenship Commission and check your nationality against the current restricted and enhanced-screening lists, which have moved recently.
Source of funds preparation
Documentary evidence assembled for Financial Intelligence Unit screening. Vanuatu’s speed comes from a short queue, not from light screening.
Submission through an authorised agent
Applications are accepted only from government-designated agents. Direct applications are not accepted.
Due diligence
Conducted by the Financial Intelligence Unit. The fee is paid at this stage and is not refunded if the application is refused.
Approval in principle
The Commission confirms the applicant has cleared due diligence and invites payment of the contribution.
Contribution payment
Paid after approval in principle, which keeps the principal sum off the table if the file is refused.
Oath and passport issuance
The oath is administered remotely or at a Vanuatu diplomatic mission, and the passport is issued. Thirty to sixty days end to end.
What has happened to Vanuatu, and what it means
Vanuatu is the clearest example in this market of what happens when travel access is treated as the product. Three things have gone wrong, and an applicant should understand all of them before contributing.
European access permanently withdrawn
Visa-free entry to the Schengen area was suspended from 2022 and permanently ended by decision of the Council of the European Union with effect from 12 December 2024. It has not been restored and there is no active process to restore it. The United Kingdom withdrew visa-free access in 2023.
FATF grey-listing
Vanuatu was grey-listed in 2023 over anti-money-laundering weaknesses connected specifically to the citizenship programme. Compliance measures were tightened from February 2025, but the listing shapes how banks treat a Vanuatu passport presented for account opening.
Internal suspension
The Capital Investment Immigration Plan was suspended in March 2025 for regulatory overhaul. Programme revenue fell to roughly $60 million in 2024 from a record $68 million in 2023, and the International Monetary Fund noted receipts running well below the government’s own target.
The honest position
Vanuatu is a legitimate, legally constituted citizenship that is granted quickly and cheaply to applicants many other programmes will not consider. That is a real product with real value, particularly for someone who needs a second nationality and has been excluded elsewhere. What it is not, any longer, is a travel document for Europe. If an adviser is still selling Vanuatu on visa-free access to the Schengen area, they are either not current or not honest, and you should treat everything else they tell you accordingly.
The Vanuatu passport, travel and tax
Travel access
The Vanuatu passport carries visa-free or visa-on-arrival access across parts of Asia, the Pacific and Africa. It does not carry visa-free access to the European Union, the United Kingdom, the United States or Canada. The European withdrawal is permanent and the United Kingdom withdrawal dates from 2023. Access to remaining destinations is set by each country and changes over time.
Dual citizenship
Vanuatu permits dual citizenship, so you do not renounce your existing nationality. Whether you may hold both depends on the law of your existing country. Vanuatu citizenship acquired by contribution passes to children born afterwards.
Tax
Vanuatu levies no personal income tax, no capital gains tax, no inheritance tax and no wealth tax. It is a genuine zero-tax jurisdiction rather than a low-tax one. Acquiring citizenship does not by itself change your tax residence, which generally depends on where you actually live. For a United States citizen nothing changes until expatriation. Establish your position with a qualified adviser before applying.
Banking, realistically
A Vanuatu passport presented for bank account opening will attract enhanced scrutiny, both because of the FATF listing and because the programme is well known to compliance teams. It is not a barrier, but anyone acquiring Vanuatu citizenship expecting frictionless banking should adjust that expectation. If banking access is the primary objective, this is not the instrument.
How Sovera handles a Vanuatu application
We confirm the live programme status and your nationality position with the Citizenship Commission before anything else, because both have moved in the past eighteen months. We then prepare the source of funds file for Financial Intelligence Unit screening and submit through a government-designated agent.
We also tell clients when Vanuatu is the wrong answer. If your objective is European mobility, it is. If your objective is a fast, lawful second nationality when other programmes have excluded you, it is among the best options available.
Sovera Global L.L.C-FZ is a licensed corporate services provider regulated in the Meydan Free Zone, Dubai, and supervised by the UAE Ministry of Economy under Commercial Licence 2531729. We are not a designated agent of the Vanuatu Citizenship Commission. Applications are prepared by us and submitted through a government-designated agent. All approvals are at the sole discretion of the Government of Vanuatu and are subject to due diligence. No outcome is guaranteed and no timeline is promised. Fee figures on this page are indicative and are not sourced to a published government schedule. Nothing on this page is legal or tax advice.
