How to renounce Vanuatu citizenship

Renouncing Vanuatu citizenship: in brief

In brief: Vanuatu citizenship can be renounced by an adult citizen with full legal capacity: they complete the renunciation form and take an oath. For those who renounced and want citizenship back, there is form C(b) on restoration. One family member’s renunciation does not end the citizenship of the others.

Before renouncing, check whether it is needed at all. Dual citizenship in Vanuatu is recognised by a constitutional amendment in force since 2014, and many countries require not renunciation but notification of a second citizenship. Russia belongs to the second group: a Russian citizen notifies the Interior Ministry and keeps both citizenships.

Is renunciation needed: dual citizenship is recognised

In brief: holding a Vanuatu passport does not in itself conflict with another citizenship, because Vanuatu recognises dual citizenship. Renunciation is needed only if another country expressly requires previous citizenships to be given up.

The Citizenship Office applies the rule on loss of citizenship when legal conditions are met to adult citizens who do not have dual citizenship. A programme participant adds Vanuatu citizenship to their first citizenship, and nothing needs to be done to keep the status: there is no mandatory residence, no visits and no annual payments.

If the Vanuatu passport is no longer needed for travel, it can simply not be renewed when it expires. Citizenship is kept, and renunciation remains a decision for when another country’s law requires it. What the status gives is covered in rights and duties of a citizen.

When renunciation is really needed

In brief: voluntary renunciation is almost always linked to an external requirement: naturalisation in a country that does not allow multiple citizenship, or a post that requires a single citizenship.

• Naturalisation in another country. Some states require a document renouncing all previous citizenships on naturalisation. The requirement is checked against the text of that country’s law, not a retelling.
• Civil service or a post. For some posts in the country of main citizenship, the law requires the absence of a foreign citizenship.
• Personal reasons. Sometimes a family simplifies its documents if the second passport is no longer used. In that case renunciation is first compared with simply not renewing the passport.

A change in the EU visa regime does not require renunciation. Since 3 February 2025 a Vanuatu citizen obtains a Schengen visa, and to live in Europe families use Vanuatu citizenship as a step to residence in Greece or Hungary. Details in the Vanuatu passport and Schengen.

Renunciation and notification: the difference

In brief: renunciation ends Vanuatu citizenship; notification only informs the first country of citizenship of the second one. Russia, for example, does not prohibit a second citizenship and requires notification of the Interior Ministry within 60 days.

Under Article 11 of Federal Law No. 138-FZ, a Russian citizen notifies the Interior Ministry of Vanuatu citizenship within 60 days of acquiring it, or, if acquired abroad, within 60 days of entering Russia. For failing to notify, Article 330.2 of the Russian Criminal Code sets a fine of up to RUB 200,000 or community service of up to 400 hours. Other countries have their own procedures.

So a Russian citizen does not need to renounce Vanuatu citizenship to hold the passport lawfully: timely notification is enough. The procedure is covered in dual citizenship of Russia and Vanuatu and the Vanuatu passport for Russian citizens.

Procedure and conditions for renunciation

In brief: under the Renunciation section of the Citizenship Office website, a citizen who has reached adulthood and has full legal capacity completes the renunciation form and takes an oath. The form is published on the website for download.

The Vanuatu passport and certificate of citizenship and a document of the other citizenship are usually attached to the form. The exact set and fee are checked against the current form before filing. The document confirming termination of citizenship is translated and apostilled if the other country requires it.

Consequences of renunciation

In brief: after renunciation a person ceases to be a Vanuatu citizen and loses the passport, visa-free travel on it, the right to live and work in Vanuatu without permits and the right to pass citizenship to children born later.

• Passport. The Vanuatu passport no longer proves citizenship and is surrendered at the request of the chief passport officer. The Passports Act treats failure to comply with such a request as an offence.
• Travel. Visa-free destinations on the Vanuatu passport are no longer available.
• Future children. Children born after the renunciation do not acquire Vanuatu citizenship by descent from that parent.
• Contribution. The DSP contribution is non-refundable and is not returned after renunciation.
• Banks and documents. Banks and counterparties who were given the Vanuatu passport receive information about the termination of citizenship.

Before renouncing, compare what the family loses with the reason the passport was obtained. If citizenship was obtained as a back-up plan, see a second passport as a plan B.

Can citizenship be regained: form C(b)

In brief: yes, for those who renounced Vanuatu citizenship and want it restored, the Citizenship Office publishes a separate form C(b). Restoration is not automatic: the application is reviewed by the Citizenship Commission.

The conditions and fees for form C(b) are checked before renouncing, so you know what a return would cost if circumstances change. If after renouncing a person plans to naturalise in a country that prohibits multiple citizenship, a return could breach its requirements, so both laws are read together.

For a restoration application, documents on the reasons for renunciation and on changed circumstances will be useful: another country’s decision refusing naturalisation, a change in its law’s requirements, or the end of service in a post that required a single citizenship. These documents are kept together with a copy of the renunciation form.

Children and family

In brief: one citizen’s renunciation does not end the citizenship of a spouse and children who acquired it in the application or by descent. The renunciation form under the Renunciation section is filed by an adult citizen with full legal capacity.

