Updated
GL-P-09
Glossary · Application and process
Passport / Residence card fee - Passport / Residence card fee
01 / In 30 seconds
The short answer
- What it is
- A government fee for producing and issuing a passport or residence card
- When it is paid
- As a rule, after the application is approved, at the final stage
- Who it is charged for
- Each recipient of a document in the application
- What is forgotten
- That documents have a period of validity and renewal costs money too
- Advice
- Calculate not only entry into the programme but also the cost of maintaining status
02 / In plain words
What Passport / Residence card fee means
The passport or residence card fee is a government payment for producing and issuing the document itself. It differs from the due diligence fee: that one pays for the due diligence procedure, while this one pays for the specific physical document you receive.
It is paid, as a rule, at the final stage, after the application has been approved, and is charged for each recipient. In the overall programme budget it is a relatively small item compared with the investment and the due diligence fees, but with a large family it too becomes noticeable.
What is most often forgotten is what comes next. Passports and residence cards have a period of validity, and when it expires the documents are replaced — a separate procedure with its own cost. Residence permits also require regular renewals of status, sometimes with requirements for presence in the country. That is why the calculation should include not only entry into the programme but also maintaining status for years ahead.
In Vanuatu the state fee for an ordinary passport is 5,000 VT per person. An adult passport is valid for 10 years, a child's for 5.
A case from practice
A client was comparing two programmes by the cost of entry. After adding the fees for the whole family and the costs of renewing status for several years ahead, the difference between the options changed — and the client then made the decision on the full picture.
When it is taken into account
- Calculating the full programme budget
- Planning the budget for a family
- Receiving documents after approval
- Renewing a passport or card
- Comparing programmes by full cost
- Planning costs for years ahead
03 / What it covers
What document costs include
Initial
- Producing the passport
- Residence card
- For each recipient
Procedure
- Biometrics if required
- In-person attendance
- Delivery of documents
Renewal
- The document’s period of validity
- Cost of replacement
- Renewal of the status
Maintenance
- Presence requirements
- Regular payments
- Support
04 / How it works
How it works
Application approval
Paying the document fees
Biometrics if required
Production and issue
Renewal in the future
05 / Key facts
What you need to know
01
The document fee differs from the due diligence fee
02
It is usually paid after the application is approved
03
It is charged for each recipient of a document
04
Documents have a period of validity and need replacing
05
A residence permit requires regular renewal of status
Common mistakes
- Counting only the investment and forgetting the fees
- Not taking into account the costs for the whole family
- Planning the budget only for entry into the programme
- Forgetting the cost of renewal years later
- Not taking into account presence requirements when renewing a residence permit
06 / Expert advice
How to prepare in advance
The budget is calculated over a horizon of several years: the investment, due diligence fees, document fees, renewals and maintaining status. The presence requirements for renewing a residence permit are confirmed separately — some programmes are lenient, while others require actual residence.
What we do for you. We calculate the budget for years ahead, not just entry into the programme: fees, documents, renewals, presence requirements. It is the only way to compare programmes with each other fairly.
Anna KovalevskayaExpert in Caribbean citizenship by investment programs
07 / Questions
Frequently asked questions
The due diligence fee pays for the due diligence procedure, while this one pays for producing and issuing the passport or residence card itself.
As a rule, at the final stage, after the application has been approved and before the documents are received.
Yes, for each recipient of a document in the application. With a large family this item becomes noticeable.
Yes. Documents have a period of validity, and replacement and renewal are separate procedures with their own cost.
It depends on the programme: some require a visit for biometrics or to collect the documents, others allow the process to be done remotely.
Renewal of status, support and, where necessary, meeting the requirements for presence in the country.
Related terms
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