Vanuatu citizenship by marriage or a spouse in an investment application

Two grounds: marriage to a citizen and a joint application

In brief: by marriage, citizenship is granted to the spouse of a Vanuatu citizen after 2 years of living in the country, a Bislama test and an oath in court. If both spouses are foreigners, there is one ground: the investment programme, where the spouse is included in the main applicant’s application.

These two grounds are often confused because in both cases the spouse gets the passport. Under form B the citizen’s spouse files the application themselves and proves they live in the country. In the investment programme the spouse is part of the main applicant’s application and goes through the check, but does not move or take a test. Programme conditions are covered in Vanuatu citizenship by investment, and what is checked for the main applicant and members in requirements for Vanuatu citizenship applicants.

Does marriage to a citizen give the right to citizenship

In brief: marriage gives the right to apply, not citizenship automatically. The Citizenship Office states plainly that a citizen’s spouse may not apply for citizenship until both conditions are met: a lawful marriage and at least 2 years of residence in Vanuatu.

A marriage concluded abroad is a valid ground if it is lawful, but residence in Vanuatu is still mandatory. Spouses who live in another country first move, obtain a residence visa and apply after 2 years. The Citizenship Commission decides, and it may defer or reject the application if a document or information is not provided or a requirement is not met.

Conditions for naturalisation without marriage are covered in Vanuatu citizenship by naturalisation. All grounds for citizenship, from birth to the investment programme, are listed in the Vanuatu Citizenship Act; how it works is explained in the law the programme is based on.

Form B conditions and documents

In brief: you need a lawful marriage to a Vanuatu citizen, at least 2 years of residence in the country and the documents on the form B checklist. The application fee of VT 5,000 is paid on filing, the certificate fee after approval and the oath.

• A lawful marriage. The marriage is registered and in force on the filing date. An engagement or a dissolved marriage is not a ground.
• Residence. At least 2 years in Vanuatu before filing, confirmed by a residence visa and documents on life in the country.
• Documents. The list is on the checklist on the last page of form B: an incomplete package is returned to the applicant.
• Test. A written Bislama test after the package is checked.
• Oath. After approval, in a Vanuatu court.

A marriage certificate issued abroad is legalised and translated into English, and the names in it are checked against both spouses’ passports. If the applicant had previous marriages, documents on their dissolution are attached. Document requirements by member are collected in documents for Vanuatu citizenship.

How to live 2 years: the spouse residence visa

In brief: the spouse or partner of a Vanuatu citizen or resident receives a residence visa on family grounds. It is on this visa that the 2 years of living in the country build up, after which you can apply for citizenship by marriage.

The residence visa is issued by the Vanuatu Immigration Service. If the citizen spouse dies, the right to a family visa remains if the couple has children with Vanuatu citizenship or the relationship lasted at least five years. Many nationalities, Russian citizens among them, need no visa for a first entry of under 90 days, but to live in the country a residence visa is obtained.

Residence permits, income thresholds and permanent residence are covered in Vanuatu residence or citizenship, and life in the country in living in and moving to Vanuatu.

A couple that does not plan to move does not need these 2 years: in a joint investment application both spouses receive passports without living in the country, and travel in person only for biometrics.

How an application by marriage is reviewed

In brief: a form B application follows the same procedure as naturalisation: package check, Bislama test, internal committee, Commission decision, oath in court and certificate. The decision letter arrives a week after the Commission sitting.

The Bislama test lasts 1 hour and checks general knowledge of how the Republic of Vanuatu is organised. If the first test is failed, the application is suspended, and a second test is scheduled no earlier than 6 months later. The oath is taken before a commissioner for oaths in a Vanuatu court, and an applicant living abroad has to travel to the country for this.

Children in a marriage with a Vanuatu citizen

In brief: a child with one parent who is a Vanuatu citizen acquires citizenship by descent. If a parent or grandparent is ni-Vanuatu, citizenship by entitlement is obtained under form C(a).

