The DSP programme: how the non-refundable contribution to Vanuatu’s development fund works

The DSP programme in brief

In short: DSP is Vanuatu’s main citizenship programme for a contribution. The contribution is non-refundable, its amount depends on the family, it is paid after approval, and the all-in total for one applicant under the BRIDGES estimate is $135,000. The passport is obtained in about 2-3 months without relocating.

The contribution does not become an asset that can be sold: it is a payment for citizenship that the state receives into its budget. In return the applicant receives citizenship and a passport, which pass to their children. All budget items are covered in the article the cost of Vanuatu citizenship, and a general overview in the article Vanuatu citizenship by investment.

The Development Support Program and its legal basis

In short: the Citizenship Office classes DSP citizenship as honorary citizenship for a contribution to the country’s development. Applicant categories and fees are set by the Citizenship (Development Support Program) Regulations, Order No. 33 of 2019, and the decision is made by the Citizenship Commission.

DSP is not the only programme: the Citizenship Office separately lists the CIIP plan, the VCP programme and the REO property option. VCP is not another name for DSP, and its terms are confirmed separately. DSP applications are filed only through designated agents; for 2026 the official programme list has 6 agents.

The applicant is checked by the Financial Intelligence Unit, and the check fee is paid at filing. The programme’s legal basis is covered in the article the Vanuatu citizenship law, and checking the agent in the article a licensed Vanuatu citizenship agent.

DSP fees and the all-in total

In short: under the published fee table, the DSP contribution is $130,000, $150,000, $165,000 or $180,000 depending on the family. With the $5,000 FIU fee, the total under the BRIDGES estimate is $135,000, $155,000, $170,000 and $185,000.

The contribution is the same with every agent because the state sets it. What differs is the support services, which are counted as a separate line. For a family with dependent children aged 18 to 25 or parents over 50, the total is calculated for the family: all-in cost calculation.

What the DSP total includes

In short: beyond the contribution, only the FIU fee is paid to the state: $5,000 per application, not per participant. So the all-in total under the BRIDGES estimate consists of two lines: the contribution for the family and the FIU fee.

Translations, notarisation, apostilles and bank charges are paid against the actual invoices of the providers and the bank: their volume depends on the number of documents and the country the transfer comes from. Support services are fixed in the contract as a separate line before filing, so by the time of approval there are no unknown amounts in the budget.

• DSP contribution. $130,000-$180,000 depending on the family, after Commission approval.
• FIU fee. $5,000 at filing, not refunded if refused.
• Documents. Translations and certification against the provider’s invoice.
• Bank. The transfer fee at the sending bank’s rate.

This structure makes planning easy: before the Commission’s decision the family risks only the FIU fee and document costs, and the main amount stays in the account until the approval letter.

The contribution payment procedure

In short: at filing, only the $5,000 FIU fee is paid. After Commission approval a treasury invoice for the contribution is issued, and in practice it is paid within 7-14 days. After approval there are 3 months for the oath and the certificate fee.

This order protects the applicant: before the Commission’s decision they risk only the check fee and document costs. If the application is not approved, no contribution invoice is issued. So a demand to pay the DSP contribution when signing the contract contradicts the programme.

The contribution is paid in US dollars by bank transfer to the official account stated in the invoice for the application. The bank the transfer will come from is chosen in advance, because a large payment goes through a bank check. The payment schedule is covered in the article how Vanuatu citizenship is paid for.

After approval: the letter, the invoice and 3 months

In short: a week after the Commission’s sitting, the Secretary General of the Citizenship Office sends a letter with the decision. It lists the final steps: the oath, the correct spelling of the name for the certificate and payment of the fee, and for DSP also the contribution invoice.

From the approval date the applicant has 3 months to take the oath and pay the certificate fee. If the deadline is at risk, a written request for a 2-month extension with a good reason is sent to the Secretary General before it expires. Without an extension, the approval lapses and the application has to be filed again.

