What has changed in the Vanuatu citizenship programme by 2026

Changes to the Vanuatu citizenship programme in brief

In brief: the programme continues to operate and issue passports in roughly 2-3 months. What has changed is applicant checks, biometrics requirements, the EU and UK visa regimes and government oversight of the programmes after the commission of inquiry report.

• Government review. On 6 February 2026 the Council of Ministers considered the commission of inquiry report on the work of the Citizenship Commission and instructed government agencies to implement the recommendations of the first part of the report.
• Checks. The FIU introduced a new checking procedure for the DSP, CIIP and VCP programmes, and the Citizenship Commission revoked about 30 citizenships granted in breach of the law.
• Biometrics. Since 1 July 2025 every participant in the application gives it in person; with BRIDGES this can be done in Moscow, Saint Petersburg, Dubai or Hong Kong.
• Visas. Since 4 February 2023 EU visa-free travel has been fully suspended, and since 3 February 2025 Vanuatu has been on the EU visa list. The route to Europe runs through residence.
• Programmes. The DSP, the CIIP fund and the REO option with an investment in approved real estate are in force.

The programme conditions as a whole are in the overview of Vanuatu citizenship by investment. The filing procedure is described in the article how to get Vanuatu citizenship step by step, and the timing and participants of each step in what happens at each stage of the process.

Timeline of changes with dates

In brief: the key dates: on 21 March 2016 the CIIP suspension was lifted, on 23 July 2021 REO started, in 2022-2025 the EU moved to a visa regime, from 1 July 2025 biometrics became mandatory for all participants, and on 6 February 2026 the commission of inquiry report was considered.

The timeline includes only events confirmed by official sources: the Vanuatu Citizenship Office website, the Office of the Prime Minister, EU decisions and UK entry rules. The biometrics requirement is given according to BRIDGES practice. Amendments to the citizenship law have been made since 2013, most recently in 2021; under them Vanuatu recognises dual citizenship.

Vanuatu’s changes came against the background of reviews of other programmes, as shown in the overview how the programme market has changed.

The timeline is updated as new decisions are made. Before filing, the conditions are checked on the official Citizenship Office website and against the official invoice issued for the application.

Visa-free travel to the EU and the UK: what has changed

In brief: the EU revised visa-free travel in three steps, and the UK introduced visas from 19 July 2023. Vanuatu citizens obtain visas for trips, and families who want to live in Europe start with Greek or Hungarian residence.

EU Council 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.

How the EU decision affected applications is analysed in demand after the EU visa-free decision.

A Vanuatu passport gives visa-free entry to 46 countries and 42 more with a visa on arrival, including Russia, Singapore, Malaysia and Hong Kong. To live in Europe with a Vanuatu passport, families obtain the Greek Golden Visa or use Hungary’s programmes; the procedure is described on the page Greek residence for Vanuatu citizens, and the history of the EU decisions in the article the Vanuatu passport and Schengen.

Checks and government oversight: what has become stricter

In brief: the Financial Intelligence Unit introduced a new checking procedure for the DSP, CIIP and VCP programmes, the Citizenship Commission revoked about 30 citizenships granted in breach of the law, and in 2026 the government is implementing the recommendations of the commission of inquiry.

The FIU announced a new checking procedure for the Citizenship Office programmes, introduced following a review of its work. For the applicant this means a detailed source-of-funds check, screening against sanctions and wanted-person databases and a complete document package before filing. An attempt to file with incomplete documents leads to queries, a delay or a refusal.

The Citizenship Commission revoked about 30 citizenships granted in breach of the citizenship law and the Constitution and stresses that all applications go through the established procedure. After considering the commission of inquiry report on 6 February 2026, the government said that changes to the citizenship by investment programmes would be announced with the participation of the Ministry of Finance and the Citizenship Commission.

Separately, the Citizenship Office clarified the division of roles: the Citizenship Commission considers applications and issues citizenship certificates, while ordinary passports are issued by the Immigration and Passport Service of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. How the check works is described in the article due diligence.

For the applicant, strict checks mean careful preparation: certificates for every participant from age 18, proof of the source of funds and identical spelling of names in all documents. The full list is in the article documents for Vanuatu citizenship by participant, and what information about a second citizenship banks and other countries receive is covered in who finds out about a second passport.

Programmes and options: DSP, CIIP fund, REO and VCP

In brief: applicants choose between the DSP programme with a non-refundable contribution, the CIIP fund with $50,000 returned after 5 years, and the REO option with an investment in real estate in one of four approved projects. FIU documents also mention the VCP programme.

The REO option

The REO programme started on 23 July 2021. The applicant invests in real estate in a government-approved project and pays the set fees. The Citizenship Office lists four approved projects: Pacific Springs in Rentabao on Efate, Narpow Point Coral Bay and FPF Rainbow City Project on Narpow Point on Efate, and Milai on Espiritu Santo. The Citizenship Office does not give the investment amount in its published tariff table, so it is confirmed by a licensed agent. More in the article how REO works.

