A Vanuatu passport for a Russian citizen: what it adds to a Russian passport

A Vanuatu passport for a Russian citizen: in brief

In brief: a Vanuatu passport is useful to a Russian citizen for three tasks: trips to countries where its regime is more convenient than the Russian one, a second document for when the first is unavailable, and a basis for residence in Europe. Russia is entered on the Russian passport, and the Interior Ministry is notified of the second citizenship within 60 days.

A second passport does not remove Russian citizenship from forms: visa applications, banks and services ask about all citizenships. So its value lies in specific possibilities, not in hiding the first passport. How to obtain citizenship is covered in Vanuatu citizenship for Russian citizens.

Where a Vanuatu passport is convenient for travel

In brief: a Vanuatu passport opens 46 countries without a visa, 42 with a visa on arrival, 5 with an electronic authorisation and 22 territories. For a Russian citizen what matters most is Asia, the Caribbean and Latin America, where the regime can be compared with the Russian passport and the more convenient one chosen.

For the UAE, Qatar and Bahrain the Vanuatu passport requires an electronic visa, and for a trip to the UAE a Russian citizen is better off with the Russian passport’s visa-free regime of 90 days in 180. So before a trip the regime is compared for both passports. The full list of destinations is in visa-free countries for the Vanuatu passport.

How to use two passports

In brief: you leave and enter Russia on the Russian passport. You enter the destination country on whichever passport has the more convenient regime, and the ticket is issued on that same passport. The Latin spelling of the name must match in both passports.

1. Russia. A Russian citizen crosses the Russian border on the Russian passport: in Russia they are treated only as a Russian citizen.
2. The destination country. Enter on the passport whose regime you need, and leave that country on the same passport.
3. The plane ticket. The passport details in the booking match the passport presented at check-in and in the destination country.
4. Connections. Transit rules are checked for the passport you fly on, especially for a connection in the UK, where a Vanuatu citizen needs a transit visa.
5. Validity. Both passports are kept valid; many countries require a margin of at least 6 months.

Different spellings of the name in two passports lead to questions at banks and at flight check-in. How to choose a transliteration is covered in the name in a Vanuatu passport, and travel practice in how to travel with a Vanuatu passport.

A second document when the first is unavailable

In brief: a Russian international passport spends weeks at an embassy during a visa application, expires, or needs replacing abroad, where consulate appointments may be months ahead. During that time trips to visa-free countries continue on the Vanuatu passport.

A decision on a Schengen type C visa is usually made within 15 days under the Visa Code, and the passport stays at the visa centre during the review. With a Vanuatu passport an entrepreneur flies to meetings in Hong Kong, Singapore or Malaysia without waiting for the Russian document to be returned. The same applies to replacing a Russian passport abroad: while the appointment and production are under way, the second passport means trips do not have to be cancelled.

For a family this is especially noticeable: each family member has their own Vanuatu passport, so an urgent trip does not depend on whose Russian document is currently unavailable. How a second passport works as a back-up document is covered in a second Vanuatu passport as a plan B.

Visas for Schengen, the UK and the USA

In brief: for both passports a visa is needed for the Schengen area, the UK and the USA. All citizenships are stated on the forms, so the second passport by itself does not make the review easier: the decision depends on place of residence, income and the purpose of the trip.

The EU fully suspended visa-free travel for Vanuatu citizens from 4 February 2023, since 3 February 2025 Vanuatu has been on the list of visa-required countries, and the UK has required a visa since 19 July 2023. The application is filed from the country of lawful residence with documents on life and income there. If the applicant lives in Russia, the place of filing and the documents are determined by Russian residence. Visa rules are covered in the Vanuatu passport and Schengen and visas for the UK, Canada and Australia.

The route to Europe: Greek residence as a Vanuatu citizen

In brief: Greece has suspended new Golden Visa applications from citizens of Russia and Belarus. A Russian citizen with a Vanuatu passport applies for Greek residence as a Vanuatu citizen: property thresholds of €250,000, €400,000 or €800,000 depending on the region and property.

Greek residence is arranged for the spouse, children under 21 and the parents of both spouses. Review takes roughly 6-12 months, longer in Attica, and the certificate issued during the review does not give the right to travel in the Schengen area. The alternative is Hungary: a 10-year permit for an investment of €250,000 in a real estate fund.

For a Russian citizen this is the main practical point of the combination: a Vanuatu passport in 2-3 months, then the right of residence in the EU for the family. Conditions are on Greek residence for Vanuatu citizens, and how this went in practice is shown in case: Greek residence for a couple through a Vanuatu passport.

