Vanuatu citizenship for retirees: proving the source of funds without a salary

Vanuatu citizenship in retirement: in brief

In brief: the programme does not look at age and does not require work. Two questions decide it: a clean background and a proven source of money for the contribution. The turnkey total is $135,000 for one applicant and $155,000 for a couple under the DSP, with a timeline of 2-3 months.

For our older clients the task is usually not relocation. They need a back-up document, easy trips to children and grandchildren and winters in a warm country without visa hassle. A Vanuatu passport meets that need, while very few agree to live on the islands themselves: healthcare there is limited, as explained in detail below.

In order: what the programme does not ask for, how to prove money without a salary, what it costs for one and for a couple, who else can be included, what the passport gives for travel, how it passes to children, what about healthcare and what we check before filing.

Age and work: what the programme does not ask

In brief: the lower threshold for the main applicant is 18, and there is no upper one. No employment contract, salary certificate or language exam is needed, and moving to the islands is not required either.

Most routes to another country are built around work: a work visa needs an employer, a remote worker visa needs regular income, a student visa does not fit by age. So after 55 the choice narrows quickly. Vanuatu citizenship by investment works differently: it is a status granted for a contribution to the national budget, and the applicant is assessed on background and origin of money, not employment.

There is still one in-person step: since 1 July 2025 biometrics are given in person. For our clients that means Dubai, Hong Kong, Moscow, St Petersburg or Port Vila, a one-day trip to the nearest city. The rest of the process is remote, which is the main argument for an applicant who finds flights hard. A full review of the programme is in Vanuatu citizenship by investment.

How to prove the source of funds without a salary

In brief: savings, the sale of property, a pension, an inheritance, dividends and rent all work. What the checker needs is not a monthly amount but a clear chain: where the money came from and which documents show it.

This is the main question for a retired applicant, and it is usually easier to settle than for a younger client: a long life leaves a clear history. We put it together in one set before filing so that the checker has no questions left.

• Savings from years of work. Deposit and account statements showing how the sum built up.
• Sale of property. A contract for the sale of a flat, house, business stake or car and the money arriving in the account.
• Pension. Certificates of payments over several years, state or from a private fund.
• Inheritance. A certificate of inheritance and the movement of funds through the account.
• Dividends and rent. Income from a business you handed over or sold, and from letting property.

What gets in the way most often: a large account balance with no explanation of where it came from, and money held by relatives. If an adult child pays the contribution, they are also checked as the payer, and documents are prepared for them. How the check itself works is covered in due diligence.

What it costs and how long it takes

In brief: under the DSP the turnkey total is $135,000 for one applicant and $155,000 for a couple; under the CIIP fund $165,000 for a family of up to four, of which $50,000 is returned after 5 years. Beyond the contribution, the only payment to the state is the FIU fee.

A single applicant or a couple does better with the DSP: a contribution of $130,000 for one and $150,000 for a couple, plus a $5,000 FIU fee per application. If adult children or parents are included, the CIIP fund is often better: the sum does not grow with the number of members, and $50,000 is returned after 5 years. A comparison of the two programmes is in choosing between the DSP and the CIIP fund, and all budget items in the turnkey total by family size.

The money is paid after Citizenship Commission approval. Before the decision the applicant pays only the FIU fee and document costs, so a large sum does not have to be tied up for months. From filing to passport takes roughly 2-3 months: the FIU check takes up to 7 working days without requests, the Commission sits twice a month, and the passport is issued 1-3 weeks after approval.

Spouse, children and grandchildren in one application

In brief: the application can include a spouse, children under 25 and parents over 50. A couple obtains two passports in one process, and the second spouse does not need to prove anything separately.

For an older couple this is convenient: documents are collected once, one FIU fee is paid per application, and the decision covers all members at once. Exactly who can be included and which documents each needs is covered in who can be included in the application.

If adult children or grandchildren are not ready yet, they are added later by a separate application. That costs more than including them straight away, so the decision is made before filing. The procedure is described in how to add a child or spouse later.

