How To Apply For Vanuatu Citizenship By Investment Program

A Vanuatu passport offers visa-free access or visa-on-arrival to 130 countries. Also, the country does not impose any taxes on income, inheritance, or wealth. When you apply for a Vanuatu passport, the application covers you, your spouse, and a child under 18 years old. So, the citizenship program is family-friendly. Vanuatu does not have any exchange treaties in comparison to most countries. 

How to apply for Vanuatu Citizenship by Investment

Until recently, all the citizenship by investment programs had varying features, fee structures, and processes. But the government has now systematized all the programs. Vanuatu has several citizenship programs in place, and it is difficult to get information on how to properly secure citizenship there. Two of the most notable citizenship-by-investment programs in Vanuatu are:

• • The Vanuatu Contribution Program (VCP)
    This program is run in association with an agent in Hong Kong, and it targets clients in China. 
  • The Vanuatu Development Support Program (VDSP)
    This program started in 2017 and is run by partnering with many government-approved agents across the globe. VDSP aims to add to Vanuatu’s economy by attracting investment through development schemes and infrastructure investment schemes.

The step-by-step process

To be eligible to apply for Vanuatu citizenship, you need to be financially solid and have good character. You should fulfill the following requirements before applying for Vanuatu citizenship:

1. 1. You must have a reputable standing in your community or country.
   2. You need to provide proof of net assets of at least $500,000. At least $250,000 of your net assets should be banking assets.
   3. You should have a clean criminal record.
   4. You should not be on any sanctions lists anywhere in the world.
   5. You must not have lived in Iran, Iraq, North Korea, Syria, or Yemen in the past five years.

Once you fulfill all the requirements, you can apply for citizenship in three steps:

• 1. Due Diligence
     This involves submitting some of your documents and background verification by the police. It usually takes a week for the Financial Department of Vanuatu to complete the process for you and your family. 
  2. Submit the application
     You must submit the application with all the documents and make your donation. If your paperwork is in place, it can take 30 to 60 days for the government to give a verdict on your application. 
  3. Take an oath
     This is a unique step in any citizenship program process. But it is compulsory, and you cannot avoid it. You can have the oath ceremony in Vanuatu in front of the Commissioner. Alternatively, you may arrange for a meeting with two government officials in a location closer to your place.
     The second option would be costlier as you’ll also have to pay for the officials’ travel and accommodation at your nearest consulate. It will also take longer as travel arrangements will have to be made. You will then receive a Naturalization certificate. You can use this to apply for a passport.

Fees and other charges

For the sake of simplicity, let’s focus on the VDSP program. In the most basic sense, you only need to make a non-refundable one-time donation to the local government fund to get Vanuatu’s citizenship.

• • If you are a single applicant, you must donate at least $130,000
  • If you are also applying for your spouse, the minimum investment increases to $150,000
  • If you are applying for a family of four, you will have to invest at least $180,000
  • If you wish to add even more dependents, it will incur an extra fee of $25,000 per dependent.Do note that the application fee is $5,000 and covers due diligence and government fees. An additional $400 covers the fees for the passport application, citizenship certificate, and citizenship commission. Regardless of the agency you work with, you need not pay more than $135,400 for a single applicant, as agency fees are covered under the donation you make.

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