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Pathway

Vanuatu Citizenship by Investment

Vanuatu Citizenship
Pathway overview

At a glance

Vanuatu has citizenship programs based on government contributions or approved investments. Each has its own requirements and fees, and you must confirm that the specific program is open before applying. Money or a property purchase alone does not guarantee citizenship.

Program
Confirm the exact category and current application availability
Development Support Program
Contribution starts at USD $130,000 for one applicant, plus required charges
Real Estate Option
Requires a government-approved project; an ordinary property purchase is insufficient

Summary

Vanuatu offers citizenship through specified contribution or investment programs, whose availability and requirements need to be confirmed before committing funds. The published Development Support Program schedule starts at USD $130,000 for one applicant, plus applicable charges; that amount is not a universal price for other investment or property programs.

Vanuatu permits dual citizenship under its amended law, but another country may restrict or end its citizenship when a person naturalizes elsewhere. Check the other country's rule independently.

Checking a Vanuatu investment citizenship application
  1. Confirm the program and recognized application channel Check current availability, the form, and any approved project.
  2. Verify all costs and prepare the evidence Document lawful funds and the personal and family records needed for checks.
  3. Complete the government decision and final steps Citizenship requires approval and completion of the program’s conditions.

The programs have different rules; an ordinary property purchase does not qualify for REO.

Could this pathway work for you?

Eligibility

The detailed requirements vary by program, but an investment-linked application normally requires all of the following:

For the REO route, the Citizenship Office says the applicant must buy in a government-approved project; an ordinary home purchase is not enough. Its current public page names four approved projects, but that list and the status of a master agent or project must be rechecked when you apply.

The Citizenship Office currently publishes an FIU background-check charge of USD $5,000 and a contribution schedule beginning at USD $130,000 for one applicant, with higher amounts for a couple and children. It separately lists Form D charges and REO rules. These figures do not prove that a particular applicant or program qualifies, and the Office expressly tells applicants to confirm the correct current fee. Do not accept an agent's discount below a amount required by the government.

The official list is not confirmation that every project or program is accepting a particular application.

What This Route Allows

If the Commission grants the application and the citizenship process is completed, the applicant becomes a Vanuatu citizen under the approved program and may apply for a Vanuatu passport and citizen identity documentation. A new citizen must register for a National Identity Card; the Civil Registration and Vital Statistics Department says this should be done within 28 days of the citizenship grant.

Citizenship permits residence in Vanuatu without a separate immigration visa. The amended Citizenship Act also recognizes a dual citizen's right to invest in Vanuatu and access a passport after the citizenship certificate is granted. Other legal requirements—such as land, company, professional, and business licensing rules—still apply.

Family inclusion depends on the program and the dependent's age and relationship. A person listed as a dependent does not qualify merely because the main applicant has enough money; the dependent must meet the program's documentation and screening rules and be included correctly before approval.

What This Route Is Not

This is not a guaranteed passport purchase. Payment, nomination, property purchase, or initial background checks do not require the Commission to grant citizenship. False statements, fraud, or concealment can result in loss or cancellation of citizenship.

It is not a guarantee of visa-free travel. The European Union permanently moved Vanuatu to its visa-required list through Regulation (EU) 2025/11 after concerns about the investor-citizenship schemes. The United Kingdom also requires Vanuatu nationals to obtain a visa before travel. Visa policies in other destinations can change, so verify each destination using its own official entry rules before attributing value to passport access.

“Honorary citizenship” in the program name should not be read as a promise of every political, electoral, land, or public-office right enjoyed by every category of citizen. Check the statute and the certificate issued for the specific route.

Next Steps

  1. Ask the Vanuatu Citizenship Office which program is open and suitable now. Record the exact official program name and form.
  2. Verify the agent or master agent directly against the Commission's current records. Do not rely on a copied license, social-media page, or similar domain name.
  3. Obtain a written government-fee breakdown and, for REO, confirmation that the exact project and property remain government approved. Keep program fees separate from agent, legal, bank, property, and tax costs.
  4. Document where the money came from before transferring it. Bank records, tax returns, company ownership records, contracts, sale documents, and explanations should form one consistent trail.
  5. Prepare certified identity, birth, marriage, dependency, police, and medical documents for every person in the application, following the current nomination checklist.
  6. Do not describe the application as approved until the Commission has decided it and all contribution or investment, oath, certificate, identity-registration, and passport steps are complete.
  7. Independently check dual-nationality consequences, tax, sanctions and banking access, and current visa requirements for important travel destinations.

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Discussed in these reports

Citizenship-by-investment options in other countries.

Sources