So after the letter three actions start in parallel: transferring the contribution against the treasury invoice, booking biometrics and preparing the oath. The spelling of the name is checked against the passport: it carries over into the certificate and the citizen’s passport.

The contribution and the family

In short: under the fee table, a spouse adds $20,000 to the contribution, the first child $15,000 and the second child another $15,000. The $5,000 FIU fee does not depend on the family.

The application can include a spouse, children up to 25 and parents over 50. Children aged 12 to 18 provide a police certificate and go through the FIU check. A relative who was not included at once is applied for separately, with their own contribution and check, so it is better value for a family to apply together. What this looks like in practice is shown in the case: a family of four with one contribution: a $180,000 contribution, one application for everyone and four passports. Conditions for each participant are in the article Vanuatu citizenship for the whole family.

Two DSP calculation examples

In short: an entrepreneur without a family pays $135,000 all-in and pays the main amount after approval. A couple pays $155,000, and for them DSP is $10,000 cheaper than the CIIP fund at the time of payment.

• One applicant. At filing, the $5,000 FIU fee; after approval, the $130,000 contribution. Before the Commission’s decision only the $5,000 FIU fee has been paid.
• A couple. The $5,000 FIU fee; after approval, the $150,000 contribution. A total of $155,000 against $165,000 for the CIIP fund.

If the couple plans children, children born after citizenship is granted obtain it by descent without a contribution. If there are already two children, it is better to compare with the CIIP fund: $165,000 and $50,000 back after 5 years.

DSP or the CIIP fund

In short: DSP is better for a single applicant and a couple: a total of $135,000 and $155,000 against $165,000 for the fund. For a family of three or more the CIIP fund is better: $165,000 at payment against $170,000 and $185,000 under DSP, plus $50,000 back after 5 years.

The CIIP fund costs the same for a family of up to four, so as the family grows it becomes cheaper than DSP at the time of payment. In return, the family leaves $50,000 in the fund for five years, and that part is returned after 5 years. The choice is covered in detail in the article choosing between DSP and the CIIP fund.

DSP and the REO property option

In short: besides the non-refundable contribution and the CIIP fund, the Citizenship Office lists the REO property option. It has operated since 23 July 2021; the property is bought in one of four approved projects, and the REO amount is not stated in the published fee table and is confirmed before filing.

The approved projects are on two islands: Pacific Springs in Rentabao, Narpow Point Coral Bay and FPF Rainbow City on Narpow Point on Efate, and Milai on Espiritu Santo. REO applications are handled by the master agent Naika Holdings Limited, and the applicant goes through the FIU check and the Commission decision in the usual way.

For an applicant who values speed and a known amount, DSP remains the direct option: the fee is published and the contribution is paid after approval. A family that wants part of the amount back compares the CIIP fund, and interest in property on the islands is discussed on the terms of a specific project. The terms are covered in the article the property route to citizenship.

The DSP process

In short: the application is filed in two rounds: a short pack for the FIU check, then the full pack for the Citizenship Commission. After approval the contribution is paid, biometrics are given, the oath is taken, and the passport is issued in 1-3 weeks.

1. Preliminary check. Background and source of funds in 1-2 working days, before any payments.
2. FIU check. Passport copies, police certificates and a CV; the check takes up to 7 working days without queries.
3. Full pack. Personal documents, source of funds, translations and certification.
4. Commission. Forms, signatures, a decision at the sitting.
5. Contribution. The treasury invoice after approval.
6. Passport. Biometrics, the oath, the citizenship certificate and the passport.

The whole route takes about 2-3 months. The stages are covered in the article the stages of obtaining Vanuatu citizenship, and the general procedure for all programmes in the article how to obtain Vanuatu citizenship step by step.

Applicant checks under DSP

In short: the Financial Intelligence Unit checks the main applicant: sanctions and wanted lists, criminal records, public positions and source of funds. The FIU fee is not refunded if the application is refused.

