7 stages of Vanuatu citizenship: who does what at each one

Stages of Vanuatu citizenship: in brief

In brief: the application is filed only through a designated agent and in two rounds: first a short package for the FIU check, then, after its clearance, the full package for the Citizenship Commission. The DSP contribution is paid after approval, and the applicant travels in person only for biometrics.

The procedure is the same for both programmes: the DSP with a contribution from $130,000 for one applicant, and the CIIP fund at $157,000 for a family of up to four. In both, the contribution is paid after Commission approval, and before the decision only the FIU fee is paid: $5,000 under the DSP or $8,000 under the fund. Which programme suits your family is covered in DSP or the CIIP fund, and applicant requirements and grounds for citizenship in how to get Vanuatu citizenship step by step.

Stage 1. Preliminary check and choice of programme

In brief: before any payment, the background of the applicant and family and the source of funds are checked, the refusal risk is named and the programme is chosen by family composition. This stage takes 1-2 working days.

• Who acts: the applicant answers questions, the support team runs the check.
• Documents: a short questionnaire: family members, citizenships, country of residence, source of income, previous visa refusals.
• Time: 1-2 working days.
• Result: a risk assessment, a choice between the DSP and the CIIP fund, and a document list for the family.

The check covers sanctions and wanted lists, politically exposed status of the applicant and relatives, court cases and bankruptcies, the online footprint and the origin of the money. If the risk is high, this is said before the agreement, so the applicant does not pay a non-refundable FIU fee for an application that will not pass. A single applicant or a couple usually does better with the DSP; a family of three or more with the CIIP fund, from whose contribution $50,000 is returned after 5 years.

The composition of the application is fixed at the same stage. It can include a spouse, children under 25 and parents over 50; children aged 18 to 25 prove full-time study, and members from 18 provide a police clearance certificate. The composition determines the contribution, the number of documents and the choice of programme, so it is settled before the agreement. Conditions for relatives are covered in who can be included in the application.

Stage 2. Agreement, designated agent and FIU fee

In brief: the composition of the application, scope of work and budget are fixed, the designated agent who will file is named, and an invoice is issued for the check fee: $5,000 under the DSP or $8,000 under the CIIP fund for the whole application.

• Who acts: the applicant signs the agreement and pays the fee, the support team prepares the budget and the invoice.
• Documents: the agreement, an itemised budget, the FIU fee invoice.
• Time: 1 working day.
• Result: the application is open, the fee is paid and a case manager is assigned.

The Citizenship Office accepts investment programme applications only from designated agents, whose list is published on the official website. The FIU fee is paid once per application, not per member, and is not refunded on refusal. How to check an agent against the official list is covered in licensed Vanuatu citizenship agent, and every budget item in the cost of Vanuatu citizenship.

After the agreement, the case manager puts every date into a shared calendar: ordering certificates, the notary, FIU filing, the nearest Commission sitting and biometrics. Reminders arrive 3 days and 1 day ahead, and once a week the applicant receives a short report: what is done, what is in progress and what is needed from the family.

Stage 3. First package and FIU check

In brief: a short package goes to the Financial Intelligence Unit: passport copies, police clearance certificates, a second identity document and a CV. Preparation takes 3-5 working days, and the check without additional requests up to 7 working days.

• Who acts: the applicant hands over documents, the support team prepares the CV in English and files the package through the agent.
• Documents: a certified passport copy for each member; for each adult a police clearance certificate, a second identity document and a CV.
• Time: 3-5 working days for the package and up to 7 working days for the check.
• Result: a positive FIU clearance, after which the full package is collected.

Under the official DSP checklist, children aged 12 to 18 also provide a police clearance certificate and are checked as well. The certificate must be no older than 3 months on the filing date, so it is ordered first but with its validity in mind. If the FIU sends a request, the clock stops until the reply, and the reply is prepared within 1-3 working days with documents rather than an explanatory letter. How the check works and which documents settle questions about capital is described in due diligence and source of funds.

