The Vanuatu passport and Schengen: visa-free travel is suspended, the route to Europe goes through residence

A Schengen visa for trips, residence for living in Europe

In brief: a Vanuatu citizen enters the Schengen area on a visa, like the holder of any passport on the EU visa list. The route to living in Europe goes through residence: a Vanuatu passport in 2-3 months, then the Greek Golden Visa or Hungary’s programmes.

A Vanuatu passport gives a fast second citizenship without residence or exams, recognised dual citizenship, 46 countries without a visa and another 42 with a visa on arrival; all destinations are collected in the list of visa-free countries for the Vanuatu passport. For Europe it works differently from visa-free travel: with it you apply for European residence as a Vanuatu citizen. Programme conditions are collected in the overview Vanuatu citizenship by investment, and the document itself is described in which document a Vanuatu citizen receives.

Timeline: how the EU revised visa-free travel for Vanuatu

In brief: visa-free travel was revised in three steps: from 3 March 2022 for passports issued from 25 May 2015, from 4 February 2023 for all Vanuatu citizens, and from 3 February 2025 Vanuatu formally on the EU visa list.

As a first step, Council of the EU Decision 2022/366 suspended visa-free travel for ordinary Vanuatu passports issued from 25 May 2015, that is, from the period of the citizenship by investment programmes. As a second step, Decision 2022/2198 of 8 November 2022 extended the suspension to all Vanuatu citizens from 4 February 2023.

As a third step, EU Regulation 2025/11 of 19 December 2024 moved Vanuatu from the visa-free list to the visa list, with effect from 3 February 2025. The UK introduced visas for Vanuatu citizens, including transit visas, from 19 July 2023. An analysis of the consequences for the programme is collected in Vanuatu after the EU visa-free suspension.

Why the EU revised visa-free travel

In brief: the Council of the EU decisions cite the risks of citizenship by investment programmes: the speed of passport issue, the depth of applicant checks and the possibility for citizens of visa-required countries to obtain a passport.

The EU assessed the programme from the standpoint of Schengen security. It looked at the speed of passport processing, the depth of applicant checks and the fact that the passport could be obtained by citizens of countries who need a visa to enter the EU. The first two decisions suspended application of the EU-Vanuatu agreement on visa-free short stays, and Regulation 2025/11 fixed the visa regime.

After these decisions Vanuatu strengthened applicant checks and source-of-funds requirements, and on 6 February 2026 the Council of Ministers considered a commission of inquiry report on the citizenship programmes and ordered its recommendations to be implemented. For the applicant this means a full document package before filing and a check that banks and European residence programmes accept. How the check works is described in due diligence.

It is convenient to do the preliminary check for both steps at once: source-of-funds documents collected for the FIU are later filed with the Greek residence programme too, so they are prepared to one standard.

How a Vanuatu citizen gets a Schengen visa

In brief: a Schengen type C visa is applied for at the consulate or visa centre of the main destination country. Under the EU Visa Code a decision is usually made within 15 calendar days, in some cases up to 45 days, and the consular fee for adults is €90.

A type C visa gives the right to stay in the Schengen area for up to 90 days in any 180. The application is filed with the country where most of the trip will be spent, or, if several countries have equal stays, with the country of first entry. Documents can be filed at the consulate or visa centre of that country in the place where the applicant lawfully resides.

• a form and a photograph to the consulate’s requirements;
• a Vanuatu passport valid for at least 3 months after the end of the trip;
• medical insurance of at least €30,000 for the whole trip;
• proof of purpose: an accommodation booking, an invitation, a business trip programme;
• proof of funds: account statements, an income certificate;
• documents on ties to the country of residence: work, business, family, property.

For a connection in the international zone of a Schengen airport without going into the city, a Vanuatu citizen does not need an airport transit visa under general EU rules: it is required only from citizens of countries on a separate list. Some Schengen countries add their own requirements, so the connection airport’s rules are checked before buying the ticket, and a type C visa is needed to go into the city.

Consulates issue frequent travellers multiple-entry visas for longer periods if previous visas were used correctly. ETIAS does not apply to Vanuatu citizens: it is for visa-exempt countries, while Vanuatu citizens need a visa.

For other visa-required countries the procedure is similar: a visa is obtained in advance on the Vanuatu passport or the main passport. US visas are covered in how to obtain a B1/B2 visa, and the rules for the UK, Canada and Australia in entering the UK with a Vanuatu passport.

Residence in Greece and Hungary for Vanuatu citizens

In brief: with a Vanuatu passport, families obtain the Greek Golden Visa with a property threshold from €250,000 to €800,000, or Hungary’s guest investor programme through a real estate fund from €250,000. Residence in a Schengen country gives the right to travel in the Schengen area for up to 90 days in any 180.

The Greek Golden Visa

The property threshold is €800,000 in Attica, Thessaloniki, Mykonos, Santorini and the large islands, €400,000 in other regions, and €250,000 for converting a commercial property to residential use or restoring a listed building. Residence is arranged for the spouse, children under 21 and the parents of both spouses, and living in the country is not required to keep the status. During the review a certificate of application is issued, which does not give the right to travel in the Schengen area. A Vanuatu citizen applies under the programme’s general rules.

