Vanuatu residence or citizenship: which permits exist and what to choose

Vanuatu residence or citizenship: in short

In short: residence gives the right to live in Vanuatu, but your passport stays the same, and the status must be renewed and its ground maintained. Citizenship is permanent, gives a Vanuatu passport and takes 2-3 months without relocating. The choice depends on whether you need to live in the country or need a second passport.

The question “does Vanuatu offer residence” arises because the country is known for its citizenship programme rather than residence permits. Yet Vanuatu immigration law provides a full system of statuses: visits, residence visas, permanent residence and citizenship. Each solves its own task, and confusing them is costly: residence does not give a passport, and citizenship does not require living on the islands.

Below are the grounds for residence, income and document requirements, costs, the process, specific rules for Russian citizens and a comparison of the two statuses by rights, timing and cost.

What types of residence Vanuatu grants

In short: the Vanuatu immigration authority grants residence visas on six grounds. The main ones are partner or child of a citizen or resident, employee, self-funded person and foreign investor.

Partner and child

The spouse or de facto partner of a Vanuatu citizen or resident obtains residence on family grounds. The law also covers the case where the citizen spouse has died: the right remains if the couple has children who are Vanuatu citizens or the relationship lasted at least five years. Dependent children of a citizen or resident obtain residence as family members.

Employee

Employee residence is for those who have accepted a job offer from a company in Vanuatu. In addition to the residence visa, a work permit is required, obtained by the employer. The status is tied to the employment contract: if the employer changes, the ground is reassessed.

Work permits are issued by the Vanuatu Department of Labour on the employer’s application. The company confirms that the position is needed by the business and that the contract terms meet local rules. That is why a move on employment grounds starts with finding an employer rather than applying for a visa.

Self-funded

This option suits retirees and people with income from abroad. It requires income of at least VT 250,000 a month certified by a bank operating in Vanuatu, or VT 500,000 a month if a spouse or partner is included. Those who held retiree residence before 7 February 2011 are subject to earlier, lower thresholds. This ground does not allow employment.

Foreign investor

An investor obtains residence on the basis of a foreign investment approval certificate issued by the Vanuatu Investment Promotion Authority (VIPA) and a business licence where required. The residence term is usually linked to the term of the certificate. Buyers of property on long-term leases also have a route to residence through VIPA approval: how the market works is explained in our article on property in Vanuatu.

Vanuatu permanent residence: who can apply

In short: permanent residence visas are granted under two parts of the rules. Subclass 131 is for people with Ni-Vanuatu parents and for those who have lived in Vanuatu for the last 12 months. Subclasses 132-135 are for investors who put capital into the economy.

Permanent residence removes the need to renew a residence visa regularly and prove its ground. The application includes identity documents, police certificates for periods spent abroad and evidence of residence in the country. The conditions of the investor subclasses and the investment amounts are set by the immigration authority and checked on the date of application.

Permanent residence is not citizenship. A permanent resident uses their existing passport and does not receive the visa-free access of a Vanuatu passport. Citizenship by naturalisation requires many years of residence, while citizenship by investment requires none. More in our article on naturalisation in Vanuatu.

Permanent residence in practice

Permanent residence is chosen by people who already live in Vanuatu and do not want to keep proving the ground of their residence visa. The application checks where the applicant has been: if they lived or travelled outside Vanuatu for a total of 90 days or more since their current visa was granted, police certificates from those countries are attached. That is why travel and residence records are kept in advance.

How much Vanuatu residence costs

In short: the government fee for an adult residence visa ranges from VT 57,600 for 1 year to VT 511,200 for 10 years, and VT 2,880 for children under 18. Documents, translations, a medical certificate and the costs of the ground itself come on top.

The fee itself is modest, and the main costs depend on the category. Self-funded residence requires a bank account in Vanuatu and certified income of at least VT 250,000 a month. For an investor the main amount goes into the business or property and into obtaining the VIPA certificate. For an employee the costs are usually borne by the employer, who arranges the work permit.

Living costs should also be considered: rent, health insurance with evacuation and school for children. These are covered in our article on living in and moving to Vanuatu. For comparison, Vanuatu citizenship by investment starts at a $130,000 DSP contribution for a single applicant, and in the CIIP fund a family of up to four pays $157,000 and receives $50,000 back after 5 years. The exact figure for a family comes from the Vanuatu citizenship cost calculator.

How to obtain Vanuatu residence

In short: choose the ground, prepare supporting documents, apply to the Vanuatu immigration authority and pay the fee for the chosen term. For an adult the fee ranges from VT 57,600 for 1 year to VT 511,200 for 10 years.

Documents

• a valid passport and photographs;
• police certificates from the countries where the applicant has lived;
• a medical certificate;
• marriage and birth certificates if family members are included;
• proof of the ground: an employment contract, bank-certified income or a VIPA certificate;
• proof of accommodation in Vanuatu.

Documents in other languages are translated and certified. A residence application can usually include a spouse and dependent children, but some categories have their own rules, so the set of applicants is checked before filing.

Term and renewal

Residence visas are granted for 1 to 10 years. A longer term costs more but avoids annual renewal. The status is renewed before the current visa expires, with proof that the ground still applies: marriage, employment, income or investment. The fee for children under 18 is much lower than for adults.

How residence differs from Vanuatu citizenship

In short: residence gives the right to live in the country and depends on its ground, while citizenship gives a passport, a permanent status and visa-free access to about 97 countries and territories. Residence is for life on the islands, citizenship for travel, banking and family.

The key difference is that residence does not change your passport. A Vanuatu resident travels on their own country’s document, with all its visa limits. A Vanuatu citizen receives a second passport, valid for 10 years and renewable from abroad, and the status does not need to be proven. More about the document in the Vanuatu passport.

