Vanuatu citizenship by naturalisation or by investment: how the routes differ

Naturalisation in Vanuatu: in brief

In brief: naturalisation under form A requires 10 years of continuous residence in Vanuatu, and citizenship by marriage under form B a lawful marriage to a citizen and 2 years of residence. In both cases the applicant takes a Bislama test and swears an oath in a Vanuatu court. For a foreigner who does not live on the islands, the investment programme is the fit.

Both routes lead to the same citizenship and the same passport. The difference is how the applicant demonstrates a link with the country: years of living on the islands or a contribution to the country’s development. Investment programme conditions are covered in Vanuatu citizenship by investment, and all grounds in how to get Vanuatu citizenship.

Which grounds for citizenship the law provides

In brief: under the Citizenship Act [Cap 112] the Citizenship Commission grants citizenship by naturalisation, by marriage, by entitlement for descendants of ni-Vanuatu and children of naturalised citizens, on restoration, to an investor under the CIIP plan, and under the DSP, VCP and REO programmes.

The Citizenship Act has been in force since 1980 and was amended in 2013, twice in 2014 and in 2018. Citizenship is also governed by Chapter 3 of the Constitution: amendments in force since 2014 recognised dual citizenship. How the Act and the Citizenship Commission work is covered in the law the programme is based on.

Conditions for naturalisation under form A

In brief: a foreigner may apply for naturalisation only if they have lived in Vanuatu continuously for at least 10 years immediately before filing. Residence is proven with documents, so throughout this period the person lives in the country on a residence visa.

Before issuing an application form, the Citizenship Office checks whether the person is entitled to apply and issues the form for their ground. In practice the 10 years of residence are built on a residence visa based on work, own means, investment or family, renewed throughout the period. Which residence visas Vanuatu issues and what permanent residence gives is covered in Vanuatu residence or citizenship.

Documents from the checklist on the last page of the form are attached to the application. If documents are incomplete, the application is returned. The application fee of VT 5,000 is paid on filing, and the certificate of citizenship fee after approval and the oath at the Citizenship Office tariff.

Life in Vanuatu before naturalisation: taxes, land and banks

In brief: over the years of residence the family moves onto Vanuatu tax rules, with no personal income tax, capital gains tax or inheritance tax. VAT is 15%, rental tax 12.5%, and land is leased to foreigners for up to 75 years.

Tax residence is determined by the country where a person actually lives, usually under the 183-day rule. The passport itself does not change residence; relocation does: a family living on the islands pays taxes under Vanuatu rules, while its tax status in the previous country is determined by that country’s laws. The tax system is covered in taxes in Vanuatu.

Housing for many years of living is arranged through a lease of land or a house, and accounts are opened with banks operating on the islands: National Bank of Vanuatu, ANZ, BRED and BSP. The lease, bank statements and utility bills for all the years are kept: residence is proven with documents, and over 10 years there are many of them. How to open an account and what the bank checks is described in banks in Vanuatu.

Citizenship by marriage: form B

In brief: a foreigner married to a Vanuatu citizen may apply for citizenship only on two conditions: the marriage is lawful and the applicant has lived in Vanuatu for at least 2 years before filing. The Bislama test and the oath in court are mandatory on this ground too.

Marriage without residence in the country is not a ground: a citizen’s spouse who lives abroad first moves and obtains a residence visa on family grounds. After 2 years of residence they file a form B application and go through the same procedure as a naturalisation applicant. Covered in detail in marriage as a ground for citizenship.

If the marriage is to a person who obtained citizenship by investment themselves, the spouse is included in the programme application or added by a separate application under its rules. The procedure is described in adding family members to Vanuatu citizenship.

The Bislama test

In brief: the test is written, lasts 1 hour and checks general knowledge of the Republic of Vanuatu: its legal, political, historical and social organisation. Only applicants under forms A and B take it; investment programme applicants do not.

The test is held once the application and documents are deemed complete, and it is the last requirement before review by the Commission. The result is sent together with the application. If the applicant fails the first test, the application is suspended, and a second test is scheduled no earlier than 6 months later, depending on preparation.

