At 10:16 pm on 15 July Andrey received our calculation. The call had ended an hour earlier, and in that hour we did what he asked: priced Vanuatu citizenship for all six of them at once. For him, his wife Marina and their four children: Vera, twelve, Alisa, nine, Miron, seven, and six-year-old Tikhon.
The family had no plans to move anywhere. Moscow, school, work, a familiar life. The parents wanted something else: for each child to have a second passport before it was ever needed. Not in a panic, not in a queue, not after the rules had already changed. In advance, and for everyone.
And there was a condition Andrey opened the conversation with: no travel. Not to an island on the other side of the world, not to a third country for a day. Six people, four of them children, flying halfway around the world for one procedure - that was out of the question for the family. At the time no one was doing biometrics in Russia. We were the first to do it, and the family took the oath by video call without leaving home.
Ahead lay a summer in which nothing went to plan: a holiday three days after the call, a transfer returned by the bank and nineteen forms to sign. Then came sanctions on Andrey's former boss, which put Andrey himself on the radar of the background check. In the end approval came on day 78, and at 9 am on 19 October Andrey and Marina took the oath as citizens of the Republic of Vanuatu by video call from Moscow.
Case at a glance
The family's summer in seven lines
Family
Moscow, parents aged 38 and four children: 12, 9, 7 and 6
What they wanted
A second passport for everyone, above all the children, without relocating
Main condition
No trips abroad: biometrics in Moscow, oath by video call
Obstacles
Sanctions on a former boss, payments from Russia, a holiday, nineteen forms
Money
Transfer overpayment of about 4,500 dollars, 2.3% instead of the usual 7%
Timeline
78 days to approval, oath on day 96
Outcome
Six Vanuatu passports, biometrics in Moscow, oath by video call
Client story
A family that thought ten years ahead
An ordinary Moscow life
Andrey is employed at a large company. The family has four children, which means four schedules, four school bags and constant logistics. All six hold the same passport, and for a long time that worried no one.
A question every parent asks one day
Their eldest daughter is twelve. In six years she will choose a university, and the parents wanted that choice not to depend on visas, queues and the rules for a single citizenship. So two steps came up in the conversation: first a passport that never needs renewing and does not depend on where you live, then a European residence permit on that passport. That is exactly how a second passport works as a plan B.
Why now
Until children turn 18, they are part of their parents' application as members of the family. After that, each one has to be added as a dependant: proving studies and financial support and assembling a separate adult document package. With four children, waiting would have stretched one task over years.
The wrong number
This story has an unexpected start: Andrey called us by mistake. He was planning to work with one of the big firms on the market, had already been in touch with them and was making arrangements, but dialled our number. That is exactly what he asked at the start of the call: how did I end up with you? We talked, and Andrey began to compare. They could not promise that everything would happen in Moscow, without trips abroad. And no one took on what we do: fill in all the forms for the client, handle the translations and manage the documents from start to finish. Andrey studied the whole market and decided to stay with us.
What Andrey asked of us
Two things. First, to do everything in Russia. Normally, after approval, applicants fly to another country for biometrics and take the oath there or at an embassy. For a family with four children that meant flights, a hotel and several lost working days. Second, the family should only have to send documents, sign and pay. Forms, translations, data checks, correspondence with the Vanuatu authorities and the payment route itself we took on ourselves.
Where it could all have stalled
Where it could all have stalled
There are no small details in a family application: one wrong letter on a child's form holds up all six. This family had seven such points.
someone else's sanctions: Andrey's former boss is under sanctions; Andrey himself is not on any list, but such a connection inevitably catches the attention of the background check;
01biometrics without leaving: there was no ready procedure for biometrics in Russia, it had to be built and agreed;
02dollars would not go through, and Andrey did not want to overpay: payment agents charge about 7%, almost 14,000 dollars on top of the contract amount;
03nineteen forms to sign: only the applicant signs, parents sign for children, there is no power of attorney, and any outdated version means a new signature;
04two surnames in one: the surname appeared in the documents in two Latin spellings, and the mismatch would have spread to every form and to the passports;
05certificates on a timer: a police clearance certificate is valid for six months, and the whole process, including the apostille, had to fit into that window;
06the holiday: three days after the first call the family flew away for 17 days.
