Vanuatu citizenship by investment

The process starts with the agent, not the government. A designated agent, who under the 2019 regulations must be a Vanuatu citizen with a registered office in Port Vila, sends the applicant's passport, police clearance and other documents to the Financial Intelligence Unit for due diligence. Only after a clean result does the file go to the Citizenship Office, a screening committee and finally the Citizenship Commission.

Payment is staged. The 2019 DSP regulations require 25% of the prescribed amount before the Commission considers the file and the remaining 75% before the certificate is issued, and the first instalment is lost if the application is refused. The Citizenship Office's fee page describes the citizenship fee as payable after approval, so confirm the current order with your agent. Once the Commission approves and the balance is paid, the regulations require the certificate within 90 days.

The government-mandated DSP amounts are USD 130,000 for a single applicant, USD 150,000 for a married couple, USD 165,000 with one child under 18 and USD 180,000 with two, plus USD 10,000 for each additional applicant. The CIIP is the investment-linked alternative: part of the payment buys a USD 50,000 stake in an approved domestic sector, and the Commission says it monitors that investment and may revoke citizenship for non-compliance.

Applicants from countries on the government's restricted list can be considered only if they have not lived there for the last five years and hold permanent residence elsewhere. The Commission has also revoked citizenships it found were granted outside the law, so accurate disclosure matters.

Vanuatu's Citizenship Act provides for dual citizenship, yet your current country may withdraw its nationality when you voluntarily take another, so check home rules first. Designated agents prepare and lodge the file, and qualified lawyers should advise on legal and tax consequences before you sign.