The source of funds is proven with a chain of documents from the income to the account the contribution will come from. Status as a public figure and previous visa refusals are disclosed at once. Hidden information is more dangerous than disclosed information: citizenship obtained by fraud ends 30 days after the fraud is established. The check is covered in the article due diligence.

Documents for a DSP application

In short: the main applicant prepares 11 certified documents, an adult participant 7 and a child 3. The first stage is short: passport copies, police certificates no older than 3 months, a CV and a second identity document go to the FIU check.

After a positive FIU conclusion, birth and marriage certificates, diplomas, medical certificates for each participant, photos and source of funds documents are gathered: an employment letter, professional and bank references, a 6-month account statement and a statement of assets. Names are checked against the passport so that the spelling matches in every document, the certificate and the future passport.

• Translation and certification. Documents are translated into English and notarised.
• Source of funds. The chain from the income to the account the contribution will come from.
• Programme forms. The team fills in the forms and passport applications, and the applicant checks and signs them.

The full list for each participant is in the article documents for Vanuatu citizenship.

A citizen’s rights under DSP

In short: Vanuatu citizenship with the same rights as a citizen by birth: a passport, 46 countries without a visa and another 42 with a visa on arrival, and passing citizenship to children. A visa is obtained for the Schengen area and the UK, and Vanuatu citizens start living in Europe through Greek residence.

• Passport. A 10-year biometric passport, one for each participant.
• Travel. Hong Kong 90 days, Singapore and Malaysia 30 days, Russia up to 90 days, the Caribbean and Latin America.
• Europe. Greek residence under the Golden Visa programme with a property threshold from €250,000.
• Family. Children born after citizenship is granted obtain it without a contribution.
• Taxes. Vanuatu has no personal income tax, but tax residence is determined by where you live.

For accounts, the second passport serves as an additional document, and the bank checks your place of residence and source of funds; in Vanuatu itself, National Bank of Vanuatu, ANZ, BRED and BSP operate. Details are in the article a bank account with a Vanuatu passport, the list of destinations in the article visa-free countries for the Vanuatu passport, and the route to Europe on the page Greek residence for Vanuatu citizens.

Mistakes when paying the DSP contribution

In short: most often the contribution is paid before approval, paid from someone else’s account or through an intermediary, the bank is chosen without checking the channel, and the 3 months after approval are missed.

1. Paying before approval. The programme provides for the contribution after the Commission’s decision.
2. Someone else’s account. A payment from a third party’s account does not prove the applicant’s source of funds.
3. An intermediary’s account. Government payments go to the official account stated in the invoice for the application.
4. An unchecked bank. A large transfer is held for the bank check and delays the issue.
5. A missed deadline. Without the oath and the fee within 3 months, the approval lapses.

The payment order and recipients are covered in the article how Vanuatu citizenship is paid for.

DSP for Russian citizens

In short: the DSP programme accepts Russian citizens on general terms. The contribution is paid from an account at a bank in another country, biometrics are given in Moscow or St Petersburg, and after the passport is received the Interior Ministry is notified within 60 days.

Russian documents are apostilled and translated into English, and the police certificate is ordered so that it is no older than 3 months on the filing date. A Russian tax resident notifies the Russian tax service when opening a foreign account. The terms are in the article Vanuatu citizenship for Russian citizens.

How BRIDGES handles a DSP application

In short: we check the background before any payments, name the designated agent before the contract, calculate DSP and the CIIP fund for the family, accept the DSP contribution for payment only after approval and take the application through to the passport.

• Itemised estimate. The contribution and FIU fee at the official rate, support services as a separate line.
• Calendar. From the next Commission sitting to biometrics.
• Payments. The treasury invoice after approval, the bank channel checked in advance.
• Family. Who to include now and which programme to choose.

The programme terms and how we work are on the page Vanuatu citizenship with BRIDGES.

BRIDGES analysis on the topic: how much the state receives per passport, what the programme means for Vanuatu’s budget.