Vanuatu citizenship for a spouse and children after receiving the passport: 4 scenarios

How to add a family member to Vanuatu citizenship in brief

In brief: a child born after the parent became a citizen is registered on application and a birth certificate, without a programme contribution. A new spouse, their children and a child left out of the application go through a separate application: an FIU check, a Commission decision and a contribution whose amount the agent confirms before filing.

The DSP scale is better value for the full family at once: a spouse in the original application adds $20,000 to the contribution, the first and second child $15,000 each, and each further participant $10,000. For a relative added after approval there is no official amount in the tariff table. So before filing, the family decides whom to include straight away. The composition of the first application is covered in the article Vanuatu citizenship for the family.

Two routes: by descent and by separate application

In brief: all family scenarios come down to two mechanisms. By descent, citizenship is received by a citizen’s child born after the parent obtained the status. All other family members need a separate application under the programme rules.

Citizenship by descent does not depend on the child’s place of birth or the other parent’s citizenship: it is enough for one parent to be a Vanuatu citizen on the date of birth. A separate application is filed through a designated agent, like the original application, and the decision on it is made by the Citizenship Commission.

Scenario 1. A child is born

In brief: a child born after the parent became a citizen receives Vanuatu citizenship by descent. The family files an application with the birth certificate and the parent’s certificate, then obtains a passport for the child. No programme contribution or FIU check is needed.

A birth certificate issued in another country is apostilled or legalised and translated into English. The application is accompanied by the parent’s citizenship certificate, the parents’ passports, the child’s photographs and the passport forms. The application for a child under 18 is filed by a parent or legal guardian. Under the Passports Act 2009, each child needs their own passport.

The main condition: the parent must be a citizen on the child’s date of birth, not on the date of filing. If the child is born while the parents’ application is under review, the procedure for including them is agreed with the agent in advance. A practical example is in the case of Vanuatu citizenship for a newborn girl, and the service is citizenship for a newborn.

• Spelling of names. The child’s name and the parents’ names in the translation match the Vanuatu passports letter for letter.
• Photographs. The baby’s photo is taken to passport photo requirements.
• Travel. Plan to receive the passport before the child’s first trip.

Scenario 2. A new marriage

In brief: marriage to a Vanuatu citizen does not grant citizenship automatically. A new spouse files a separate application through a designated agent and goes through the full FIU check, and the contribution for them is confirmed by the agent before filing, because there is no official amount for adding someone after approval.

The spouse goes through the same check as the main applicant: identity, criminal record, sanctions lists, and source of funds if they are paying the contribution. The police certificate must be no older than 3 months on the filing date. The marriage certificate with an apostille and documents on the termination of previous marriages are added to the standard set.

A citizen’s spouse also has a second lawful route: form B for a foreigner lawfully married to a Vanuatu citizen. It requires at least 2 years of residence in Vanuatu and a Bislama test, so it suits those who live in the country. Conditions are in the article Vanuatu citizenship by marriage.

If the marriage is planned before the main application is filed, it is better value to marry and apply together: a couple pays $150,000 instead of two separate applications. An example is in the case of Vanuatu citizenship for newlyweds.

Scenario 3. A spouse’s children and joint children

In brief: a new spouse’s child from a previous relationship files a separate application with age-appropriate checks and a contribution. A joint child born after one of the parents became a citizen receives citizenship by descent without a contribution.

For the spouse’s child you need a birth certificate, custody documents and a notarised consent from the other parent if they are not part of the application. Children aged 12 to 18 provide a police certificate and pass the FIU check, and those aged 18 to 25 file the full set of adult documents plus proof of study and dependency.

A joint child qualifies by descent from the citizen parent regardless of whether the other parent has become a citizen. So for a family planning children, one parent’s citizenship already opens citizenship to future joint children.

Scenario 4. A child was left out of the first application

In brief: a child born before the parent obtained citizenship and not included in the application does not receive citizenship by descent. A separate application is filed for them with its own contribution, FIU fee and documents.

This happens when the family economises on the composition, does not manage to collect the child’s documents in time, or the child lives with the other parent. A separate application costs more and takes a new check cycle, so all children under 25 who can be included are included in the original application.

Conditions for an adult child are checked before filing: in the original application, children aged 18-25 file the full set of adult documents plus proof of study and dependency. The service for adding relatives is described on the page adding relatives.

Consent of the other parent and custody

In brief: if an application is filed for a child whose other parent is not part of the application, you need a notarised consent from that parent or a document confirming that one parent has the right to decide the child’s citizenship matters. Without it, an application for a minor is not filed.

The consent is executed before a notary in the other parent’s country of residence, apostilled and translated into English. If the other parent has died, has lost parental rights or their whereabouts are unknown, a death certificate, a court order or a custody document is attached instead of consent.

Custody documents are prepared before the other papers are translated, because they are what most often delays an application for a spouse’s child.

How a separate application works

In brief: a separate application repeats the stages of the original one: a pre-check, documents, filing through an agent, the FIU check, the Commission decision, the contribution, the oath and the passport. The main applicant’s documents already exist, so the family prepares a set only for the new participant.

A pre-check before any payments shows the risks: sanctions, criminal records, inconsistencies in documents. Replies to check queries are sent within 1-3 working days. After the approval letter, the new participant has 3 months to take the oath and pay the certificate fee, with a 2-month extension on written request. Week-by-week stages are in the article the timeline for obtaining Vanuatu citizenship.

