7 Hidden Costs of Vanuatu Citizenship

Why $130,000 is not the final number

The Vanuatu citizenship program operates through the government's DSP (Development Support Program) fund. Contribution there - $130 000 for one applicant. The amount is fixed, non-refundable.

But the contribution is only a basic payment. There are mandatory costs around it that the government and agents do not include in the advertising figure. Some of them are strictly mandatory (the application will not be accepted without them). Others are virtually inevitable in practice.

The total hidden costs range from $10,000 to $20,000 and more, depending on the composition of the family. Let's look at each point separately. Read more about the program itself in full overview of Vanuatu citizenship.

Hidden expense 1. Due diligence - background check

Due diligence is a mandatory check of the applicant by the Vanuatu security service. Without it, citizenship will not be given. Price - $5,000 per adultand$2,500 per child.

This amount is not included in the basic contribution of $130,000. It is paid separately when submitting documents.

For a family of 4 people (2 adults + 2 children), due diligence will be already $15 000. This is a significant premium that must be taken into account in advance.

What they check: criminal records, sanctions lists, source of funds, tax debts, business reputation. If there are controversial points in the biography, it is better to discuss with the agent before submitting, and not after refusal.

Advice: Don't hide anything from the agent. Failure at the DD stage means loss of a portion of the fees already paid.

Hidden cost 2. Passport fee - $300 per person

After the application is approved, each family member pays $300 for issuing a passport. This is a government fee that is not included in the fee or due diligence.

For a family of 4 people - $1,200. The amount is small by the standards of the program, but it is often forgotten about when initially calculating the budget.

A Vanuatu passport gives visa-free entry to more than 90 countries - including the UK, Singapore, Hong Kong. Read more about the geography of visa-free access in the article Vanuatu passport and visa-free countries.

Advice: The passport fee is paid after a positive decision - include it in the budget as a separate line.

Hidden cost 3. Accredited agent - required

The Government of Vanuatu does not accept applications directly from individuals. Submission of documents is possible only through accredited agent - a licensed intermediary, whom the state officially verifies and admits to the program.

Cost of legal support - $5 000-10 000 depending on the agent and the complexity of the case. For a family, the amount is usually higher than for a single applicant.

What is included in the service: collection and verification of documents, filling out forms, interaction with the Vanuatu authorities, monitoring deadlines, support until receiving a passport.

Saving on an agent is impossible here - this is a requirement of the law, and not someone’s initiative. But the choice of agent affects the speed and results. Check whether DD support is included in the agent's commission or is paid separately.

Advice: compare 2-3 agents based on price and reputation. Request a list of documents that they will prepare for their money.

Hidden expense 4. Notary, apostille, translations

Each document in the application must be notarized, provided with an apostille and translated into English. This applies to passports, birth certificates, marriage certificates, diplomas, and certificates of no criminal record.

Average expenses for this block are $1 500-2 500 per family. There are a lot of documents for a family of 4 people: everyone goes through a full certification cycle.

What's included in the article:

• notarization of copies - 500-800 rubles. for a document in the Russian Federation
• apostille at the MFC - 2,500 rubles. per document
• translation into English - 500-1,500 rubles. per page
• notarized translation

Advice: start collecting documents as early as possible. An apostille for Russian documents takes 1-5 working days at the MFC, but there are queues. For urgent processing, you should use paid channels.

Hidden expense 5. Bank transfer - up to 1% of the amount

The contribution of $130,000 must be transferred to Vanuatu by bank transfer. Most banks charge a commission 0.5-1% of the amount. At $130,000 that's $650-1 300.

Additionally, there may be costs for currency conversion if your account is in rubles or euros. And the commission of the receiving bank in Vanuatu.

For clients from Russia, the issue of transfer channels is now relevant. Direct Swift transfers from Russian banks are limited. Working options are transfer through third countries (Armenia, Kazakhstan, UAE) or through a crypto gateway with conversion to fiat.

Advice: Check with the agent to which account and through which route it is better to transfer from your country. The wrong route can add 2-3% extra commissions.

Hidden cost 6. Legalization in the country of origin

After receiving a Vanuatu passport, a Russian citizen is required to notify the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs about his second citizenship. Period - 60 days from the date of receipt of the document. Violation entails an administrative fine.

Expenses for this block:

• notification to the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Russian Federation - ~$50 (state fee + postage)
• notarized translation of a Vanuatu passport into Russian - $100-200
• if necessary, consultation with a lawyer on dual citizenship

This is a required step. Many people don’t think about it until they receive their passport - and then they rush to the MFC.

Citizens of Kazakhstan, Ukraine, and Azerbaijan have their own notification rules. In most cases, a second passport is not prohibited, but does require registration or notification.

Advice: include this item in your plan at the stage of preparing your application. The notarized translation will take 1-2 days after receiving the passport.

Hidden expense 7. Passport renewal after 10 years

Vanuatu passport is issued for 10 years. Upon expiration, it must be renewed. It's not free - there is a charge renewal fee.

The specific fee for 2026 is about $300-500 per passport. The program is young, and the amount of the fee may change by 2034-2036.

Few people think about this expense when purchasing. But if you plan to use the passport for a long time, this is a real budget item, especially for a large family.

Additionally: if your marital status changes in 10 years (children were born, last name changed), you will need to update the documents - with your own expenses for notary and translations.