Hungary’s guest investor programme

Hungary issues guest investor residence for up to 10 years for buying units in a real estate fund from €250,000, locked for at least 5 years, or for a donation from €1,000,000. Family members file separate applications for family residence. Participation conditions and the filing procedure are checked as of the application date.

Timelines and what residence gives over time

A turnkey package of a Vanuatu passport and Greek residence takes up to 9 months, so the plan is made in advance, from the date by which the family needs the residence card.

Living in Greece is not needed to keep the residence permit, but years without actual residence do not count towards long-term EU status or citizenship. A family planning a move and children’s education takes this into account when choosing the programme and the country.

The plan for a family has two steps: a Vanuatu passport in 2-3 months, then a residence application as a Vanuatu citizen. The source of funds is checked at both steps, so the documents are prepared to suit both checks. How this went for a three-generation family is shown in the case of Greek residence through a Vanuatu passport, for an investor without a family in the case of a single investor, and for a couple in case: Greek residence for a couple through a Vanuatu passport. The procedure is on Greek residence for Vanuatu citizens, and an overview of European programmes in Europe’s golden visas.

Schengen and European residence for Russian citizens with a Vanuatu passport

In brief: a Russian citizen with a Vanuatu passport obtains a visa for Schengen trips and states all citizenships on the form. For living in Europe, the Vanuatu passport allows applying for Greek residence as a Vanuatu citizen.

On 12 September 2022 the EU fully suspended its visa facilitation agreement with Russia, so Russian citizens obtain Schengen visas on general terms. A Vanuatu passport does not remove the visa requirement: a Vanuatu citizen needs a visa too. The visa form asks for the current citizenship and all other citizenships, so the consulate sees both passports.

For living in Europe the situation is different: a Russian citizen with a Vanuatu passport files the Greek residence application as a Vanuatu citizen, under the programme’s general rules. Source-of-funds documents are prepared to suit both the FIU check and the Greek programme. All the specifics for Russian citizens are collected in Vanuatu citizenship for Russian citizens.

Where a Vanuatu passport opens visa-free entry

In brief: a Vanuatu citizen enters 46 countries without a visa, another 42 give a visa on arrival, and 3 admit holders with an electronic eTA. About 39 countries issue an electronic visa online before the trip.

Open destinations include Russia for 90 days, Singapore and Malaysia for 30 days, Hong Kong for 90 days, Fiji for 120 days, and most of the Caribbean and Latin America. The UK, the USA, Canada and Australia require a visa.

For business travel to Asia the hubs matter: Singapore and Malaysia admit holders without a visa, Hong Kong for 90 days, and for the UAE an electronic visa for 30 days is obtained. Entry rules for these destinations are covered in entry to three Asian hubs.

The full list with lengths of stay is collected in visa-free countries for the Vanuatu passport.

Who a Vanuatu passport suits, taking Schengen into account

In brief: a Vanuatu passport suits those who need a second document in 2-3 months, travel in Asia and Oceania, a back-up passport for the family and a first step to European residence. For frequent Schengen trips without residence, compare it with Caribbean passports.

• Timeline. A passport in 2-3 months from filing the full package, without residence or exams.
• Europe through residence. The family gets a Vanuatu passport, then Greek residence, and travels in Schengen on the residence card.
• Travel outside the EU. Russia, Asia, Oceania and the Caribbean without a visa.
• Dual citizenship. There is no need to give up the first citizenship.
• Taxes. Vanuatu’s zero rates apply to the country’s tax residents.

If you need visa-free Schengen without arranging residence, compare Caribbean passports: they keep visa-free Schengen access, while each programme has its own amounts, timelines and restrictions on the applicant’s nationality. The comparison is in the overview Caribbean passports and in Vanuatu or Dominica.

Conditions and cost of the Vanuatu programme

In brief: citizenship is obtained under the DSP from $130,000 for one person, or through the CIIP fund at $157,000 for a family of up to four with $50,000 returned after 5 years. The timeline is roughly 2-3 months.

The turnkey total under the DSP is $135,000 for one applicant and $155,000 for a couple; under the CIIP fund $165,000 for a family of up to four, of which $50,000 is returned after 5 years. 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. A single applicant or a couple does better with the DSP, a family of three or more with the fund. The contribution is paid after Commission approval; before the decision only the FIU fee is paid.

The budget for European residence is calculated separately: it depends on the programme and the property, and for Greece the property threshold is from €250,000 to €800,000. The calculation by family size is shown by the cost calculator, and all cost items are collected in the cost of Vanuatu citizenship.

What to check before applying

In brief: before applying, check your goal for travel and living in Europe, the list of destinations you need, the budget for both steps, the source of funds and the agent’s licence.

1. The goal in Europe. For trips a Schengen visa is needed, for living, residence. The residence plan is drawn up together with the Vanuatu passport.
2. Destinations. The visa-free list is checked against the family’s trips, not against the total number.
3. The two-step budget. The cost of the Vanuatu passport and European residence is calculated together.
4. Source of funds. Documents are prepared to suit both the FIU check and residence.
5. Agent. The application is filed only through a licensed agent, and amounts are fixed by an official invoice.

The steps to citizenship are described in how to get Vanuatu citizenship.