Vanuatu passport risks and how to close them before filing

Risks of Vanuatu citizenship: in brief

In brief: Vanuatu citizenship is granted by law, the check is run by the Financial Intelligence Unit, and the passport is a full one. The main risks are not about the lawfulness of the status but about visa regimes, banks, document preparation, choice of agent and timelines.

• Visa regimes. The EU fully suspended visa-free travel for Vanuatu citizens from 4 February 2023, and other countries may also change their rules. To live in Europe, Vanuatu citizens arrange Greek residence.
• Programme reputation. EU decisions shape the background that border services and banks respond to.
• Banks. Banks check holders of investment citizenship in more detail and ask for documents on the origin of funds.
• Refusal. An application is rejected for convictions, sanctions and an unproven source of funds.
• An unlicensed intermediary. The risk of losing money and time with no result.
• Programme changes. After the commission of inquiry report considered on 6 February 2026, the government is updating the programme procedure.
• Contribution. The DSP contribution is not refunded, while in the CIIP fund the state returns $50,000 after 5 years.
• Duties in the first country of citizenship. A Russian citizen, for example, notifies the Interior Ministry of a second citizenship within 60 days.
• Timelines. Certificates expire, and a package that misses a Commission sitting waits for the next one.

None of these risks makes Vanuatu a poor choice: the decision is simply made with each of them in mind. How the programme works as a whole is described in the overview of Vanuatu citizenship by investment, and what changes in a citizen’s life in what Vanuatu citizenship gives.

Risk 1. Changes in other countries’ visa policy

In brief: the EU revised visa-free travel for Vanuatu in three steps in 2022-2025, and the UK introduced visas in 2023. A visa is obtained for travel to these countries, and families start living in Europe through Greek residence. Meanwhile 46 countries are open without a visa and another 42 with a visa on arrival.

Council of the EU Decision 2022/366 suspended visa-free travel from 3 March 2022 for Vanuatu passports issued from 25 May 2015, Decision 2022/2198 extended the suspension to all citizens from 4 February 2023, and EU Regulation 2025/11 of 19 December 2024 moved Vanuatu to the visa list from 3 February 2025. The decisions cite the risks of citizenship by investment programmes as the reason. The UK has required a visa from Vanuatu citizens since 19 July 2023, including for transit.

Other countries may also revise their entry regimes, so the passport is assessed against the destinations the family needs, and the regime is checked before travel. For Asia, Oceania, the Caribbean, Latin America and Russia, a Vanuatu passport works without an embassy visa: Hong Kong for 90 days, Singapore and Malaysia for 30 days, Russia for up to 90 days.

How BRIDGES reduces this risk

• provides an up-to-date list of destinations as of the application date;
• for the goal of “living in Europe”, plans two steps at once: a Vanuatu passport, then Greek residence, as described on Greek residence for Vanuatu citizens;
• shows in figures how the passport meets the goals of timeline, a back-up document and travel outside the EU.

The list of destinations with lengths of stay is collected in where the Vanuatu passport takes you, and the history of EU decisions in the Vanuatu passport and Schengen.

Risk 2. The programme’s reputation

In brief: EU decisions have affected how border services, banks and payment systems view the programme. The passport’s legality does not change, but in some situations the background and source of funds have to be confirmed in more detail.

Decisions of large states and blocs are taken into account by other players too: border services, banks, counterparties. For the passport holder this means extra questions when opening accounts and longer checks, not a restriction of a citizen’s rights.

There is another side. Vanuatu has strengthened applicant checks, and the stricter the check at entry, the clearer the circle of passport holders. Documents that passed the FIU check work in the applicant’s favour: they answer the questions of banks and European residence programmes. Vanuatu has been a member of Interpol since 20 November 2018, and the government considered the commission of inquiry report on the citizenship programmes on 6 February 2026.

How BRIDGES reduces this risk

• describes the passport’s possibilities based on facts: timeline, dual citizenship, travel, a route to residence in Europe;
• helps set up how to use two passports: where to present each document;
• explains current decisions on the programme so the client relies on facts. A comparison with a Caribbean programme is in Vanuatu or Dominica.

Risk 3. Bank checks

In brief: banks classify investment citizenship of small jurisdictions as requiring heightened attention and request more documents. An account is opened once the source of funds, tax residence and address are confirmed.