Advice: factor the renewal into your long-term financial planning. Set a reminder 6 months before the expiration date - your passport should not take you by surprise.

Full table of expenses: calculate the real budget

Below are all mandatory and typical program costs. Data is current as of 2026. A detailed analysis of the cost is also in the article. full cost of Vanuatu citizenship.

Total for 1 applicant (without family): from $142,600 to $149,350

Total for a family of 4 people: from $223,500 to $235,000 (depending on agent and rate)

How to check an agent before paying

Citizenship by investment fraud is a real problem. A few simple steps will help you avoid losing money.

Step 1 - Check accreditation. The agent must be officially accredited by the Vanuatu government. The list of accredited agents is published by VFSC (Vanuatu Financial Services Commission). Ask the agent to show his license number - and check it against the database.

Step 2 - Learn the history. How many years has the company been in business? Are there any real reviews? Is there an office or just a website? Check the company name on Google with the words scam, review, complaint added.

Step 3 - Check the contract. The contract must clearly state: all expense items, deadlines, conditions for return in case of refusal, responsibility for the result. Vague wording is a reason to be wary.

Step 4 - Don't pay in cash. Any payments are made only by bank transfer to a legal entity. Cash or crypto without a contract is a huge risk.

More details about the program are on the page Vanuatu citizenship by investment.

How to legally cut costs

Hidden costs cannot be completely avoided - most of them are required by law. But you can reduce the total amount in several ways.

Choose an agent with a fixed commission. Some agents charge 5%, others charge a flat $7,000 regardless of family composition. For a family of 4 people, the second option is more profitable.

Prepare the documents yourself. If you have time, you can arrange the notary and apostille yourself, without intermediaries. Save 20-30% on this article.

Use the optimal transfer route. Transferring through a bank with a low fee (for example, through the UAE or Armenia) can save $500-700 compared to transferring directly from a Russian bank.

Serve with your family. The fee for each additional family member ($7,500-15,000 depending on age and relationship) is lower than a separate application. One agent and one DD procedure per family.

Family: how is the cost for loved ones calculated?

The Vanuatu program allows you to include a spouse and children under 18 years of age in your application. For additional family members, an additional payment to the basic contribution is paid.

Approximate allowances:

• spouse - $5,000-7,500
• child under 12 years old - $5,000
• child 13-18 years old - $7,500
• dependent parents - upon request, not always possible

Plus due diligence for each ($5,000 adult / $2,500 child) and a passport fee of $300 for each.

In total, for a family of 4 people (2 adults, 2 children under 12 years old), mandatory government payments alone will be about $220,000-225,000 without taking into account the agency commission.

Important: All family members undergo a full background check. If one of the family members has difficulties in the past, this affects the entire application.

Vanuatu versus other programs: cost-benefit ratio

Vanuatu has one of the most affordable citizenship programs in the world. Let's compare with the closest alternatives.

Grenada - contribution from $235,000, gives access to a US E-2 visa. Türkiye - real estate from $400,000, EU passport not available. St. Kitts - from $250,000, one of the strongest passports in the Caribbean. Saint Lucia - from $240,000, visa-free Schengen.

Vanuatu - the fastest option (30-60 days) and the cheapest fee among passports with real visa-free access. Minus - there is no access to the USA and EU without a visa. Schengen is also not included.

If the priority is speed and price, Vanuatu wins. If you need Schengen or the USA, look at the programs of the Caribbean or Europe.

3 common mistakes when calculating a budget

Mistake 1: count only the contribution. The most common mistake. A person sees $130,000 and thinks that's the full price. In practice, the real budget is $12,000-20,000 higher.

Mistake 2: Not taking family into account. The calculation for one applicant is completely different than for a family of 4 people. Many people calculate a budget for themselves - and then are surprised to see the total amount with due diligence and allowances for family members.

Mistake 3: Ignore the translation route. In 2024-2026, transferring $130,000 abroad from Russia requires planning. An unprepared client loses 2-3 weeks and $1,000-2,000 in commissions until he finds a working route. It is better to resolve this issue before submitting documents.

What is the order of payments?

Payments are distributed in stages - you do not pay everything at once. This reduces the risk.

Stage 1 - signing an agreement with the agent. Part of the agent commission is paid (usually 30-50%).

Stage 2 - submission of documents. Due diligence is paid - a government fee, which the agent transfers to Vanuatu along with the documents.

Stage 3 - approval of the application. After a positive decision, the main contribution of $130,000 is transferred to the state DSP fund. Only after this the state issues a passport.

Stage 4 - obtaining a passport. Passport fee is $300 per person.

In total, 3-4 tranches are spread over 1-2 months. This is a standard scheme - deviations from it should be alarming.

Bottom line: how to plan a budget correctly

Vanuatu citizenship is a truly affordable program. A $130,000 fee plus $12,000 to $20,000 in associated costs is still cheaper than most alternatives.

The main rule: budget the full amount from the very beginning. Don't rely on the advertising figure of $130,000.

Real budget for planning:

• one applicant - from $142,000 to $150,000
• family of 4 people - from $223,000 to $235,000

Vanuatu's program provides a fast second passport with no residency requirements. If you want to figure out whether it is right for your situation, sign up for a consultation. A detailed analysis of the program is on the page Vanuatu citizenship by investment.

BRIDGES analysis on this topic: what the state earns per passport.