The application for a child under 18 is filed by a parent or legal guardian. A child born after the parent acquired citizenship by naturalisation also has a ground, while a child born earlier and not included in the parent’s application cannot use this ground. How citizenship passes to children is covered in passing Vanuatu citizenship to children.

In an investment application, children are part of the parents’ application: under 18 with a reduced document set, from 18 to 25 with proof of full-time study. Children born after citizenship is granted acquire it by descent without a contribution, while a child over 25 is not part of the parent’s application and applies on their own.

A spouse in an investment application

In brief: if both spouses are foreigners, the couple files one investment programme application. Under the DSP the contribution for a couple is $150,000 and the turnkey total $155,000. Under the CIIP fund the contribution is $157,000 for a family of up to four and the total $165,000, of which $50,000 is returned after 5 years.

For a couple without children the DSP is usually better value: a total of $155,000 against $165,000 under the fund. If a child is included, the family of three compares the DSP at $170,000 with the fund at $165,000, of which $50,000 is returned after 5 years, and more often chooses the fund. All cost items are covered in the full cost of Vanuatu citizenship.

The spouse goes through the Financial Intelligence Unit check together with the main applicant, and the check fee is paid once per application: $5,000 under the DSP or $8,000 under the fund. The couple receives passports at the same time, in roughly 2-3 months, and both keep their previous citizenship. Besides the spouse, the application can include children under 25 and parents over 50; see Vanuatu citizenship for a family.

If the spouse was not included in the first application, for example because the marriage took place after the passport was received, they are added by a separate application with their own contribution and check. So a couple planning to marry does better filing a joint application after registration. The procedure is in adding family members to Vanuatu citizenship.

The spouse’s documents in a joint application

In brief: for the first stage of the FIU check the spouse prepares a certified passport copy, a police clearance, a second identity document and a CV. The full package includes the marriage certificate with an apostille and translation, a birth certificate, a medical certificate and photographs.

The marriage certificate links the spouses’ documents, so it is checked first. If the spouse changed surname after marriage and some documents are in the former name, the marriage certificate confirms it is the same person, and all translations use the same spelling of the name as in the passport. The spouse obtains a police clearance from the country of citizenship and countries of residence, and it must be no older than 3 months on the filing date.

The source of funds is proven by the main applicant, because they pay the contribution. If part of the money for the contribution belongs to the spouse, for example from the sale of their flat, documents on the origin of that part are prepared for the spouse. The list for each member is in documents for Vanuatu citizenship.

When to file a joint application

In brief: a joint application is filed after the marriage is registered, when both spouses have valid passports and police clearances no older than 3 months. A recent marriage is no obstacle if the certificate is lawfully issued.

If a wedding is planned, filing is usually scheduled after registration: a spouse not included in the first application is later added by a separate application with their own contribution and check. If the marriage is already registered, the calendar is built from the certificates: for two people they must be valid at the same time on the filing date, so they are ordered in the same week.

• Passports. Valid for both spouses on the date the first stage is filed.
• Police clearances. From the country of residence, no older than 3 months on the filing date.
• Marriage certificate. With an apostille and translation, names checked against the passports.
• Biometrics. Each spouse gives them in person in Dubai, Hong Kong, Moscow, St Petersburg or Port Vila.

The procedure for a couple is the same as for any family: a pre-check of 1-2 working days, the FIU check up to 7 working days without requests, the Citizenship Commission sits twice a month, after approval applicants have 3 months for the contribution and oath, and passports are issued in 1-3 weeks. The procedure and amounts are checked on the filing date; current rules are collected in programme changes up to 2026.

Divorce or death of a spouse

In brief: for form B the marriage must be in force on the filing date, so a divorce before filing removes this ground. Citizenship already obtained by a spouse in an investment application does not depend on what happens to the marriage and can end only on grounds set by law.

If the marriage broke down before a form B application was filed, the foreign spouse may apply for citizenship by naturalisation once they reach 10 years of residence. If the citizen spouse dies, the family residence visa remains with children holding Vanuatu citizenship or a relationship of at least five years, and the residence period continues to run.

