Vanuatu Citizenship for a Family in Barcelona: A Backup Passport While the Russian One Is Renewed

A design studio in Barcelona and a passport with nine months left

This is a composite example: the story is built from typical enquiries from families living in Europe, and no real client is described; the names are invented. Gleb is 42 and a Russian citizen. His studio designs interfaces for fintech companies in Spain, Germany and the Netherlands.

Three years ago the family moved to Barcelona. Gleb, his spouse and their nine-year-old daughter hold temporary Spanish residence permits. Their daughter attends a local school, and the studio rents an office in Poblenou.

The family’s life in Spain rests on their Russian passports. Residence permit renewals, bank accounts and every trip outside Europe depend on them.

One passport with a short validity can stop a residence renewal, travel and the studio’s work all at once.

Sofia MendesInvestment Programs Expert

Nine months of validity and seven months of waiting

On the first call the lawyer asked Gleb to list every date that depends on his passport. The result was uncomfortably tight.

The Russian passport expires in nine months. The consulate appointment for a new one is in seven, and production takes several more months. The residence permit must be renewed in five months, and the Spanish lawyer warned that applying for renewal with a passport close to expiry is risky.

For two weeks Gleb checked the consulate booking site every morning, hoping someone would cancel and free an earlier slot. None came up. That is when he asked his lawyer to find a backup.

Then there was travel. The studio has a major client in Singapore, and twice a year Gleb flies there for project launches. A Russian passport requires a visa for this, and during the passport replacement the trips would have to be cancelled.

A Vanuatu passport does not replace the Russian one for renewing a Spanish residence permit. But it gives the family a second valid document during the replacement and visa-free entry to Singapore for up to 30 days.

Checking with the Spanish lawyer before filing

The first joint call ran in three languages: the Spanish lawyer spoke Spanish and English, and Gleb translated into Russian when Russian documents came up. Within half an hour everyone had one task list and one timeline.

The Spanish lawyer asked three questions, and we answered each together before filing.

First: would a second citizenship affect the residence permit? No: the permit was issued on the Russian passport and is renewed on it. The family will show the Vanuatu passport to the Spanish authorities if asked, but it does not become the basis of their status.

Second: does tax residence change? No: Gleb lives in Spain and remains a Spanish tax resident. Vanuatu does not tax personal income and does not require living on the islands.

The third question was for the future. If in a few years the family applies for Spanish citizenship, the rules on renouncing previous citizenships will need separate review. The lawyer added this to his plan, and we agreed to return to it when the time comes.

An application for the applicant alone

For a single applicant the donation costs USD 135,000 including the due diligence fee. The coconut oil fund costs 165,000, with 50,000 returned after five years.

Gleb’s spouse decided to wait: her passport is valid for six more years, and she rarely travels outside Europe. Their daughter can be added later. For a single applicant the donation is USD 30,000 cheaper than the fund and is paid only after approval. Gleb chose the donation. How the two programmes compare is covered in donation or fund.

Income from three European countries in one folder

Due diligence looks at Gleb’s personal income. The studio has clients in three countries, and payments arrive in euros to the Spanish company’s account. Gleb receives a salary and dividends.

The studio’s Spanish accountant, its gestor, gathered three years of company accounts, Gleb’s tax returns and dividend decisions. Gleb selected the five largest client contracts.

The Spanish documents were first certified into English by a sworn translator. The gestor was surprised that tax returns were needed in Vanuatu, but after the lawyer explained, he prepared a short note on the income structure so due diligence would not have to decipher a Spanish tax form.

Money earned before the move

Part of the savings Gleb earned in Moscow before 2022. For this part we gathered Russian income statements, tax returns and statements for the transfer of money to Spain. The Spanish bank had asked about it before, and the answer was found in old correspondence.

Police certificates were needed from Russia and Spain. The Russian documents were apostilled and received certified English translations, and the Spanish ones were translated from Spanish. How due diligence works is covered in applicant due diligence.

