Vanuatu citizenship for the whole family: who can be included in one application

A family application for Vanuatu citizenship

In brief: an application for Vanuatu citizenship by investment can include a spouse, children under 25 and parents over 50. Children aged 18-25 prove full-time study and support, and the main applicant goes through the FIU check. A family of three or more does better with the CIIP fund, a single applicant with the DSP.

Filing everyone at once is cheaper and faster than adding relatives after the passport: the check runs in parallel, documents are collected as one package and biometrics are planned for the whole family. A relative who was not included at first is added by a separate application with their own contribution and check.

Who is in the application: spouse, children, parents

In brief: a spouse is included on the marriage certificate, children under 18 on kinship, children aged 18-25 with full-time study and support, parents over 50 on proof of kinship.

Spouse

A spouse is included when the marriage is officially registered. Partners without a marriage certificate are not included. If the marriage took place abroad, the certificate is apostilled and translated into English, and in some cases the Citizenship Office asks for confirmation that the marriage is current.

Children under 18 and children aged 18-25

Biological and adopted children under 18 are included on proof of kinship. If the parents are divorced, the other parent gives notarised consent to the child’s inclusion. If contact with the other parent has been lost or they have lost parental rights, a court decision is attached.

Children aged 18 to 25 are included if they are dependants of the main applicant. As a rule these are full-time students with no income of their own and unmarried. A certificate from the educational institution and proof of support are needed. If a child will soon turn 25, the application is prepared with their age on the filing date in mind.

A medical certificate is needed for every member, including children, and a police clearance from 18. How citizenship then passes to the next generations is covered in passing citizenship to children.

Parents over 50

Parents over 50 are included on proof of kinship; if the agent asks for proof that the applicant supports them, statements of regular transfers and pension certificates are attached. They do not need to live in Vanuatu, and biometrics can be given in Moscow or St Petersburg as well as in Dubai, Hong Kong or Port Vila, so elderly parents do not have to fly to the islands.

How this went in a real application is shown in case: a mother over 50 in the application.

The Government of Vanuatu may clarify age limits and wording, so the family composition is checked as of the filing date. Non-standard situations, such as a 24-year-old child on academic leave, a 49-year-old parent or a spouse’s child from a previous marriage, can be resolved but need a separate document check before filing.

Documents for children and dependants

In brief: for each member a passport, proof of kinship and a medical certificate are prepared; for members from 18, police clearances; for children aged 18-25, proof of full-time study and support. Documents are translated into English and certified.

• Spouse: passport, marriage certificate, photo, police clearance, proof of address.
• Children under 18: passport, birth certificate, consent of the other parent after a divorce, photo; a police clearance from 18.
• Children aged 18-25: passport, birth certificate, certificate of full-time study, proof of support, police clearance.
• Parents over 50: passport, proof of kinship, police clearance, medical certificate, and on request statements of transfers from the applicant.

A family of two adults and two children typically ends up with about 24 documents from different countries, so they are collected in parallel with the preliminary check, not after it. Police clearances are ordered so that all remain valid on the filing date. The full list for each member is collected in which documents are needed for Vanuatu citizenship.

Each adult family member goes through the Vanuatu Financial Intelligence Unit check: convictions, sanctions lists, reputation. The source-of-funds check is for the main applicant, because they pay the contribution. Under the official DSP checklist, children aged 12 to 18 provide a police clearance and are checked too; for children under 18 a passport, birth certificate, medical certificate, photo and forms are prepared.

Cost of Vanuatu citizenship for different families

In brief: under the DSP the contribution grows with the family: $130,000 for one, $150,000 for a couple, $165,000 with a child, $180,000 with two children. The CIIP fund costs $157,000 for a family of up to four. The FIU check fee is paid once per application: $5,000 under the DSP and $8,000 under the fund.

The turnkey total in the BRIDGES budget includes the contribution and the FIU fee: $5,000 under the DSP and $8,000 under the fund; there are no other government payments beyond the contribution. Translation and certification are paid on the provider’s invoice. The check fee is not multiplied by the number of adults: it is paid for the whole application, although each adult is checked.

For a family of five or more, the budget calculates the contribution for each further member by age and status: a child under 18, a child aged 18-25, a parent. Which programme suits a large family better depends on its composition, so the calculator works out both. How a three-generation family filed one application for seven people is shown in case: a budget for a family of seven, and rates for additional members in different programmes are collected in the family cost index. All budget items are covered in how much Vanuatu citizenship costs for a family.

DSP or the CIIP fund for a family

In brief: for a family of three the fund is cheaper than the DSP at the point of payment, for a family of four by $20,000, and after 5 years $50,000 comes back. For a couple the choice depends on whether they are ready to leave $50,000 in the fund for five years.

Under the DSP the money goes to the Vanuatu budget and is not returned; the contribution is paid after the application is approved. Under the CIIP fund one sum of $157,000 covers a family of up to four, the contribution is paid after Commission approval, and after 5 years the state buys back the stake and returns $50,000. Leaving the fund earlier is possible with loss of part of the amount under the agreement.

For a family of four the difference looks like this: $185,000 turnkey under the DSP against $165,000 under the fund, and net of the return the cost of citizenship is $115,000. The passport and citizen’s rights are the same in both programmes. How to choose a programme by family size is covered in the CIIP fund with a $50,000 return.