If the whole family received passports under the programme, each member’s status remains independent. A spouse and adult children decide on renunciation themselves. For minors, the renunciation procedure is not described on the Renunciation page, and it is checked with the Citizenship Office before filing.

A parent’s renunciation affects children born after it: they will not acquire citizenship by descent from that parent. If the family has a second parent who is a citizen, the child acquires citizenship by descent from them. Family scenarios are covered in adding family members after the passport.

A programme application can include a spouse, children under 25 and parents over 50, and each of them has an independent status: a parent’s renunciation does not affect the citizenship of grandparents or adult children. Who is included and on what terms is covered in who can be included in the application, and for the older generation in citizenship for applicants aged 55+.

Three typical scenarios

In brief: renunciation is justified when the country of naturalisation requires it, and is almost never needed by a citizen whose home country only requires notification, such as Russia, or by a family unhappy with the EU visa regime. If one family member needs to renounce, the others keep their citizenship.

• Naturalisation in a country that requires renunciation. First find out at which stage that country asks for proof of renunciation: before filing, after preliminary approval or after the oath. Renunciation is filed at the moment specified in its law, so as not to be left without a second citizenship if naturalisation is refused.
• A citizen unhappy about Schengen. Renunciation is not needed: notification where the home country requires it is enough, a Schengen visa is obtained at a consulate, and residence is used for Europe.
• One family member needs to renounce. For example, an adult child takes up a post requiring a single citizenship. Only they renounce, and the parents and other children keep their citizenship.

Which document another country needs

In brief: a country that requires renunciation usually needs an official document confirming termination of Vanuatu citizenship, not a copy of the filed form. The form of the document, translation and legalisation are checked against that country’s requirements before renouncing.

If the receiving country requires an apostille or consular legalisation, this is built into the timeline. The document is translated into that country’s language by a sworn translator if its law requires. Copies of the renunciation form, confirmation of the oath and the termination document are kept with the naturalisation documents: they may be requested again.

What to update after renunciation

In brief: after renunciation, citizenship details are updated with banks, on tax forms, visas and documents where the Vanuatu passport was stated.

• Banks. Vanuatu citizenship is removed from client questionnaires and tax self-certification forms.
• Visas. Visas obtained on the Vanuatu passport are not used for travel.
• Bookings and airline programmes. The Vanuatu passport number is replaced with a document of the other citizenship.
• Contracts and powers of attorney. Documents that describe the person as a Vanuatu citizen are updated the next time they are used.

Revocation of citizenship: how it differs from renunciation

In brief: renunciation is initiated by the citizen, revocation by the Citizenship Commission. The Commission may revoke citizenship if it was granted by deception, in breach of the Citizenship Act or the Constitution, or if the citizen does not observe the restrictions of the law.

Where deception is established, citizenship ends after 30 days. The Citizenship Office reports revoking about 30 citizenships granted in breach of procedure. The revocation mechanism targets deception in obtaining citizenship, not citizens who have changed their minds: for them there is voluntary renunciation.

The main way to rule out the risk of revocation is to disclose all information when filing and prove the source of funds with documents. Reasons for refusals are covered in 7 reasons for refusal of Vanuatu citizenship.

What to do instead of renouncing

In brief: if another country’s law does not require renunciation, it is usually enough to notify the first country of citizenship, not renew the passport when it expires, or keep citizenship as a back-up status.

• Notification. File a notification of a second citizenship in the country that requires it.
• Passport not renewed. Do not obtain a new passport when it expires if you do not need to travel on it.
• A back-up status. Keep citizenship for children and future generations.
• Taxes. Check tax residence: it depends on where you live, not on the passport.

If citizenship is kept as a basis for the family, new family members are added by a separate application with their own FIU check. A single applicant or a couple does better with the DSP, a family of three or more with the CIIP fund, where $50,000 is returned after 5 years. How the choice between the DSP and the CIIP fund works is covered separately, totals by family size in how much Vanuatu citizenship costs for a family, and the exact amount is shown by the turnkey cost calculation.

Common mistakes before renouncing

In brief: most often renunciation is confused with notification, people renounce because of the EU visa regime, and the consequences for children and for regaining citizenship are not checked.

1. Confusing renunciation with notification. The first country of citizenship requires notification, and the person files a renunciation.
2. Renouncing because of Schengen. A Vanuatu passport opens 46 countries without a visa and another 42 give a visa on arrival, and for Europe the passport works as a step to Greek residence.
3. Not checking the children. Future children will not acquire citizenship by descent from the parent who renounced.
4. Not checking the other country’s law. The renunciation requirement and the form of document the other country needs are checked against the text of the law.

Before renouncing, go through this list:

• the other country requires actual renunciation, not notification;
• which document confirming termination of citizenship it accepts, and whether an apostille is needed;
• the status of the spouse and each child is kept;
• the conditions of form C(b) in case of a return;
• tax and inheritance consequences in the country of residence.

How BRIDGES supports renunciation

In brief: BRIDGES checks whether renunciation is needed under another country’s law, names the consequences for the family and, if renunciation is justified, prepares the form, documents and translation of the termination document.

In most cases the review shows that notification is enough or renunciation can be postponed. A comparison of programmes for those reconsidering their choice of second citizenship is in a fast second citizenship, and is Vanuatu citizenship worth it will help weigh the decision.