Summer by dates
Summer by dates: from the call to the passports
All dates come from the case correspondence, not rounded.
01
15 July
First call, calculation for six at 10:16 pm
02
16 July
Family check before the contract, bank card ordered for the payment
03
17-18 July
All documents and photos for six, programme option chosen
04
19 July - 2 August
Family holiday, contract and forms waiting in the inbox
In-person biometrics in Moscow and passports for the whole family
Takeaway. The check itself took 22 days. The rest of the time went on the family holiday and bank transfers.
How it went
How it went
The summer step by step: what happened, what got in the way and what we did so that the family only had to sign and pay.
01
Three days instead of three weeks
The morning after the call we checked the parents against sanctions lists and open sources. There were no restrictions on Andrey and Marina personally, but a connection surfaced, which we will come to below. Andrey received a document list for each family member and sent twenty-one files within three days of the first enquiry: passports, birth certificates, a marriage certificate, certificates. The family knew a holiday was coming and gathered everything before the flight. The last to arrive were photos of all six - a day before the plane.
02
A contract that went on holiday
The family flew off, but the work stayed with us. We filled in the forms and sent Andrey the final contract while he was on holiday. Of the two programme options, the family chose the non-refundable contribution: 198,000 dollars for six. Andrey came back on 5 August with edits to the contract and the question almost everyone asks: how reliable is this? We answered, and the next day he signed the contract and all six citizenship forms.
03
Money looking for a route
Dollars from Russia would not go through, and Andrey did not want to give a payment agent about 7% - and he was right. We worked out the route back in July: an account at a bank in Kyrgyzstan and payment in dirhams. The bank returned the first transfer: the number of applicants in the payment reference did not match the invoice. We reissued the documents, and on 24 August the money went out again. For the next nine days Andrey asked almost every day whether it had arrived, and each time we answered with the facts. The family assembled the main amount in parts, a million roubles a day, and transferred it in full within eight days. Result: currency conversion and fees cost the family about 4,500 dollars, 2.3% of the contract amount. Through a payment agent it would have been almost 14,000.
04
Someone else's sanctions
Andrey's former boss is under sanctions. Andrey himself is not involved in anything and is not on any list, but a background check looks not only at the applicant but also at their circle. Such a connection on a form without explanation means questions, delays and sometimes a refusal. We did not wait for a request. We described Andrey's career in the CV for submission accurately and factually, and employment and income certificates confirmed that his money is a salary, not a stake in someone else's business. On 25 September the check came back without a single remark.
05
Nineteen forms to sign
Citizenship forms, birth registration forms, passport forms, an asset statement, a reference letter - we filled in every form ourselves, from the first line to the last. Sixteen documents were translated into English and notarised, and the spelling of names and surnames was brought into one version for the whole family. Every form went out with notes: sign here, date here, write nothing here. Even so, Andrey signed some forms several times: when a version changed, we explained what had changed. Not a single error reached the Commission.
06
A letter at 8:03
On 1 October at 8:03 am the approval letter arrived with the key line: the applicant is approved. 78 days had passed since the first call. The programme normally takes about two months, three at most. Here the holiday and bank transfers stretched the timeline; the check itself took 22 days.
07
Moscow instead of the island
Normally applicants fly for biometrics: to the island or to a biometrics centre in another country. At the time no one was doing it in Russia. We built the procedure and agreed it so that the family could give biometrics in person in Moscow. Other clients of ours now do the same, but this family was the first. The oath is taken by video call at any time convenient for the client. Andrey chose Monday, 19 October, 9 am, and sent the signed forms in advance. Andrey and Marina at home in Moscow, the official text of the oath on the screen. No flight halfway around the world, no time off work, no hotel. Children do not need to take part in the oath.
