Who a Vanuatu passport suits: seven goals it serves

Who a Vanuatu passport suits

In short: a Vanuatu passport suits people who need a second document quickly and for the whole family: entrepreneurs with a single citizenship, those who work with Asia, families with children and parents, and those planning residence in Europe. If you need visa-free Schengen straight away or a US E-2 visa, another programme fits better.

A decision on second citizenship starts with the problem it should solve. The Vanuatu passport is strongest where speed, family and travel outside Europe matter. It is weaker where visa-free Europe or visa-free North America is needed. Below are the goals our clients bring most often. Each goal has its limit: the passport covers it fully, partly or only together with another status, such as residence in Europe or a local residence permit. That limit is best seen before payment, not after the passport arrives.

Goal 1. A back-up document for an entrepreneur

In short: a second passport is needed when the main one limits travel, banking or timing. A Vanuatu passport takes 2-3 months and does not require relocation.

An entrepreneur with one citizenship depends on the decisions of one country: visa rules, bank requirements, document issuing times. A second passport removes that dependence. The Vanuatu passport is chosen for this goal because it is issued quickly, without language tests or residence requirements, and citizenship is permanent and passes to children.

A back-up passport does not replace the main one. It is used where it is more convenient, while the country of your other citizenship is entered on its passport. How this works when travelling is explained in our guide to travelling with a Vanuatu passport, and a typical founder’s path is shown in the case of a back-up passport for a company founder. More on this goal in our article on the Vanuatu passport as a plan B.

A back-up document helps only if it is valid when needed. A Vanuatu passport is valid for 10 years and is renewed from abroad on the basis of the citizenship certificate, so holders watch the expiry date and start renewal early: many countries require remaining validity on the date of entry. The process is covered in our article on renewing a Vanuatu passport.

Goal 2. Travel and sourcing in Asia

In short: Singapore, Malaysia and the Philippines admit Vanuatu citizens visa-free for up to 30 days, Hong Kong for up to 90 days, and Thailand, Cambodia and Sri Lanka with a visa on arrival. For frequent business trips this cuts visa delays.

Companies that buy goods in Asia or negotiate there lose time on visa forms and waiting for decisions. With a Vanuatu passport many trips to the region need no prior visa, and visas for the UAE, Vietnam and India are obtained online. This is how the case of trading with Asia without visa forms and the case of a manufacturer from Cairo who needed the passport for supplier visits worked.

The full list for the region is in our article on visa-free Asian countries for the Vanuatu passport, and three financial centres are covered in the UAE, Singapore and Hong Kong.

In practice, border officers check more than the passport. For visa-free entry and visas on arrival they usually ask for a return ticket, accommodation and proof of funds, and the length of stay is set on arrival. Frequent travellers plan trips between countries in the region so as not to exceed the permitted days.

Goal 3. Accounts and business outside your home country

In short: a Vanuatu passport serves as a neutral citizenship document when the first passport raises extra questions at a bank. It does not open an account by itself: the bank looks at source of funds and tax residence.

Banks assess a client on a set of documents, and citizenship is only one line in it. A second passport helps when restrictions are tied to the country of first citizenship. Proof of address, origin of capital and tax residence remain decisive, so bank documents are prepared together with the citizenship application.

How this looks in practice is shown in the case of an entrepreneur from Beirut who regained access to banking and the case of a financier from Almaty with access to banks in Hong Kong and Singapore. The process is covered in our article on bank accounts with a Vanuatu passport.

What a bank will ask a Vanuatu citizen

• the Vanuatu passport and, if any, the first passport;
• proof of residential address;
• source of funds documents: sale of a business or property, dividends, salary;
• a tax number in the country of residence and a CRS self-certification;
• a description of the planned account activity.

The more complete this set, the fewer questions citizenship itself raises. Source of funds documents are usually already collected for the FIU check and can be reused.

Goal 4. Family: children, parents and the next generation

In short: one application can include a spouse, children and parents over 50. Citizenship is permanent, and children born after it is granted acquire it by descent.

Families choose Vanuatu because all members receive passports in one application and within one timeline. A family of four can choose between two programmes: a non-refundable DSP contribution of $180,000 or the CIIP fund, where the family pays $157,000 and receives $50,000 back after 5 years. A single applicant usually benefits from DSP, a family of four or more from the fund.

Parents are included together with children: this is what a family of seven across three generations did, and in another case the application added a mother over 50. A child born later is registered separately, as in the case of citizenship for a newborn daughter. Who can be included and what it costs is explained in our article on Vanuatu citizenship for families.

Families change after the passport, too. A spouse married later and children from a new marriage are added to citizenship through a separate application with its own documents and cost. The scenarios are covered in our article on citizenship for a spouse and children after the passport.

Goal 5. A first step towards residence in Europe

In short: the Vanuatu passport has had no visa-free access to Schengen since 4 February 2023, but a Vanuatu citizen can obtain the Greek Golden Visa or a Hungarian programme. This is a common scenario among BRIDGES clients: first the passport, then European residence.