A due diligence question about fintech clients

Two weeks after filing, due diligence asked one question: does the studio work with crypto services? One of the clients did have the word fintech in its name.

The question did not catch us off guard. When gathering documents, the lawyer had asked the gestor to add the Spanish company’s activity codes to the income note. The codes show that the studio does design and software development and provides no financial services.

The lawyer attached project descriptions from the contracts: the studio designs interfaces for banking apps and online payment services and does not work with crypto. The reply went out two days later, and there were no further questions. A month later the approval letter arrived.

Biometrics in Dubai on the way to Singapore

After approval Gleb paid the donation. The USD 5,000 due diligence fee had been paid at filing, leaving 130,000. The bank in Barcelona asked for the approval letter and the agent’s invoice.

Biometrics are given in person in one of five cities: Port Vila, Dubai, Hong Kong, Moscow or Saint Petersburg. From Barcelona Dubai is the most convenient, and Russian citizens need no visa there.

Gleb was just flying to Singapore for a project launch, for the last time on his Russian passport with a visa. The lawyer suggested flying via Dubai and spending one night there. Biometrics in the morning, onward flight in the evening. Biometrics took less than an hour, and Gleb spent the rest of the day at the hotel on calls with his team in Barcelona.

Under the plan the passport arrives by courier in Barcelona 1-3 weeks after biometrics. All stages are covered in Vanuatu citizenship timeline.

What the bank was told and when the Ministry will be notified

When the passport arrived, the lawyer prepared a letter for the bank in Barcelona. The bank must know all of a client’s citizenships, so Vanuatu citizenship was added to the form and the Russian one stayed. Tax residence did not change: Spain.

The bank manager asked to see the original Vanuatu passport at the branch. Gleb stopped by on his way to the office, and the copy was taken in ten minutes. The manager mentioned in passing that such form updates happen every week: many of the bank’s clients hold two citizenships.

The Russian Interior Ministry question was subtler. Those who permanently live outside Russia do not need to report a second citizenship. Gleb holds a temporary residence permit, and the lawyer did not take chances: the notification is prepared and will be filed within 30 days of his next entry into Russia, as required of those who acquired a second citizenship abroad.

The Spanish lawyer received a copy of the Vanuatu passport for the family’s residence file. The renewal on the Russian passport went through on time: by filing, Gleb already had a second valid document, and the lawyer attached a copy in case of questions.

What the family gets

In this scenario the Commission approved the application, and the Vanuatu passport arrives 3-4 months after the first call. In a real application the decision and timelines depend on the Citizenship Commission.

While the Russian passport is being replaced at the consulate, Gleb has a second valid document. He will run the autumn project launch in Singapore without a visa.

He keeps his Russian citizenship and his Spanish residence permit. His spouse and daughter can join Vanuatu citizenship later if they wish.

When Gleb’s daughter heard about the new passport, she asked if she could have one too, with a palm tree on the cover. Her parents promised to come back to it when she needs her own travel document.

A second passport works smoothly when everyone who should know about it does: the Spanish lawyer, the bank and the Interior Ministry.

Sofia MendesInvestment Programs Expert

Who this path suits

This story repeats for Russian families living in Europe on residence permits. Their status, accounts and travel rest on one passport, and replacing it abroad can take months.

If you live in another country, a second passport is best arranged together with a local lawyer. They will check how the new document fits your status and any future plans for that country’s citizenship.

A Vanuatu passport complements the Russian one. A European residence permit is renewed on the Russian passport, while the Vanuatu passport gives a second valid document and visa-free travel to countries that require a visa for Russian passport holders.

Similar stories: a backup passport for a tech founder in Warsaw and a family wealth manager and banks. Full programme terms are on the Vanuatu citizenship page.

Composite example: this story is based on typical enquiries; no real clients are described. Figures as of September 2026. The decision on citizenship is made by the Vanuatu Citizenship Commission.

BRIDGES analysis on this topic: Vanuatu after the EU visa-free suspension.