Under anti-money laundering rules, when opening an account on a Vanuatu passport banks may:

• ask about other citizenships and the country of tax residence;
• request proof of the source of funds and source of wealth;
• ask whether citizenship was obtained under an investment programme;
• apply enhanced checks to large transfers.

An account can be opened, but preparation is needed in advance: apply to a bank that serves this client profile, with a full set of documents. In Vanuatu itself National Bank of Vanuatu, ANZ, BRED and BSP operate, and banks report account data by the client’s tax residence, not by citizenship.

How BRIDGES reduces this risk

• prepares the source-of-funds package the way compliance expects it: contracts, statements, tax returns;
• helps describe the origin of the citizenship openly: this works better than silence;
• suggests which banks and jurisdictions serve Vanuatu passport holders.

Details in banks in Vanuatu and an account abroad and due diligence.

Risk 4. Refusal over the source of funds or background

In brief: the FIU checks the main applicant against sanctions lists and convictions and examines the origin of the money. On refusal the check fee is not refunded, and the contribution is not paid, because it is due after approval.

• An unproven source of funds. The origin of the money cannot be proven with documents.
• Convictions or investigations. Especially for economic and violent offences.
• Sanctions. The applicant or related companies are on sanctions lists.
• Inconsistencies in documents. Different spellings of the name, discrepancies in dates, gaps in the background.
• Undisclosed politically exposed status. Offices and income not explained with documents.

Refusal more often results not from the background but from preparation: a person who could pass the check stumbles on incomplete documents or an imprecise explanation of the origin of money. Without additional requests the FIU check takes up to 7 working days, and a reply to a request is prepared within 1-3 working days with documents.

How BRIDGES reduces this risk

• runs a preliminary check in 1-2 working days before filing and finds weak points in advance;
• builds a documented source-of-funds chain;
• if the risk of refusal is high, says so before the non-refundable fee is paid.

Grounds for refusal and next steps are covered in refusal of Vanuatu citizenship.

Risk 5. An unlicensed intermediary

In brief: applications to the programme are filed only through a designated agent, and government payments go to official accounts. An unlicensed intermediary cannot file an application, and money handed to them may be lost.

Unlicensed intermediaries have appeared around the popular programme. Signs of unreliable offers:

• a promise of visa-free entry to Europe on a Vanuatu passport;
• a price well below the published tariff, followed by surcharges;
• a request to transfer the contribution to a personal account instead of official details;
• a guarantee of approval, although the state makes the decision;
• a request to pay the contribution before the Commission’s decision.

The cost of a mistake: money with no result and lost time, and a repeat application then has to explain the previous history.

How BRIDGES reduces this risk

• files applications only through a designated agent, with government payments on official invoices;
• shows an itemised cost structure and confirms amounts with an official invoice;
• gives no guarantees of approval and fixes arrangements in the agreement.

A checklist for checking an agent is collected in Vanuatu passport scams and how to check a licensed agent.

Risk 6. Changes to programme conditions

In brief: citizenship by investment programmes are updated: amounts, fees, check requirements and the list of options change. On 6 February 2026 the Vanuatu Council of Ministers considered a commission of inquiry report on the programmes and ordered the recommendations to be implemented, so conditions are fixed on the filing date.

Vanuatu has two programmes: the DSP with a non-refundable contribution and the CIIP fund with part of the sum returned. Their parameters may change, as may fees, document requirements and review times. The updates make the check procedure stricter and clearer, and it is important for the applicant to prepare the package under the current version.

• Amounts and fees. Checked against the official fee schedule on the filing date.
• Checks. The FIU may add document requirements.
• Options. A separate option may close or a new one may appear.
• Timeline. The 2-3 months depend on the authorities’ workload and the complexity of the application.

This risk is managed by fixing the conditions with an official invoice on the filing date, not postponing the decision if the conditions suit you, and keeping a budget margin. What has already changed is collected in Vanuatu programme changes in 2026, and comparisons with other programmes in a fast second citizenship: comparing programmes and Vanuatu or Nauru.

Risk 7. The DSP contribution and the CIIP fund with a return

In brief: the DSP contribution is not refunded, so it is paid after the application is approved, and the background and source of funds are checked before filing. In the CIIP fund a family of up to four pays $157,000, also after approval, and after 5 years the state returns $50,000.

