Vanuatu Citizenship by Investment in 2026: The Complete Guide

Vanuatu runs one of the fastest citizenship by investment programmes in the world. A complete application usually turns into a passport in about two to three months, nobody has to move to the islands, and the whole family can apply together. At the same time, the passport lost visa-free access to the Schengen area and the UK, and a lot of what is still written online about it is out of date.

I discuss this programme with clients almost every week. In this guide I put together what I actually explain in a first consultation: how the programme is built, what it costs, how long it takes, what the passport does and does not give, and who should look elsewhere.

The programme in one paragraph

Vanuatu grants citizenship to foreign investors who make an economic contribution and pass a government background check. There is no residence permit first, no minimum stay, no language test and no interview. Applications are filed only through government-designated agents with the Vanuatu Citizenship Office, the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) checks the applicant and the family, and the Citizenship Commission takes the decision. Vanuatu has recognised dual citizenship since 2013, so you do not have to give up your current passport, although your home country may have its own rules.

Two routes: DSP and the CIIP fund

There are two routes most applicants choose between. The passport and the rights it gives are the same in both. What differs is how much you pay and whether any of it comes back.

The Development Support Program (DSP). A non-refundable contribution to the government. It grows with family size:

Family on the application	DSP contribution
Single applicant	$130,000
Couple	$150,000
Couple and one child	$165,000
Couple and two children	$180,000

The CIIP fund. One amount of $157,000 for a family of up to four. After five years the state buys back the holding and returns $50,000, so the net cost is lower, but that money is locked for five years.

The rule of thumb I give clients is simple. A single applicant or a couple usually pays less under the DSP. A family of three or more usually pays less through the fund, especially if they can live without the $50,000 for five years. A third option, investment in an approved real estate project (REO), also exists, but it is used much less often and I always check its current status before discussing it.

What it really costs

The headline contribution is not the full budget. On top of it you pay:

• The FIU due diligence fee: $5,000 per application under the DSP and $8,000 under the fund. It is paid on filing and is not refunded if the application is refused.
• Citizen documents: a passport and an ID card for each family member, paid at the passport service tariff.
• Paperwork: certified translations, notarisation and apostilles. The cost depends on how many documents you have and from how many countries.
• Support: the designated agent’s and adviser’s fees. The state does not set these, so compare what is included, not just the total.
• Bank charges and travel to the city where biometrics are taken.

I explain each of these items with worked examples in my guide to Vanuatu citizenship costs.

Who can apply and who can be included

The main applicant must be at least 18, have no criminal record or open criminal cases, not appear on sanctions lists, be in good health and be able to document a lawful source of the money. Programme materials also ask for proof of assets, and BRIDGES works with a figure of at least $250,000 held by the applicant or jointly with a spouse.

A spouse, dependent children and dependent parents can be added to the same application. The age limits are where I see the most confusion. Adult children up to 25 can be included if they depend on the main applicant financially. For parents, the official DSP nomination checklist refers to dependants aged 65 and over, while current practice described by agents uses a lower threshold. I always confirm the current rule in writing for the specific family before anyone pays the FIU fee.

One point people regret later: a relative who is not included in the first application has to file separately, with their own contribution and their own check. A child born to a Vanuatu citizen after the passport is issued, on the other hand, becomes a citizen by descent without any new contribution.

Timeline and steps

The process normally takes about two to three months from filing a complete application. In practice it looks like this:

1. A preliminary check of background, sanctions lists and source of funds.
2. Choice of route (DSP or fund) and the contract.
3. Collecting documents for each family member, with apostilles and English translations.
4. Filing through a designated agent and paying the FIU fee.
5. The FIU check of each adult family member.
6. The Citizenship Commission decision and payment of the contribution to the official government account.
7. Biometrics in person and the oath, taken by video call.
8. Issue of the citizenship certificate and a 10-year biometric passport, delivered by courier.

The longest stages are usually documents and the FIU check. Every request for an extra document moves the timeline by the time you need to answer it. I describe each stage separately in my step by step guide to the application.

What the passport gives you

• Speed. A second citizenship in months rather than years of residence.
• No relocation. There is no requirement to live in Vanuatu before or after the grant.
• Asia and the Pacific. Visa-free entry to Hong Kong (90 days), Singapore and Malaysia (30 days each), Fiji and much of the Pacific and the Caribbean. The full picture is in my article on Vanuatu visa-free countries.
• A family back-up document. For many of my clients this is the main reason: a second passport if the first one stops working for travel, banking or residence.
• A starting point for European residence. Some families use the Vanuatu passport to apply for a residence permit elsewhere, for example the Greek golden visa.

What it does not give you

I always say this plainly, because it saves people from expensive disappointment.

No visa-free Schengen or UK. The EU fully suspended visa-free travel for Vanuatu citizens from 4 February 2023, and Regulation (EU) 2025/11 then moved Vanuatu to the list of countries whose citizens need a visa. The UK introduced visas for Vanuatu nationals on 19 July 2023. I explain the sequence in detail in the article on the EU visa suspension.

No visa-free US, Canada or Australia. These countries require visas from Vanuatu citizens. Vanuatu is also not a treaty country for the US E-2 investor visa.

No automatic tax benefit. Vanuatu does not tax personal income, capital gains or inheritance, but that matters only if you are actually tax resident there. Taxes follow where you live, not which passport you hold.

How the programme has changed recently

The programme has tightened in several ways. Since 1 July 2025 every person on the application gives biometrics in person. The FIU introduced a new checking procedure, and in February 2026 the Council of Ministers considered the report of a commission of inquiry into the citizenship programmes. None of this stopped the programme, but it means that preparation matters more than before and that applications with gaps in the source of funds are more likely to be delayed.

Who it suits and who should look elsewhere

Vanuatu tends to work well for:

• people who need a second passport quickly, by a specific date;
• families who want a back-up document and do not plan to move;
• entrepreneurs who travel mainly in Asia, the Pacific and the Caribbean;
• families who plan European residence as a separate step.

It is usually the wrong choice if visa-free Schengen or UK travel is the main goal, if you need a route to the US E-2 visa, or if you would prefer to put money into an asset rather than a contribution. In those cases the Caribbean programmes are worth comparing, and I do that in Vanuatu vs Dominica vs Grenada.

My checklist before you start

1. Write down what the passport is for. Speed, a family back-up and Asian travel are good reasons. Visa-free Europe is not.
2. Check whether your current country allows dual citizenship.
3. List everyone who should be on the application now, including adult children and parents.
4. Gather the story of your money: where it came from and which documents prove it.
5. Ask for a budget that shows the contribution, the FIU fee and the support fees on separate lines.
6. Make sure the contribution goes only to an official government or fund account, never to an intermediary.

If you work through these six points before signing anything, the rest of the process becomes much more predictable.