Stage 4. Full package: personal documents and source of funds

In brief: after the FIU clearance, personal and family documents are collected together with the main applicant’s documents on assets and source of funds; then the whole package is translated and certified, with names checked against the passport. This takes 2-3 weeks.

• Who acts: the applicant orders documents, the support team checks every file and arranges translations.
• Documents: birth, marriage or divorce certificates, diplomas, employment letters, medical certificates, photographs; for the main applicant the asset form, professional and bank references, a 6-month statement, a utility bill and documents on the origin of capital.
• Time: 1-2 weeks for documents and 3-5 working days for translation and certification.
• Result: a full package in English in which names and dates match across all documents.

Two rounds save time and money: translation and certification are ordered only after a positive check. Every document is checked against the passport data page, because a different spelling of a name on a certificate, a clearance and a statement means translating again. The list for each member is in documents for Vanuatu citizenship by member.

Letters are prepared separately: the CV and the professional and bank references are written after the check and only about what documents confirm. Extra detail in a reference letter raises questions and gets the package returned, so names, dates, addresses, companies and amounts are cross-checked across all documents.

Stage 5. Programme forms and the Citizenship Commission decision

In brief: programme forms are completed for each member, the package is cross-checked, the applicant signs the forms and the package goes to the agent for the Commission sitting. The Commission sits twice a month, and the forms must be with the agent 5 days before the sitting.

• Who acts: the applicant confirms the data and signs, the support team completes the forms and passes the package to the agent, and the Citizenship Commission decides.
• Documents: a passport application and a birth registration form for each member, plus the fund form for the CIIP.
• Time: 8-10 working days for completion, review and any additions.
• Result: the Commission’s decision on the application.

The application calendar is built backwards from the sitting date: by which day signatures are needed and when translations must be finished. A package that misses the form deadline waits for the next sitting, and the passport date moves by up to two weeks. Timing for each stage and the causes of delay are covered in how long Vanuatu citizenship takes.

Stage 6. Approval and contribution

In brief: after the Commission’s decision, an approval letter is issued together with an invoice for the contribution: from $130,000 under the DSP, $157,000 under the CIIP fund. Handling the payment takes 7-14 days, and there are 3 months after approval for the contribution and the oath.

• Who acts: the Commission issues the approval, the applicant pays the contribution, the support team checks the bank details and payment schedule.
• Documents: the approval letter and the contribution invoice.
• Time: 7-14 days after the Commission’s decision.
• Result: the contribution is credited and the application moves on to the issue of citizen documents.

Under the official fee schedule, the DSP contribution is $130,000 for one applicant, $150,000 for a couple, $165,000 for a family of three and $180,000 for a family of four. The contribution is paid only after approval, so a demand to pay it when signing the agreement contradicts the programme. Government payments go to official accounts, and the payment channel is checked in advance: a bank that takes long to review a large transfer delays the issue.

A family of three or more usually does better with the CIIP fund: $165,000 including the FIU fee for a family of up to four, of which $50,000 is returned after 5 years. A single applicant or a couple does better with the DSP: $135,000 and $155,000 including the FIU fee. Beyond the contribution, the only payment to the state is the FIU fee for the whole application.

Stage 7. Biometrics, oath, certificate and passport

In brief: each member gives biometrics in person, the applicant takes the oath by video call, the Commission issues the certificate of citizenship and the Immigration and Passport Services issue a 10-year passport. This stage takes 1-3 weeks.

• Who acts: members give biometrics, the applicant takes the oath, the support team books biometrics and arranges delivery.
• Documents: the passport for biometrics, the oath text, delivery details.
• Time: 1-3 weeks.
• Result: a certificate of citizenship and a biometric Vanuatu passport for each member.