A spouse who obtained citizenship as part of an investment application remains a Vanuatu citizen after a divorce. The law links loss of citizenship to deception in obtaining it, concealment of information and other grounds set out in the Citizenship Act, not to a change in marital status. Citizenship can be renounced voluntarily; the procedure is in renouncing Vanuatu citizenship.

The spouse’s rights after citizenship

In brief: the ground for obtaining it does not change the rights. A spouse who obtained citizenship by marriage and a spouse from a joint investment application receive the same 10-year Vanuatu passport, recognised dual citizenship and the right to pass citizenship to children.

The difference between the grounds concerns only the route to the passport. Under form B the applicant lives in Vanuatu for at least 2 years, takes the Bislama test and swears an oath in court. In a joint application the spouse goes through the FIU check together with the main applicant, keeps their previous place of residence and receives the passport in roughly 2-3 months.

After the passport is received, the spouses’ rights are equal. The passport is biometric, valid for 10 years and opens 46 countries without a visa and another 42 with a visa on arrival. For the Schengen area and the UK a visa is obtained, and Vanuatu citizens start living in Europe through Greek residence, which includes spouses and children in one application.

A second citizenship does not change the spouses’ tax residence: banks report account data by the client’s country of tax residence, not by citizenship. How this works is covered in confidentiality of the status and CRS.

Case: newlyweds file a joint application

In brief: a couple applied for Vanuatu citizenship shortly after their wedding, when the marriage certificate was a month old. To avoid questions about the recent marriage, the apostilled and translated certificate was supplemented with the history of the relationship.

The young couple had three points that needed attention: a recent marriage, a short financial history for applicants under 35, and certificates of two people that had to be valid at the same time. The main applicant’s source of funds was proven by the six-year history of his IT company, contracts, dividends and tax returns, and the document calendar was built from the certificate with the shortest validity. Details in the case Vanuatu citizenship for newlyweds.

Sham marriage and its consequences

In brief: a marriage for the sake of a passport is not a lawful ground. Citizenship obtained through false information, deception or concealment is revoked 30 days after this is established.

The Commission checks the marriage and residence information when reviewing the application, and the Financial Intelligence Unit checks investment programme applicants. Information about the marriage, previous marriages and children is stated in full: a discrepancy with the documents becomes grounds for a request, refusal or later loss of citizenship. Reasons for refusal are covered in refusal of Vanuatu citizenship.

Marriage or an investment application: which to choose

In brief: form B suits those married to a Vanuatu citizen and living in the country. A foreign couple that needs passports without relocating is suited by a joint investment application.

A passport obtained on any ground gives the same rights. Visa-free destinations are collected in visa-free countries for the Vanuatu passport, and taxes in taxes in Vanuatu.

Marriage and a second citizenship: home-country rules

In brief: a marriage certificate issued abroad is apostilled and translated into English. A foreign couple files a joint investment application, and after receiving the passports each spouse checks their home country’s rules: a Russian citizen, for example, notifies the Interior Ministry of the second citizenship within 60 days.

If a citizen of another country is married to a Vanuatu citizen and lives outside Vanuatu, they have no form B ground until they have lived in Vanuatu for 2 years. For such a family the investment programme is faster. If the family moves to Vanuatu, the spouse obtains a residence visa and after 2 years applies under form B. All duties to Russian authorities, as an example, are covered in Vanuatu citizenship for Russian citizens.

How BRIDGES helps spouses

In brief: we check the ground, prepare the marriage certificate and both spouses’ documents, calculate both programmes for the couple and take the joint application through to the passports.

• Ground. Form B for marriage to a citizen, or a joint investment application.
• Marriage certificate. Apostille, translation and checking names against the passports.
• Certificate calendar. Two people’s documents valid at the same time on the filing date.
• A budget for the couple. The DSP and the CIIP fund, taking plans for children into account.

The cost for your family is shown by the cost calculator. How support works from the pre-check to the passports is described on Vanuatu citizenship with BRIDGES, and conditions, timelines and amounts are collected in one document in the guide to conditions and cost.