The DSP contribution goes into the Vanuatu budget: $130,000 for one applicant, $150,000 for a couple, $165,000 for a family of three and $180,000 for a family of four. It is not refunded if plans change or if the passport turns out not to be needed. Under the CIIP fund the state buys back the stake after 5 years; early exit is possible with loss of part of the amount under the agreement. A single applicant or a couple does better with the DSP, a family of three or more with the fund.

A non-refundable contribution calls for caution if expectations of the passport have not been checked against what it can do, if questions about the background or source of funds were not settled before filing, and if the payment does not go to official details. Beyond the contribution, the only payment to the state is the FIU fee: $5,000 under the DSP and $8,000 under the fund for the whole application.

How BRIDGES reduces this risk

• a preliminary check before payment: money is paid when there are no questions left about the application;
• a comparison of the DSP and the CIIP fund for your family: turnkey cost calculation;
• payments to the state only to official details.

The conditions of both programmes are covered in DSP or the CIIP fund, and all budget items in the full cost of Vanuatu citizenship.

Risk 8. Duties in the first country of citizenship

In brief: Vanuatu recognises dual citizenship, but the first country of citizenship may require notification. A Russian citizen, for example, notifies the Interior Ministry of a second citizenship within 60 days and in Russia is treated only as a Russian citizen.

In the Russian case, missing the notification deadline carries a fine of RUB 500 to 1,000 under Article 19.8.3 of the Code of Administrative Offences, and failing to notify a fine of up to RUB 200,000 under Article 330.2 of the Criminal Code. It is an easy duty to meet: the notice is filed on a form after the passport is received, and the date goes into the application calendar together with the passport issue. Check your own country’s rules in the same way.

The passport does not change taxes: they are determined by the country where a person actually lives, usually under the 183-day rule. Vanuatu has no personal income tax, capital gains tax or inheritance tax, but these rates apply to Vanuatu tax residents. The Russian notification procedure is covered in dual citizenship of Russia and Vanuatu.

Risk 9. Timelines: certificates, sittings and children’s ages

In brief: the police clearance must be no older than 3 months on the filing date, the Commission sits twice a month, and children are included in the application up to age 25. A missed date shifts the whole calendar, so the plan is built from the nearest sitting.

• Certificates. The police clearance is ordered so that it is valid on the filing date.
• Sittings. A package that misses a sitting waits for the next one, and the passport date moves by about two weeks.
• Children’s ages. After 25 a child is not part of the parent’s application and applies separately.
• Contribution and oath. After approval there are 3 months for them, so the payment channel is checked in advance.
• Biometrics. Since 1 July 2025 they are given in person in Dubai, Hong Kong, Moscow, St Petersburg or Port Vila, and the city is chosen before approval.

If the passport is needed by a certain date, a margin for one additional Commission sitting is built into the calendar. How the passport works as a back-up document and why it is obtained in advance is covered in the Vanuatu passport as a plan B.

How BRIDGES removes risks before filing

In brief: checks and preparation happen before the client pays any non-refundable money: background, source of funds, documents, agent and payments, calendar and a plan for after the passport.

No tool gives guarantees, but preparation before filing shifts the odds in the applicant’s favour and protects non-refundable payments. If another programme better meets the family’s task, we say so before the agreement. Why the programme is legal and what to look at is covered in legitimacy of Vanuatu citizenship, and the way we work on support under the Vanuatu programme.

For whom Vanuatu’s risks do not stand in the way

In brief: for a fast second passport, a back-up document, travel to Asia, Oceania, the Caribbean and Latin America, and a first step to residence in Europe, Vanuatu’s risks are manageable. For living in the Schengen area, Greek residence is added to the passport.

Where to start: define the goal of the passport, go through a preliminary check of the background and source of funds, get a budget as of the date of enquiry and decide knowing the risks. How the process works is described in how to get Vanuatu citizenship.

If your task matches one of the rows in the table, BRIDGES takes on the process: checks the background before payments, prepares documents on the origin of funds, files through a designated agent and supports the family through to the passports and then to Greek residence. The amount and payment order are fixed in the budget and agreement as of the date of enquiry, so the family knows them before the first payment. We help you relocate quickly, reliably and lawfully.