What adding costs

In brief: for a child born after citizenship was obtained there is no contribution; the family pays only for translation, apostille and the citizen’s documents. For a new spouse and a child left out of the application, an FIU fee of $5,000 per application is paid, plus a contribution whose amount the agent confirms with an invoice before filing.

For comparison: in the original application a spouse adds $20,000, and each participant beyond four $10,000. The $10,000 per additional participant applies to the original application and does not carry over to adding someone after approval. The full budget is in the article the cost of Vanuatu citizenship.

If the family is only preparing its first application, the choice of programme affects the price of the full composition. For a family of three or more, the CIIP fund with $50,000 returned is usually better value: $157,000 in one sum for a family of up to four and an FIU fee of $8,000 per application. For a single applicant or a couple, the DSP is better value.

Documents for each scenario

In brief: the state must see a consistent family chain and a clean background for each adult. For a child by descent, birth and kinship are checked; for other participants the full applicant set is collected.

• Child born afterwards. Birth certificate with an apostille and translation, the parent’s citizenship certificate, the parents’ passports, a marriage certificate or a document establishing paternity, photographs, passport forms.
• New spouse. Passports of all citizenships, marriage certificate, documents on the termination of previous marriages, police certificates no older than 3 months, source-of-funds documents if they are paying the contribution.
• Spouse’s child or a child left out of the application. Birth certificate, custody documents, the other parent’s consent, a police certificate for children from 18, and proof of study and dependency for those aged 18-25.

The general rule for all sets: the same spelling of names and dates in all documents. Transliteration is checked against current passports before the apostille and translation, because once the passport is issued an error can be corrected only by replacing the document. A review is in the article the name in a Vanuatu passport.

Grandchildren and future generations

In brief: citizenship by descent works in every generation: the children of citizen children, born after their parent obtained citizenship, are registered without a programme contribution.

A child who obtains citizenship now, by descent or in the application, can pass it on to their own children. The chain continues as long as each generation registers documents on time, so families do not put off applications for newborns. Details are in the article inheriting Vanuatu citizenship.

Home-country notices for new citizens

In brief: some countries require citizens to report a second citizenship. Russia is an example: every new Vanuatu citizen who also holds Russian citizenship notifies the Interior Ministry within 60 days of acquiring citizenship, or, if it was obtained abroad, within 60 days of entering Russia. For minors, the notice is filed by their legal representatives.

A spouse files the notice personally. A child registered by descent also acquires a second citizenship, and the parents file the notice for them within the same deadlines. The notice is the last item on the checklist after the passport is received. A review is in the article dual citizenship of Russia and Vanuatu.

When to do what

In brief: when planning a child, it is easier to complete the parent’s citizenship first; when planning a marriage, it is easier to marry before filing. After the passport is received, the family calendar gains home-country notices and passport renewal after 10 years.

• A child is planned. If the parent obtains citizenship before the birth, the child is registered by descent without a contribution.
• A marriage is planned. Marrying before filing allows the couple to apply together on the $150,000 scale. An application for a spouse after citizenship has been obtained is filed only after the marriage is registered.
• After the passport. A home-country notice where required (for Russian citizens, the Interior Ministry within 60 days), and passport renewal after 10 years. Rights and obligations are covered in the article the rights and obligations of a Vanuatu citizen.

It is convenient to keep deadlines in one family calendar: the date each participant obtained citizenship, the date of the home-country notice, passport and certificate validity. Then an application for a newborn or a new spouse is prepared in advance, not just before a trip.

Divorce and the spouse’s citizenship

In brief: divorce is not among the grounds for revoking citizenship: the Commission revokes citizenship for fraud in obtaining it, a breach of the Citizenship Act or the Constitution, and failure to comply with the restrictions of the law. The spouse and children keep the citizenship they obtained.

After a divorce, a former spouse who did not obtain citizenship can no longer apply as a citizen’s spouse and applies independently. For children, their parents’ divorce changes nothing: their citizenship is kept, passports are renewed in the usual way, and the right to pass citizenship to their own children remains.

Divorce does not lead to loss of citizenship, and leaving it is done separately, using the renunciation form. The procedure is described in the article how to renounce citizenship.

Three common mistakes when adding family members

In brief: families most often put off the application for a newborn, count on the spouse’s citizenship being automatic, and conceal difficult facts in the new participant’s background.

1. Putting off the newborn. The child’s passport is remembered just before a trip, while legalising the certificate and issuing the passport take weeks.
2. Treating the spouse’s citizenship as automatic. An adult obtains Vanuatu citizenship only after checks, so the application for a spouse is planned with a budget and timeline.
3. Concealing difficult facts. A refusal for a new participant can be remedied, whereas revocation of citizenship for fraud affects the whole family’s documents. Difficult situations are dealt with through preparation. Details are in the article 7 reasons for refusal of Vanuatu citizenship.

A check before filing removes all three mistakes: who receives citizenship by descent, who needs a separate application and which of the new participant’s documents will raise questions.

How BRIDGES adds family members

In brief: for BRIDGES clients, the documents from the original application are kept in our archive, so work on a new participant starts immediately. Before any payments we carry out a pre-check, collect the set with legalisation and handle the application through to the passport.

If citizenship was not obtained through BRIDGES, we reconstruct the picture from the family’s documents and handle the application in the usual way. Services: registering a child or spouse, citizenship for a newborn and adding relatives; the calculation for your family is on the page of the Vanuatu citizenship programme.