What the passport gives in retirement

In brief: a back-up document, visa-free travel to 46 countries and another 42 with a visa on arrival, no taxes in the country itself, and citizenship that passes to children. The passport does not open Schengen or the UK.

For our clients the practical value comes down to four things.

• A back-up document. A second passport in case something goes wrong with the main one: it expires, is lost on a trip, or the rules change.
• Travel. Asia, Oceania, the Caribbean and Latin America are open without a visa or with a visa on arrival; lengths of stay are below.
• Taxes. Vanuatu has no personal income tax, capital gains tax or inheritance tax. But taxes are paid where a person lives: the passport does not change tax residence.
• For heirs. Citizenship passes to children; it is a family asset, not a one-off document.

What the passport does not give: visa-free entry to the Schengen area and the UK. To live in Europe, Vanuatu citizens arrange Greek residence, which is a separate step and separate money. The full list of destinations is in where the Vanuatu passport takes you.

Wintering somewhere warm: how long you can stay without a visa

In brief: for wintering, long stays matter. Hong Kong gives 90 days, Fiji 120, Malaysia and Thailand 30 days each, and the Maldives 30 days on a visa on arrival.

The pattern our retired clients choose: two or three months in a warm country in winter, then back home or on to a neighbouring country. That is exactly how the couple in case: a couple in their 60s wintering in Asia lives. In this pattern the Vanuatu passport saves time on visas and gives some leeway if a trip has to be extended.

Entry conditions are checked before each trip: countries change their rules, and some destinations work through an electronic visa. The check takes a few minutes on the embassy or visa service website.

Inheritance: how citizenship passes to children

In brief: children included in the application receive passports straight away. Children born after citizenship is granted become citizens by descent without a new contribution, and from there the status passes to grandchildren.

For an older applicant this is often the main point: to leave heirs not only money but mobility. How it passes through the generations and the documents needed are covered in citizenship by descent.

Vanuatu citizenship can also be renounced at any time; the procedure is described in how to renounce citizenship. In practice this is rarely used: the status requires nothing of its holder while the passport sits in a drawer.

Healthcare, insurance and life on the islands

In brief: the passport does not replace health insurance and does not give access to other countries’ healthcare. We do not advise living on the islands themselves after 60: serious treatment there requires a flight to Australia or New Zealand.

For travel, we advise older applicants to take insurance with medical evacuation and without strict age limits. Such policies exist, but their terms are checked in advance, especially with chronic conditions.

Age in the policy itself is checked separately: some insurers limit cover after 70 or ask for a medical certificate. This is sorted out in advance, before buying tickets, and costs less than urgent help on the spot.

Moving to the islands comes up rarely and almost always ends with the decision to keep the passport as a tool and live where one is used to. If you are still considering a move, see moving to and living in Vanuatu: it covers climate, prices, rent and healthcare without embellishment.

What we check before filing

In brief: the preliminary check takes 1-2 working days and happens before any payment. We look at the background, source of funds, documents and spelling of names.

• Source of funds. We rebuild the chain: sale of property, contract, receipt; deposit, statement; inheritance, certificate.
• Old documents. Older applicants often have surname changes, old-format documents and old passports. They are collected, translated and certified in advance.
• Police clearance. Needed for every member from 18, no older than 3 months on the filing date. The main applicant goes through the FIU check.
• Name matches on lists. A namesake on sanctions or wanted lists is more common than it seems, and it is cleared with documents before filing.
• Latin spelling of names. The spelling in all documents is checked against the passport, otherwise a discrepancy will surface during the check.

The preliminary check protects your money: the FIU fee is not refunded on refusal. If the check shows the application will not pass, we say so straight away, before the agreement.

How we handle the application

In brief: we collect the documents, prepare the source of funds, file through a designated agent and support you through to the passport, quickly, reliably and lawfully.

Working with a retired applicant is usually calm: we take on collecting certificates, translation and certification, set one day for biometrics in a convenient city and stay in contact with the agent and the Commission. All we need from you are documents and a signature; you will not have to go from office to office.

The amount for you and your spouse is shown by the budget for your family, and how support works is described on Vanuatu citizenship with BRIDGES.