Bislama is the common language of Vanuatu’s people and one of three official languages alongside English and French. For someone who has lived on the islands for 10 years, the language and knowledge of the country are usually part of daily life, so the test confirms integration rather than knowledge acquired while preparing.

How the application is reviewed

In brief: the application is checked twice by the Citizenship Office, then the Bislama test is held, the internal committee checks the requirements, and the Citizenship Commission decides. The decision letter arrives a week after the sitting.

The Commission may approve the application, defer it or reject it if the applicant has not provided a required document or met a requirement. The approval letter lists the final steps: the oath, the correct spelling of the name for the certificate and payment of the certificate fee. The law sets no review deadline; it depends on how complete the documents are and on the Commission’s sitting date.

The oath and the certificate of citizenship

In brief: the oath is taken only after approval, in a Vanuatu court before a commissioner for oaths. An applicant living abroad must travel to Vanuatu to take it, and a resident of Espiritu Santo takes it at the Luganville court.

For the oath, the oath form and a letter to the commissioner for oaths are obtained from the Citizenship Office. After the oath the applicant pays the certificate fee, and the Citizenship Office prints the Vanuatu certificate of citizenship. On its basis the Immigration and Passport Services issue the passport.

The applicant confirms the spelling of the name on the certificate in advance, because it carries over to the passport and must match other documents. How to choose a transliteration is covered in the name in a Vanuatu passport.

Naturalisation or the investment programme

In brief: naturalisation costs less in fees but requires 10 years of living in Vanuatu, a test and a personal oath in court. The investment programme requires a contribution but gives citizenship in 2-3 months remotely, with the oath by video call.

For a family that has lived on the islands for many years, naturalisation is the natural conclusion of the move. For someone who needs the passport as a second document without changing country, the investment programme fits. A combination also happens: an entrepreneur moving to Vanuatu obtains citizenship by investment straight away, without waiting 10 years. The cost for a family is covered in the cost of Vanuatu citizenship.

In the investment programme a single applicant or a couple does better with the DSP: $135,000 and $155,000 including the FIU fee. A family of three or more is more often suited by the CIIP fund: $165,000 for a family of up to four, of which $50,000 is returned after 5 years. The contribution is paid after Commission approval; before the decision only the FIU fee is paid.

Children of naturalised citizens

In brief: a child born after the parent acquired citizenship by naturalisation is entitled to become a Vanuatu citizen by entitlement, form C(a). A child born earlier and not included in the parent’s application cannot use this ground.

So children under 18 are included in the parent’s application straight away: the application for them is filed by a parent or legal guardian. Adult children who were not included apply on their own ground, for example by naturalisation after 10 years of residence. Citizenship by entitlement is also granted to those whose parent or grandparent is ni-Vanuatu. How citizenship passes to children under the investment programme is covered in passing Vanuatu citizenship to children.

In the investment programme the family is processed in one application: it includes a spouse, children under 25 and parents over 50, and all members receive passports at the same time. Children born after citizenship is granted acquire it by descent without a contribution. How a family application works is covered in Vanuatu citizenship for the whole family.

Dual citizenship, renunciation and loss

In brief: Vanuatu has recognised dual citizenship since 2014, so there is no need to give up your previous citizenship on naturalisation. A citizen with two citizenships cannot hold public office or take part in politics. Citizenship obtained by deception is revoked 30 days after the deception is established.

An adult citizen may renounce Vanuatu citizenship by completing the renunciation form and taking an oath. A former citizen who renounced can regain it under form C(b). The renunciation procedure is described in renouncing Vanuatu citizenship.

Your home country may have its own rules: a Russian citizen, for example, is not prohibited from holding Vanuatu citizenship but notifies the Interior Ministry of it within 60 days. Details in dual citizenship of Russia and Vanuatu.

Updates to the citizenship programmes and what they mean for applicants

In brief: on 6 February 2026 the Vanuatu Council of Ministers considered a commission of inquiry report on the Citizenship Commission and its programmes and ordered the recommendations to be implemented. The government announced programme updates, so conditions are checked on the filing date on the official website vancitizenship.gov.vu.