Banks and payment services

In brief: a Vanuatu passport gives a second identity document, but the bank still asks about all citizenships, place of residence, tax residence and source of funds. Links with Russia are assessed on substance, not by passport.

Where a service restricts clients by the country of the document, a second passport widens the choice. Where a bank assesses the country of residence, tax residence and source of money, these remain decisive. Account data is reported by the client’s tax residence, not by citizenship.

A Russian tax resident notifies the tax service of opening a foreign account and reports cash flows. A citizen who is outside Russia for more than 183 days a year is released from some of these duties. Which banks operate in Vanuatu is covered in banks in Vanuatu, and CFC rules and currency control in CFC rules and currency control.

Children with two passports

In brief: children included in the application receive their own Vanuatu passports, and a child born to a Vanuatu citizen acquires citizenship by descent without a contribution. A child enters Russia on the Russian document.

When a child travels with one parent, the other parent’s consent and the birth certificate are prepared, and the child’s Latin name is checked in all passports. Children aged 12 to 18 provide a police clearance and go through the FIU check during processing. How citizenship passes to children is covered in passing Vanuatu citizenship to children.

The Interior Ministry is notified of a minor child’s second citizenship by the parents or legal guardians within the same 60-day period. Children’s Vanuatu passports are valid for 10 years, so the renewal date is checked against the family’s trips in advance.

Taxes: the passport does not change residence

In brief: a Russian citizen who is in Russia for at least 183 days in 12 months remains a Russian tax resident and pays personal income tax on worldwide income. A Vanuatu passport does not change this; Vanuatu itself has no personal income tax.

A tax effect appears only on moving to another country and changing tax residence under its rules. While residence is Russian, declaring foreign income, reporting on foreign accounts and controlled foreign company rules all remain. Vanuatu’s tax system is covered in taxes in Vanuatu.

What to do after receiving the passport

In brief: notify the Interior Ministry of the second citizenship within 60 days, check the spelling of the name in all documents, update details with banks, check tax residence and plan European residence if needed.

The notice is filed within 60 days of receiving the document, or, if the citizen is abroad, within 60 days of entering Russia. Missing the 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 or community service of up to 400 hours under Article 330.2 of the Criminal Code. The procedure is described in detail in dual citizenship of Russia and Vanuatu.

How a Russian citizen obtains a Vanuatu passport

In brief: Vanuatu accepts applications from Russian citizens. Under the DSP the turnkey total is $135,000 for one person and $185,000 for a family of four; under the CIIP fund $165,000 with $50,000 returned. The timeline is 2-3 months, and biometrics are given in Moscow or St Petersburg.

The application is filed through a designated agent in two rounds: a short package for the FIU check, then the full package for the Citizenship Commission. The DSP contribution and the CIIP fund investment are paid after Commission approval; before the decision only the FIU fee is paid, and payment goes from an account in a bank in another country. Russian documents are translated into English and certified. All stages are in stages of Vanuatu citizenship, and the cost in the cost of Vanuatu citizenship.

With BRIDGES the application is prepared without a trip to Vanuatu: a preliminary background check in 1-2 working days, documents for each member, filing through a designated agent and biometrics in Moscow or St Petersburg. How support works is described on Vanuatu citizenship with BRIDGES, and the amount for your family is shown by the budget for your family. We help you relocate quickly, reliably and lawfully.

Checks during processing: links with Russia

In brief: Russian citizenship in itself is not a ground for refusal. The Financial Intelligence Unit checks Russian citizens in the same way as other applicants: sanctions lists, public offices, convictions and the origin of funds.

Assets and income in Russia are proven with ordinary documents: contracts, statements, tax returns, dividend resolutions. Personal sanctions close the programme, and links to sanctioned persons require a full chain of documents. The contribution is paid from an account in a bank in another country, opened in advance, because correspondent banks often do not let transfers from Russian banks through. The check is covered in due diligence.

The FIU checks applicants from other former Soviet countries by the same rules. What citizens of neighbouring states should consider is collected in for citizens of Belarus, Kazakhstan and Ukraine.

Which Russian citizens benefit from a Vanuatu passport

In brief: those who often fly to Asia, the Caribbean and Latin America, families planning residence in Europe, and those who need a second document for travel and services. For trips to the UAE the Russian passport is already convenient, and Schengen and UK visas are needed with both.

• Business in Asia. Hong Kong for 90 days and Singapore without a visa.
• A family with plans for Europe. A Vanuatu passport and residence in Greece or Hungary.
• Frequent travel. A second document when the first is at a visa centre or expiring.
• Travel in the Caribbean and Latin America. Long visa-free stays.

Decision scenarios are covered in is Vanuatu citizenship worth it.