Expert comment
A family application is won not by speed but by care. Six people means one shared mistake for everyone unless the data is aligned in advance. That is why we first choose one spelling of the surname for the whole family and only then sit down to the forms. And the main thing for such families is not to make them fly halfway around the world: we arranged biometrics in Moscow precisely because, for parents with four children, the trip itself is the main obstacle.
Outcome
What the client received
Citizenship
Permanent Vanuatu citizenship for each of the six
Documents
Citizenship certificates and Vanuatu passports for the whole family
Travel
No trips abroad: biometrics in Moscow, oath by video call
Money
Transfer overpayment of about 4,500 dollars instead of almost 14,000 through an agent
Check
No remarks despite sanctions on a former boss
Before: a Moscow family with four children wanted second passports without leaving Russia, while payments, sanctions on a former boss and nineteen forms stood in the way. What we did: gathered the documents in three days, built a payment route with a 2.3% overpayment, resolved the sanctions question before it was asked, filled in all the forms ourselves and arranged biometrics in Moscow. What the family received: Vanuatu citizenship and passports for all six. Next: notifying Russia's Ministry of Internal Affairs of the second citizenship within 60 days and a Greek residence permit on the Vanuatu passport.
Compare not only the price but what the company does for you: forms, translations, where the biometrics will take place.
Sanctions on a boss or partner are not a verdict if you explain the connection before the request, not after.
A payment agent is expensive: your own account in a friendly country costs many times less.
Apply for your children before they turn 18: after that each is processed as a separate package.
Choose one spelling of the surname for the whole family before the forms, not after.
Police clearance certificates last six months: order them when everything else is ready.
Only adults take the oath, by video call and at a convenient time, and biometrics can be given in Moscow.
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FAQ
Questions people ask in a similar situation
01Can the oath and biometrics be done without leaving Russia?
Yes. This family gave biometrics in person in Moscow and took the oath by video call without travelling abroad.
02If a boss or partner is under sanctions, will citizenship be refused?
Not necessarily. The check looks at the applicant and at their connections. If you show in advance that the applicant has nothing to do with the sanctions and that their income is a salary, the check can be passed without remarks, as in this case.
03Can four children be included in one application with their parents?
Yes. Minor children are part of their parents' application. The contribution depends on the family's composition, but the procedure is the same for everyone.
04Do children need to take part in the oath?
No. Only adult applicants take the oath, by video call at a time convenient for them.
05Can the programme be paid for from Russia?
Yes, but not directly in dollars. We choose a working payment route in advance. In this case it was an account at a bank in Kyrgyzstan and payment in dirhams, with a 2.3% overpayment instead of about 7% with payment agents.
06How long did the process take?
78 days from enquiry to approval. It usually takes about two months; here the holiday and bank transfers extended it.
07What should be done after receiving the passport?
Russian citizens must notify the Ministry of Internal Affairs of a second citizenship within 60 days. We remind clients of the deadline and explain the procedure.
As Founder and Managing Partner of BRIDGES, I am responsible for the firm's strategy and personally lead its most complex client matters, including cases in which citizenship or residence decisions require a strategic view and consideration of capital.
I begin by defining the objective: the outcome the client needs, the facts that affect the choice, and the matters that require further review. I then establish the available directions, the sequence of work, and the key decision points.
Once the strategy has been agreed, I oversee the BRIDGES team's key decisions and remain involved at the stages that shape the course of the matter. The purpose is to give the client a clear rationale for the chosen direction and a precise understanding of the next steps.
This material is based on BRIDGES practice and has been reviewed by a subject-matter expert.
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Names and some details have been changed to protect the client's confidentiality. The result described reflects a specific situation and is not a public offer or a guarantee of a similar outcome. Programme terms are given as of 2026 and may change - please check current parameters with a BRIDGES consultant.
