Migration Point

Vanuatu

Advantages

  • South Pacific island nation of 80+ islands
  • Visa-free travel to over 130 countries including UK, Russia and Schengen Area
  • Possibility to apply for an online visa for Australia
  • Can include spouse and dependent children up to age 25
  • Has both English and French as official languages
  • The only Citizenship-by-investment program in the Asia Pacific region
  • No language requirements for residency or citizenship
  • Tax Haven, with extensive tax benefits
  • Airfare for Oath Ceremony is included in the application

Tax Benefits

  • No personal income and corporate tax
  • No withholding and capital gains tax
  • No estate, wealth and gift tax
  • Locally applied VAT at 12.5%

Process

  • Due Diligence Clearance within 14 days with Passport, Police & Medical Certificates, CV and initial fees
  • Payment of investment and remaining fees made upon Due Diligence Clearance
  • Full application submission
  • Approval granted within 2 months
  • Applicant visits Vanuatu, takes Oath of Allegiance and obtains passport

Investment Requirements

1. Due Diligence Clearance

  • The applicant must make an initial non-refundable payment of USD 5,000 for processing fees and due diligence checks by the Government Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) Division to obtain Due Diligence Clearance.
  • Once Due Diligence Clearance is granted the applicant can make the investment and submit the full application for citizenship.

2. Investment

  • The Applicant must make a one-off non-refundable payment to the Vanuatu government as follows:
    • USD 135,000 for a single applicant
    • USD 150,000 for a married couple
    • USD 165,000 for a married couple and 1 child
    • USD 180,000 for a married couple and 2 children
    • USD 25,000 for each additional dependent

3. Approval

  • Once the investment has been made and the application has been submitted, the Citizenship Commission will issue a final Approval. The Applicant can then attend a ceremony to take their Oath as a Vanuatu citizen. (Oath ceremony can occur abroad; conditions apply)

Requirements

  • Applicants must make a Payment to the Vanuatu Government
  • Be over 18 years old
  • Have no criminal record
  • Provide all required documents in English
  • Provide medical certificate confirming good health

Tax Advantages

There is no tax on global income, inheritance and capital gains.
Vanuatu has zero corporation tax for both domestic and international companies.

Costs of Vanuatu Citizenship

1) Donation

Candidates may apply for Vanuatu Honorary Citizenship by contributing to the Government of Vanuatu. They can apply either as a single applicant or as a family of up to four (4) members.

Single Applicant USD 130,000
Family of two USD 165,000
Family of three USD 180,000
Family of four USD 195,000
Additional family member USD 15,000

2) Government Fees

Processing and Due Diligence Fees USD 5000

Steps of Vanuatu Citizenship

Step 1
We will pre-screen your passport copy for government pre-approval. The response is in 24-48 hours. A down payment of the professional fees is required to open your application.

Step 2
Our professional team will assist and advise you with the collection of the documents required according to the Government checklist.

Step 3
We will submit your application to the citizenship office upon reception of the payment.

Step 4
The Screening Committee conducts out the due diligence checks in collaboration with the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU). When the FIU verifies that the applicant has no criminal record, the screening committee presents the application to the Citizenship Commission for approval.

Step 5
The citizenship commission presents the names of the approved applicants to the Prime Minister, and the Prime Minister advises the President on the granting of Vanuatu citizenship to respective applicants.

Step 6
Registering biometrics and an Oath Allegiance Ceremony are due after approval. This can be arranged in a few different ways according to the applicant.

Step 7
A passport and a certificate of naturalization are issued in your name. The final payment of professional fees is required to complete the application.

Vanuatu Citizenship: Pros and Cons

Pros

  • Fastest application approval times (1.5 months)
  • Easy and straight forward application process (no personal visit needed)
  • Very good passport from a pacific country with visa free access to UK, Schengen, Russia etc.
  • Non FATCA country, may interest american expats.
  • Pure tax haven, no corporate taxes or income, wealth or inheritance taxes.

Cons

  • Slightly expensive compared to the caribbean passport programs
  • Visa required to visit Japan, South Korea, Canada, Australia, South Africa etc.

