Vanuatu in 2026: Who It Suits and How the Process Works

Vanuatu citizenship by investment is the fastest second-passport program in the world: the official benchmark is 30–60 days from application to passport, and a realistic timeline including document collection is 1–3 months. The minimum contribution is $130,000 for a single applicant. You do not have to live in the country. The main caveat: with this passport you need a visa for the Schengen countries and the United Kingdom. Its strength is Asia — Hong Kong, Singapore and Malaysia admit holders without a visa.

How the program works

Citizenship by investment has worked in its current form since 2017. You cannot apply directly, only through a licensed agent from the register of the Citizenship Commission. There are two main routes.

There are niche routes too, such as buying property in an approved project, but the market runs mostly on the two options in the table.

What it costs

$130,000 is the contribution itself. On top of it come mandatory payments for processing the application, due diligence and issuing the documents. Their size depends on the composition of the family and the ages of its members. If the application is refused, the service fees are not returned.

Who can be included in the application

The main applicant must be over 18, have no criminal record, hold confirmed assets of at least $250,000 and show a lawful source of funds. The application also covers:

• a spouse;
• financially dependent children under 25;
• dependent parents aged 50 and over.

For citizens of some countries the option to apply is restricted. At the consultation we will tell you whether you can apply and suggest alternatives.

What the passport gives you

Mobility. Visa-free travel to more than 90 countries: Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, most of the Caribbean and Oceania. As a travel document for Asia, the passport works very well.

Taxes. Vanuatu has no income tax: salary, dividends, capital gains and inheritance are not taxed. Citizenship by itself does not make you a tax resident: that status belongs to a person who lives in the country at least 183 days a year. Your tax obligations in the country where you actually live do not go away.

Status. Citizenship is for life and passes to your heirs, and dual citizenship is allowed. One restriction is written into the constitution: citizens who received a passport through investment do not vote in elections and do not hold public office.

Europe and the US: what matters

The European Union removed Vanuatu from its visa-free list, so travel to the Schengen countries now requires a visa; a return of visa-free access any time soon is unlikely. The United Kingdom also admits citizens of Vanuatu only with a visa.

The E-2 investor visa in the US is not available on a Vanuatu passport: the country is not on the list of treaty states. If your goal is Europe or America, this program is not the right one.

Downsides and risks

1. Europe and the UK by visa. This is the key limitation of the program.
2. The contribution is non-refundable. The main route is a payment into the budget with no asset in return; a refundable part exists only in the plan with the agricultural funds, and that is a promise from the fund, not a bank guarantee.
3. Island realities. The country sits in a zone of cyclones and earthquakes, and its medicine is not built for emergencies or severe cases — serious patients are evacuated to Australia or New Zealand. That said, investors as a rule do not live on the island after they get the passport.

Who it suits and who it does not

It suits: those who need a fast plan B — the fastest passport, in 1–3 months, with no obligation to live in the country; entrepreneurs who work with Asia, since Hong Kong and Singapore are open without visas; those who value zero personal taxes and are ready for a non-refundable contribution.

It does not suit: those who need visa-free access to the European Union or the United Kingdom; those who count on an investor visa to the US; those who expect their money back.

What's next

If you want to see how the Vanuatu program fits your own case — family composition, budget and goals — book a free Migronis consultation: migronis.com/consultation. We will go through your situation and tell you whether Vanuatu solves your task or whether it is better to look at the Caribbean programs.