Biometrics remain the only mandatory trip: since 1 July 2025 they are taken in person. With BRIDGES they are taken in Dubai, Hong Kong, Moscow, St Petersburg or Port Vila, and the city is chosen before approval so as not to wait for a free slot. How the oath is taken without flying to the islands is shown in case: the oath without a trip to Vanuatu. The certificate of citizenship confirms the status and is needed when renewing the passport, so it is kept together with the passport. The passport data are checked on receipt: the name in Latin letters, the date of birth and a spelling that matches the other documents.

Who does what: the applicant and the support team

In brief: the applicant answers questions, orders documents, signs forms, pays the contribution and gives biometrics. The check, form preparation, translation, filing through the agent and replies to requests are handled by the support team.

At no stage does the applicant deal with Vanuatu government bodies directly: correspondence with the FIU and the Commission is handled by the designated agent, and the support team prepares the documents and replies for it. What the applicant must provide is timely answers, because every day spent waiting for a document is added to the timeline. If a provider cannot describe even one stage in the same detail, that is a reason to ask questions before signing, and fraud scenarios are collected in Vanuatu passport scams.

Stages where applications stall

In brief: most often at the third and fifth: FIU questions about the source of funds and background, and a package missing the Commission sitting. Less often at the sixth and seventh: a delayed bank payment and name mismatches across documents.

• Stage 3. Capital not backed by a chain of documents, a previous visa refusal not disclosed, a relative’s public office not stated. The preliminary check at stage one reveals this before the FIU fee.
• Stage 4. The police certificate expired while other documents were collected, or the name on a certificate is spelled differently from the passport.
• Stage 5. Forms not with the agent 5 days before the sitting, applicant’s signature missing.
• Stage 6. The sender’s bank holds a large transfer for its own review.

A refusal after the check is possible; the FIU fee is then not refunded, and the DSP contribution is not paid, because it is due only after approval. Reasons for refusal and what to do next are covered in refusal of Vanuatu citizenship, common preparation errors in applicant mistakes.

What to do after receiving the passport

In brief: check the passport data, meet any obligations in your first country of citizenship, plan a route to a European residence permit and set a reminder to renew the passport in 10 years.

1. Check the data. The name in Latin letters and the date of birth must match your other passport and bank documents.
2. Notify your first country of citizenship. Vanuatu allows dual citizenship, but some countries require their citizens to report a second one: Russia, for example, requires notification of the Ministry of Internal Affairs within 60 days. Details in dual citizenship of Russia and Vanuatu.
3. Plan for Europe. Since 4 February 2023 Vanuatu citizens need a visa for the Schengen area, and they start living in Europe through Greek residence: a turnkey package of Vanuatu citizenship and Greek residence takes up to 9 months. Conditions on Greek residence for Vanuatu citizens.
4. Add relatives. A child born to a Vanuatu citizen acquires citizenship by descent without a programme contribution, and a spouse from a new marriage is added by a separate application. The procedure is in adding family members.
5. Passport renewal. The passport is issued for 10 years and renewed without a trip to the islands; citizenship status does not change. The procedure is in Vanuatu passport renewal.

How BRIDGES handles the application stage by stage

In brief: one case manager handles the application from the preliminary check to the passport, all dates sit in a shared calendar, the client receives a weekly report and separate feedback on every document: accepted or what to redo.

• A check before payments. We name the risks in 1-2 working days, before the agreement and the FIU fee.
• An itemised budget. Contribution, FIU fee, duties, translations and services on separate lines, with the DSP contribution only after approval.
• A calendar built from the Commission sitting. Documents, notary, filing, sitting and biometrics in one schedule with reminders 3 days and 1 day ahead.
• Replies to requests. We prepare documents for FIU or Commission requests within 1-3 working days.
• Biometrics and delivery. Booking in a convenient city, the oath by video call, delivery of passports.

The cost for your family will be shown by the cost calculator, programme conditions are collected in the guide to conditions and cost, and the scope of services is described on Vanuatu citizenship by investment.

BRIDGES analysis on the topic: programme speed index 2026.