Relatives after the passport is received

In brief: yes. A child born to a Vanuatu citizen acquires citizenship by descent without a programme contribution. A spouse from a new marriage and parents not included at first are added by a separate application with their own contribution and check.

If a child is born after citizenship is granted, they are registered as a Vanuatu citizen by descent on the basis of the birth certificate and the parent’s passport. No programme contribution is paid for such a child. How this works in practice is shown in the case of a newborn.

A spouse from a marriage concluded after the passport was received files a separate application: they go through the full check and pay the contribution and fees. The same applies to parents and adult children not included in the first application. The amount payable and the document package are checked as of the filing date; the procedure is described in how to add a child or spouse later and on the service page adding a family member.

Passing citizenship to children

In brief: yes. Vanuatu citizenship passes to children by descent, including those born after the passport was received and abroad. No repeat contribution is needed for them.

Families who obtain the passport for their children and grandchildren get a status that works for the next generation: the child of a Vanuatu citizen is entitled to citizenship by descent wherever they are born. Registration requires the child’s birth certificate, the parent’s passport and proof of kinship.

Vanuatu recognises dual citizenship, so neither the child nor the adults need to give up their first citizenship. A child can keep the citizenship of their country of birth and hold a Vanuatu passport. The rules of the first country of citizenship are checked separately: Russia, for example, requires its citizens to notify the Interior Ministry of a second citizenship within 60 days.

Family members’ rights after citizenship

In brief: each member of the application becomes a Vanuatu citizen and receives their own 10-year passport. The spouse, children and parents have the same rights and duties as the main applicant, and an adult citizen may voluntarily renounce citizenship.

The spouse, children and parents receive the same status as the main applicant: a passport, recognition of dual citizenship and the right to pass citizenship to their own children. It is convenient to keep the family’s passports on one calendar: if they were issued under one application, they expire at about the same time, and renewal is planned for everyone at once.

An adult citizen with full legal capacity can renounce Vanuatu citizenship by completing the renunciation form and taking an oath, and the status can later be regained using form C(b). The procedure is described in how to renounce citizenship, a citizen’s duties in rights and duties of a citizen.

Parents over 50 and the source of funds

In brief: parents over 50 are included in the main applicant’s application, and the source of funds for the contribution is proven by whoever pays. If parents apply on their own savings or pension, they go through the source-of-funds check themselves.

Parents’ documents were often issued long ago and in another country, so archived birth and marriage certificates are requested in advance, and name spellings are checked against the passports. Parents prepare a police clearance and a medical certificate like the other adult members and give biometrics in person in one of five cities.

For parents who apply on their own, documents on a pension, the sale of property or savings over several years are important. How such money is checked is covered in a retiree’s source of funds.

Travel and residence in Europe for a family with a Vanuatu passport

In brief: a Vanuatu passport opens 46 countries to the family without a visa and another 42 with a visa on arrival. It has no visa-free entry to the Schengen area, and the family’s route to Europe goes through Greek residence.

The EU suspended visa-free travel for Vanuatu citizens partially on 3 March 2022 and fully on 4 February 2023, and EU Regulation 2025/11 of 19 December 2024 moved the country to the visa-required list. The UK has required a visa since 19 July 2023. A family with a Vanuatu passport enters the Schengen area on a visa.

To live in Europe, families arrange residence: first a Vanuatu passport in 2-3 months, then a Greek Golden Visa with a property threshold from €250,000 to €800,000, which also includes the spouse, children and parents. The whole turnkey package takes up to 9 months. How a three-generation family obtained Greek residence through a Vanuatu passport is shown in the case of three generations, and the procedure on Greek residence for Vanuatu citizens.

In Asia and Oceania the Vanuatu passport makes travel easier, while tax residence does not change with it: it depends on where the family lives. The list of destinations is in visa-free countries for the Vanuatu passport.

Family checks and processing time

In brief: every adult family member goes through the FIU check, and the main applicant proves the source of funds. From filing the full package to the passports takes roughly 2-3 months, and all members receive their passports at the same time.

Due diligence includes police clearances from countries of residence, screening against sanctions lists and a reputational check. Children aged 12 to 18 provide a police clearance and are checked too. If a question arises about one member, the reply is prepared with documents, and the timeline for the whole application moves by the time needed to reply.

Family applications are prepared in this order: fix the composition and the children’s ages on the filing date, check each adult’s background, draw up a document list for each member and collect them in parallel. Biometrics are planned for the whole family at once. How the process goes step by step is described in how to get Vanuatu citizenship.

Biometrics for the whole family

Since 1 July 2025 biometrics for the passport are given in person: in Dubai, Hong Kong, Moscow, St Petersburg or Port Vila. The trip is planned for the whole family at once and on one day, so parents and children do not have to travel separately.

Common mistakes in a family application

1. Adding relatives one by one. Each new application after the passport needs its own contribution and check.
2. Not considering a child’s age on the filing date. A child who has turned 25 needs a separate application.
3. Not preparing the other parent’s consent. Without it, a child from a divorced family will not be included.
4. Explaining parents’ support in words. If the agent asks for proof, transfer statements and certificates are needed, not an explanatory letter.
5. Calculating only the DSP. For a family of four the CIIP fund is $20,000 cheaper at the point of payment.