For a naturalisation applicant the basis is still the Citizenship Act [Cap 112] and the Citizenship Office procedure: 10 years of residence under form A, marriage and 2 years of residence under form B, the Bislama test and the oath in court. For an investment programme applicant, the Financial Intelligence Unit has published a notice on the check procedure under the DSP, CIIP and VCP programmes, and the package is prepared to it from the outset: source of funds, police clearances, family information.

The updates make the programmes more transparent for banks and other countries and give applicants clear document requirements. What has changed and how to take it into account when preparing is covered in programme changes up to 2026.

Naturalisation for foreign applicants: Russia as an example

In brief: many nationalities, Russian citizens among them, can enter Vanuatu without a visa for up to 90 days, but 10 years of continuous residence require a residence visa. Tax residence changes with the actual move, and any home-country notification duty arises after citizenship is granted.

For a foreign applicant, including a Russian citizen, the naturalisation route starts with a ground for a residence visa: work, own means, investment or family. The visa is renewed throughout the 10 years, and trips abroad are planned so as not to break the continuity of residence. After citizenship is granted, a Russian citizen, for example, notifies the Interior Ministry of the second citizenship.

Naturalisation does not suit those who do not plan to move. For them the investment programme gives a passport in 2-3 months, with biometrics in Dubai, Hong Kong, Moscow, St Petersburg or Port Vila. Conditions for Russian citizens are in Vanuatu citizenship for Russian citizens.

What the passport gives a Vanuatu citizen

In brief: a naturalised citizen and a citizen under the investment programme receive the same 10-year biometric passport: 46 countries without a visa and another 42 with a visa on arrival. A visa is obtained for the Schengen area and the UK, and Vanuatu citizens start living in Europe through Greek residence.

With a Vanuatu passport you can enter Hong Kong without a visa for 90 days, Singapore, Malaysia and the Philippines for 30 days, Fiji for 120 days and Russia for 90 days. The EU fully suspended visa-free travel for Vanuatu citizens from 4 February 2023, and since 3 February 2025 Vanuatu has been on the visa list under Regulation 2025/11. The UK has required a visa since 19 July 2023, including for transit. Destinations are covered in where the Vanuatu passport takes you.

To live in Europe, Greek residence is added to the passport: a property threshold from €250,000 to €800,000, the spouse, children and parents are included in the application, Schengen travel is allowed for up to 90 days in any 180, and permanent living in Greece is not required. A turnkey package of Vanuatu citizenship and Greek residence takes up to 9 months; conditions on Greek residence for Vanuatu citizens.

Which route suits whom

In brief: naturalisation suits those who already live in Vanuatu or are moving there for the long term. Marriage to a citizen shortens the period to 2 years of residence. Anyone who needs a second passport without relocating is suited by the investment programme.

• Naturalisation. The family has lived in Vanuatu for years, runs a business or works there, and is ready to take the Bislama test and swear an oath in court.
• Marriage to a citizen. The lawful spouse of a citizen has lived in the country for 2 years.
• By entitlement. The applicant has ni-Vanuatu ancestors or a parent acquired citizenship by naturalisation before their birth.
• Investment programme. A passport is needed in 2-3 months without relocating, for one applicant or a family.

A promise of “naturalisation in a year without relocating” contradicts the law: residence periods are set by forms A and B, and the test and oath are done in person. Signs of unreliable offers are collected in Vanuatu passport scams.

How BRIDGES helps choose the ground

In brief: we check whether the applicant has a ground by marriage or descent, and support citizenship by investment for those it suits, from the preliminary check to the passport.

• Checking grounds. Marriage, ni-Vanuatu ancestors, previous Vanuatu citizenship.
• Investment programme. A DSP and CIIP fund budget, documents, filing through a designated agent.
• Family. Whom to include in the application straight away so as not to file separate applications.
• Duties after the passport. Home-country notification and the route to residence in Europe.

The cost for your family is shown by the cost calculator, programme conditions are collected in the guide to Vanuatu citizenship, and the way we work is described on support under the Vanuatu programme.