For many families Europe remains the main goal, and the Vanuatu passport becomes the first step. It is obtained in 2-3 months, and the Greek residence application is then made as a Vanuatu citizen. A residence permit gives the right to live in Greece and travel across the Schengen Area. This is what a couple from Russia and an investor from Belarus did.

The residence process for Vanuatu citizens is described on the Greek residence for Vanuatu citizens service page, and the history of visa-free travel and Schengen visas is covered in the Vanuatu passport and Schengen.

The order in this combination matters. Vanuatu citizenship and the passport come first, then the basis for European residence is chosen: property in Greece or a Hungarian national programme. The budget and timing of both parts are calculated in advance so that funds and documents for the second step are ready when the passport arrives.

Goal 6. Living in Asia and the Pacific without visa runs

In short: families and couples who spend part of the year in Asia or the Pacific choose the Vanuatu passport for long visa-free stays and easy travel between countries in the region.

Fiji admits Vanuatu citizens for up to 120 days, Kiribati for up to 90 days, and Armenia issues a visa on arrival for up to 120 days. Permanent life in one country still requires local residence, but between trips the passport removes the need to keep extending tourist visas. This is how the case of a family living in Thailand without visa runs and the case of a couple over 60 who winter in Asia work.

For older applicants the programme has no age limit and no work requirement, and source of funds is shown through savings. More in our article on Vanuatu citizenship for retirees.

The same logic works in Latin America and the Caribbean: Peru admits Vanuatu citizens for up to 180 days, Panama and Ecuador for up to 90 days, Barbados and Dominica for up to 180 days. This is especially convenient for those who live on a yacht or change countries often, as in the case of a couple who live at sea.

Goal 7. A passport by a specific date

In short: the approximate timeline is 2-3 months from a complete application. If the passport is needed for a deal or a move, the timeline is planned back from that date and documents are prepared early.

Vanuatu’s speed comes from how the programme works: a licensed agent files the application, the Financial Intelligence Unit carries out due diligence, the Citizenship Commission decides and the oath is taken remotely. Due diligence takes the most time, so a complete and consistent document set shortens the timeline more than anything else. In one case the passport was needed for a deal and was obtained in 52 days: the story is in the case of a deal in Singapore.

The timeline by stage is covered in our article on how long Vanuatu citizenship takes.

What to prepare in advance if the passport is tied to a date:

• police certificates for all adult family members, valid on the submission date;
• source of funds documents with no gaps in the timeline;
• the same Latin spelling of names in every document;
• translations and apostilles;
• the city and date for biometrics.

When another programme is the better choice

In short: a Vanuatu passport does not solve three goals: visa-free Schengen straight away, a US E-2 visa and EU citizenship. In these cases another programme or a combination of programmes is chosen.

• You need visa-free Schengen without a visa or residence. The passports of Dominica, Grenada, Saint Lucia, Antigua and Barbuda and St Kitts and Nevis still enter Schengen visa-free. The comparison is in Vanuatu or the Caribbean.
• You need an E-2 visa for business in the US. Vanuatu has no treaty with the US that gives access to this visa, while Grenada does. See Vanuatu or Grenada.
• You need citizenship of an EU country. It is obtained by descent or through naturalisation after years of residence, while a Vanuatu passport leads to Europe only through residence.
• You expect the passport to remove taxes. Tax depends on tax residence, not citizenship. When Vanuatu’s zero rate applies is explained in our article on taxes in Vanuatu.

Sometimes a combination solves the goal: a Vanuatu passport for speed and Asia, Greek residence for living in Europe. This option is discussed before submission so that the budget and timing of both parts are clear in advance.

How to tell if a Vanuatu passport suits you

In short: five checks before deciding: travel countries, a plan for Europe, source of funds documents, family members and the law of your first citizenship.

If you have an answer to all five questions, a Vanuatu passport will most likely serve your goal. If even one stays open, it is worked through before payment: this shows whether you need an extra programme, a different set of applicants or more time for documents.

Terms and cost in brief

In short: the DSP contribution starts at $130,000 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 timeline is approximately 2-3 months, and the FIU due diligence fee is $5,000 under DSP and $8,000 under the fund.

The DSP contribution grows with the family: $150,000 for a couple, $165,000 for a couple with a child, $180,000 for a couple with two children. The all-in total includes the due diligence fee, government fees and document preparation. For one person under DSP it is about $140,000, for a family of four about $199,000, and in the CIIP fund about $179,000, of which $50,000 is returned.

All terms are in our review of Vanuatu citizenship by investment, the two programmes are compared in DSP or the CIIP fund, and the figure for your family comes from the Vanuatu citizenship cost calculator.

Common mistakes when choosing a passport

1. Choosing by ranking rather than by goal. A passport’s index rank does not show whether it solves your question about travel, banking or family.
2. Counting on visa-free Europe. Schengen has required a visa since 4 February 2023, and residence in Greece or Hungary is used for living in Europe.
3. Confusing citizenship with tax residence. The passport does not change the country where you pay tax.
4. Not checking the law of your first citizenship. Some countries require notice of a second passport, others restrict dual citizenship.
5. Not preparing source of funds early. Due diligence takes the most time, and gaps in documents lengthen the timeline.

BRIDGES service: Vanuatu citizenship by investment with BRIDGES support.