Vanuatu citizenship by investment: frequently asked questions
How much does Vanuatu citizenship by investment cost?
From approximately $130,000 for a single applicant and $180,000 to $186,000 for a family of four, plus a due diligence fee of roughly $5,000 to $5,500 and passport and registration fees of $2,000 to $3,000 per person. These figures are the market consensus among authorised agents rather than a published government schedule, which is why we confirm them in writing before any engagement.
How long does Vanuatu citizenship take?
Thirty to sixty days, which makes it the fastest citizenship by investment programme in the world. There is no residence, language or physical presence requirement at any stage.
Can Russian citizens apply for Vanuatu citizenship?
Yes. A memorandum appearing to add Russia to the restricted list was issued on 9 March 2026 and formally withdrawn on 11 March 2026 by the Chairman of the Citizenship Commission, who confirmed it had been released in error. Several advisory sites still state incorrectly that Russians are banned.
Does a Vanuatu passport give visa-free access to Europe?
No. Visa-free access to the Schengen area was suspended from 2022 and permanently ended by decision of the Council of the European Union with effect from 12 December 2024. It has not been restored. The United Kingdom withdrew visa-free access in 2023. Any adviser still promoting Vanuatu on European access is misleading you.
Is Vanuatu citizenship legitimate?
Yes. It is granted under Vanuatu law by the Citizenship Commission, with due diligence conducted by the Financial Intelligence Unit, and it is a full citizenship with all the rights that carries. Legitimacy and travel utility are separate questions, and Vanuatu scores well on the first and poorly on the second.
Why was Vanuatu grey-listed by the FATF?
Vanuatu was grey-listed in 2023 over anti-money-laundering weaknesses connected specifically to the citizenship programme. Compliance measures were tightened from February 2025. The practical consequence for a passport holder is enhanced scrutiny when opening bank accounts.
Is Vanuatu better than Grenada or St Kitts and Nevis?
For speed, cost and accessibility, yes. Vanuatu approves in thirty to sixty days at roughly half the price and remains open to nationalities the Caribbean excludes. For travel access and reputational standing, no, and the gap is wide. Grenada and St Kitts and Nevis both retain Schengen and United Kingdom access; Vanuatu has neither.
How does Vanuatu compare with Sao Tome and Principe?
They occupy similar ground. Sao Tome and Principe is cheaper at $90,000 and equally remote, but it is a new programme with a shorter record. Vanuatu is more established and faster, but carries the FATF listing and the European withdrawal. Neither offers meaningful travel access to Europe or North America.
Can I include my parents and children?
Spouse and dependent children are admissible, and parents above a reported minimum age of fifty subject to financial dependency. Siblings are not admissible. Reported age thresholds vary between sources, so we confirm before quoting a family.
Is the Capital Investment Immigration Plan still open?
No. It was suspended in March 2025 for a regulatory overhaul. The Development Support Program, which is the route nearly all applicants use, is reported to remain open. We verify live status with the Commission before any engagement.
Does Vanuatu allow dual citizenship?
Yes. You do not renounce your existing nationality. Whether you may hold both is determined by the law of your existing country.
What happens if my application is refused?
The due diligence fee is not refunded. The contribution is payable only after approval in principle, so the principal sum is not exposed. A refusal must be disclosed on any subsequent application to any programme.
Will Vanuatu regain European visa-free access?
There is no active process to restore it and no indication that restoration is under consideration. The decision was taken at Council level and made permanent in December 2024. Anyone buying Vanuatu citizenship in the expectation that European access will return is speculating, and should treat that possibility as worth nothing.
Compare with the other programmes
Vanuatu is one of five active programmes. See the full citizenship by investment overview, the cost comparison, and nationality restrictions by programme. Clients often pair citizenship with a corporate structure: see company formation, Dubai company formation, business banking, nominee services and compliance and accounting.
Find out whether Vanuatu does what you need
A thirty-minute call covers the live programme status, your nationality position, and whether Vanuatu actually delivers your objective. If your objective is European travel, we will tell you it does not.