DSP and the CIIP fund

Under the published DSP tariff the contribution is $130,000 for a single applicant, $150,000 for a couple, $165,000 with a child, $180,000 with two children and $10,000 for each additional applicant; the FIU fee is $5,000. The contribution is paid only after the commission approves the application. The CIIP fund, according to the BRIDGES estimate, costs $157,000 for a family of up to four with $50,000 returned after 5 years; the terms are fixed by a contract with the fund and an official invoice. How to choose a programme is covered in the article DSP or the CIIP fund.

Current programme cost

In brief: the turnkey total in the BRIDGES estimate: $135,000 for a single applicant under the DSP, and for a family of four $185,000 under the DSP or $165,000 through the CIIP fund with $50,000 returned.

The total includes the contribution and the FIU fee: $5,000 under the DSP and $8,000 under the fund for the whole application. Translations and certification are counted separately. With the government review of the programmes under way, the amounts are confirmed by an official invoice for the application before payment. All cost items are in the article the cost of Vanuatu citizenship, and a calculation for your family in the cost calculator.

What the changes mean for preparation in your home country

In brief: the programme remains open on general terms to applicants from Russia and other countries, and the changes concern preparation: a detailed source-of-funds check, biometrics for every participant and payment from an account that can send transfers to Vanuatu.

Vanuatu accepts applications from citizens of Russia and other countries under the general rules, and with BRIDGES biometrics can be given in Moscow, Saint Petersburg, Dubai or Hong Kong, so the personal biometrics requirement does not mean a trip to the islands. The stricter FIU check means that documents on the origin of funds earned in the home country are prepared in advance: contracts, statements, tax returns, apostilles and translations.

Correspondent banks often block transfers to Vanuatu from banks in countries under sanctions, Russia being one example, so payment is planned from an account at a bank in another country. The EU visa regime for Vanuatu citizens has little effect on families’ plans in Europe: they start living there through Greek residence, applying as Vanuatu citizens. Some countries require citizens to notify the authorities of a second citizenship; in Russia, for instance, this is done within 60 days of receiving the passport. The home-country side is covered in the article Vanuatu citizenship and home-country rules.

What has stayed the same

In brief: a processing time of roughly 2-3 months, dual citizenship, no residence requirement, remote processing and the whole family in one application.

• Timeline. From filing the full package to the passport takes roughly 2-3 months.
• Dual citizenship. Vanuatu recognises it, so there is no need to give up the previous one.
• No residence. Living in the country, language tests and exams are not required.
• Remotely. With BRIDGES, biometrics are given in Moscow, Saint Petersburg, Dubai, Hong Kong or Port Vila, and the oath is taken by video link.
• Family. The application includes the spouse, children under 25 and parents over 50.
• Taxes. Vanuatu has no personal income tax, capital gains tax or inheritance tax; these conditions apply to tax residents.

One application still covers the spouse, children under 25 and parents over 50; how to include all participants is described in the article Vanuatu citizenship for the whole family.

A Vanuatu passport is still a fast second document and a first step towards residence in Europe. Who the programme suits is covered in the article is Vanuatu citizenship worth it.

What applicants should expect

In brief: the government has announced further changes to the programmes following the commission of inquiry report, so the conditions on the filing date are checked against official sources and fixed with an official invoice.

What can be expected, based on official statements: continued work on the commission of inquiry recommendations, updates to the citizenship by investment programmes with the participation of the Ministry of Finance and the Citizenship Commission, and attention to applicant checks and the work of agents. Specific changes to tariffs and requirements had not been officially announced as of September 2026.

The practical conclusion: if the programme suits you, preparation starts with source-of-funds documents and a background check, and the amounts and payment order are fixed with an official invoice. If visa-free Schengen access matters without obtaining residence, other programmes are compared; a comparison of price and timing is in the articles Vanuatu or Dominica and Vanuatu or Nauru.

If the programme suits you, BRIDGES takes care of the process: support with the Vanuatu programme handles the application from pre-screening to the passport, and the Vanuatu citizenship guide brings the conditions together in one place. We will help you relocate quickly, reliably and lawfully.

Common applicant mistakes and what to check

In brief: mistakes happen when applicants rely on old amounts and rules, do not prove the source of funds, overlook biometrics for every participant and file through an unlicensed intermediary.

1. Outdated data. Amounts and rules from past years’ materials do not reflect the changes; conditions are checked on the filing date.
2. Source of funds without documents. The wording “savings” without statements and contracts leads to queries and refusal.
3. Biometrics. Since 1 July 2025 every participant, including children, gives it in person; the trip or a staff visit is planned for the whole family.
4. Database screening. Sanctions matches, unresolved court cases and problems with a previous business come to light during the check, so they are disclosed with documents.
5. Unlicensed intermediary. The programme accepts applications only through licensed agents, whose list is published by the Citizenship Office.

Before filing, BRIDGES checks the background against international databases, the source-of-funds document package, translations and legalisation, current tariffs and whether the programme fits the client’s goals. How to check an agent is described in the article Vanuatu citizenship agent.