Vanuatu residence for Russian citizens

In short: Russian citizens enter Vanuatu visa-free for up to 90 days and can prepare residence on one of the grounds. Russian documents are translated and apostilled, and the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs must be notified of the residence permit within 60 days.

The application needs a police certificate from the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs, marriage and birth certificates and proof of income or employment. Russian documents are translated into English and apostilled. If income comes from Russia, its proof is prepared bearing in mind that for self-funded residence it must be certified by a bank in Vanuatu.

Russian law requires notice to the Ministry of Internal Affairs not only of a second citizenship but also of a residence permit in another country, within 60 days. Tax residence changes with actual residence rather than with a permit, so a Russian citizen who spends 183 days a year or more in Russia remains its tax resident. How to file the notice is explained in our article on dual citizenship of Russia and Vanuatu, and entry conditions in our article on the Vanuatu visa for Russian citizens.

When you need residence and when a passport

In short: residence is chosen by those who move to the islands, work or run a business in Vanuatu. A passport is chosen by those who need travel, banking, a back-up document and a first step towards residence in Europe.

Vanuatu residence suits you if

• you are moving to Port Vila or another island and will live there most of the year;
• you have a job or business in Vanuatu;
• you are the spouse or child of a citizen or resident;
• you are retired and can prove income through a bank in Vanuatu.

Citizenship suits you if

• you need a second passport for travel, especially in Asia and the Pacific;
• a neutral document for banking and business abroad matters to you;
• you want a status for the whole family at once, including parents over 50;
• you plan Greek or Hungarian residence, for which a Vanuatu passport is the first step;
• you do not plan to move to the islands.

Three typical scenarios

A retired couple wants to spend winters in a warm climate. They do not need to live in Vanuatu all year but want long stays in different countries of Asia and the Pacific. Such clients more often choose citizenship, as in the case of a couple over 60 who winter in Asia.

A family moves to the islands to work and raise children. If one parent has a job in Vanuatu, the family obtains employee residence and registers the children as family members. If there is no job but there is income from abroad, self-funded residence fits.

An entrepreneur opens a business in Port Vila. They need a VIPA certificate and investor residence, and if travel matters too, a Vanuatu passport is obtained in parallel so as not to depend on renewing the status.

Sometimes both statuses are needed: a Vanuatu passport for freedom of travel and life in the country for part of the year. A Vanuatu citizen needs no residence visa, which is why families who want both to live on the islands and to travel freely more often choose citizenship. Life in the country is covered in our article on moving to Vanuatu, and the goals people get the passport for in who a Vanuatu passport suits.

Life with residence: work, business, housing and healthcare

In short: a resident lives in Vanuatu under the rules of their category. Work requires a work permit, business requires a licence and VIPA approval, and foreigners take housing on long-term leases of up to 75 years.

Work and business

Self-funded residence does not allow employment in Vanuatu. An employee works for the employer the permit was issued for. A foreigner who wants to run a business obtains a VIPA certificate and a licence, and some activities are restricted for foreign investors. Company registration and bank accounts are described on the business in Vanuatu service page.

Housing

Land in Vanuatu belongs to customary owners, so foreigners take long-term leases, with a maximum term of 75 years under the Constitution. Most newcomers start by renting in Port Vila and buy later. A transaction is prepared with a lawyer who checks the term and conditions of the land lease.

Healthcare and schools

Medical care on the islands is limited, and serious cases are flown to Australia or New Zealand, so residents take out insurance with medical evacuation. Port Vila has international schools. These questions are worth settling before the move, especially for families with children.

Taxes: what residence changes and what a passport changes

In short: Vanuatu has no personal income tax, capital gains tax or inheritance tax. But tax obligations depend on tax residence, not on a residence permit or passport: it is determined by physical presence and the centre of vital interests.

A residence permit alone does not make a person a Vanuatu tax resident, and neither does a passport. For the zero rates to apply, you need to actually live in the country and end tax residence in your former country. A Russian citizen who remains a Russian tax resident still pays tax in Russia and follows the rules on foreign accounts and controlled companies. The process is covered in our articles on Vanuatu tax residence and taxes in Vanuatu.

If you need residence in Europe

In short: Vanuatu residence gives no rights in Europe. To live in Europe, Vanuatu citizens obtain the Greek Golden Visa or Hungary’s national programmes, and this is a common scenario among BRIDGES clients: first a Vanuatu passport, then European residence.

For many people searching for “Vanuatu residence”, the real goal is in Europe. Residence on the islands does not lead there directly, while the combination of a Vanuatu passport and Greek residence works: the passport takes 2-3 months, and the Golden Visa application is then made as a Vanuatu citizen. A Greek residence permit gives the right to live in the country and travel across the Schengen Area, and after years of residence opens the way to long-term status in the EU. Hungary offers Vanuatu citizens national residence programmes, matched to the family’s goal and budget. How this looks in practice is shown in the case of a couple who obtained Greek residence through a Vanuatu passport, and the process is described on the Greek residence for Vanuatu citizens service page. The two approaches are compared in citizenship by investment or a golden visa.

The terms of Vanuatu citizenship, the two programmes and costs are covered in our review of Vanuatu citizenship by investment.

Common mistakes when choosing between residence and citizenship

1. Seeking residence to get a passport. A residence permit does not give a Vanuatu passport or its visa-free access.
2. Assuming residence removes taxes. Tax depends on tax residence and actual presence.
3. Applying for self-funded residence without a Vanuatu bank account. Income must be certified by a bank operating in the country.
4. Forgetting renewal. Residence is renewed before it expires, with proof that the ground still applies.
5. Expecting Vanuatu residence to open Europe. Europe requires European residence, such as the Greek Golden Visa.