Vanuatu visa waiver agreements with countries and territories

AfghanistanVisa required
AlbaniaVisa required
AlgeriaVisa required
AndorraVisa not required
AngolaVisa required
Antigua and BarbudaVisa not required
ArgentinaVisa required
ArmeniaVisa on arrival
Australia and territoriesVisa required
AustriaVisa not required
AzerbaijanVisa required
BahamasVisa not required
BahrainVisa required
BangladeshVisa required
BarbadosVisa not required
BelarusVisa not required
BelgiumVisa not required
BelizeVisa not required
BenineVisa / Visa on arrival
BhutanVisa required
BoliviaVisa on arrival
Bosnia and HerzegovinaVisa not required
BotswanaVisa not required
BrazilVisa required
BruneiVisa required
BulgariaVisa not required
Burkina FasoVisa required
BurundiVisa required
CambodiaVisa on arrival
CameroonVisa required
CanadaVisa required
Cape VerdeVisa on arrival
Central African RepublicVisa required
ChadVisa required
ChileVisa required
ChinaVisa required
ColombiaVisa required
ComorosVisa on arrival
Republic of the CongoVisa required
Democratic Republic of the CongoVisa required
Costa RicaVisa not required
Côte d’IvoireVisa required
CroatiaVisa not required
CubaTourist Card required
CyprusVisa not required
Czech RepublicVisa not required
DenmarkVisa not required
DjiboutieVisa
DominicaVisa not required
Dominican RepublicVisa not required
EcuadorVisa not required
EgyptVisa on arrival
El SalvadorVisa not required
Equatorial GuineaVisa required
EritreaVisa required
EstoniaVisa not required
EswatiniVisa not required
EthiopiaeVisa
FijiVisa not required
FinlandVisa not required
FranceVisa not required
GabonVisa required
GambiaVisa not required
GeorgiaeVisa
GermanyVisa not required
GhanaVisa required
GreeceVisa not required
GrenadaVisa not required
GuatemalaVisa not required
GuineaVisa required
Guinea-BissauVisa on arrival
GuyanaVisa required
HaitiVisa not required
HondurasVisa not required
HungaryVisa not required
IcelandVisa not required
IndiaeVisa
IndonesiaVisa not required
IranVisa on arrival
IraqVisa required
IrelandVisa not required
IsraelVisa not required
ItalyVisa not required
JamaicaVisa not required
JapanVisa required
JordanVisa on arrival
KazakhstanVisa required
KenyaVisa not required
KiribatiVisa not required
North KoreaVisa required
South KoreaVisa required
KuwaitVisa required
KyrgyzstaneVisa
LaoseVisa / Visa on arrival
LatviaVisa not required
LebanonVisa required
LesothoVisa not required
LiberiaVisa required
LibyaVisa required
LiechtensteinVisa not required
LithuaniaVisa not required
LuxembourgVisa not required
MadagascareVisa / Visa on arrival
MalawiVisa on arrival
MalaysiaVisa not required
MaldivesVisa on arrival
MaliVisa required
MaltaVisa not required
Marshall IslandsVisa on arrival
MauritaniaVisa on arrival
MauritiusVisa not required
MexicoVisa required
MicronesiaVisa not required
MoldovaVisa not required
MonacoVisa not required
MongoliaVisa required
MontenegroVisa not required
MoroccoVisa required
MozambiqueVisa on arrival
MyanmareVisa
NamibiaVisa required
NauruVisa on arrival
NepalVisa on arrival
NetherlandsVisa not required
New ZealandVisa required
NicaraguaVisa not required
NigerVisa required
NigeriaVisa required
North MacedoniaVisa required
NorwayVisa not required
OmanVisa required
PakistanOnline Visa
PalauVisa on arrival
PanamaVisa not required
Papua New GuineaeVisa / Free visa on arrival
ParaguayVisa required
PeruVisa not required
PhilippinesVisa not required
PolandVisa not required
PortugalVisa not required
QatareVisa
RomaniaVisa not required
RussiaVisa not required
RwandaeVisa / Visa on arrival
Saint Kitts and NevisVisa not required
Saint LuciaVisa not required
Saint Vincent and the GrenadinesVisa not required
SamoaEntry Permit on arrival
San MarinoVisa not required
São Tomé and PríncipeeVisa
Saudi ArabiaVisa required
SenegalVisa on arrival
SerbiaVisa required
SeychellesVisitor’s Permit on arrival
Sierra LeoneVisa on arrival
SingaporeVisa not required
SlovakiaVisa not required
SloveniaVisa not required
Solomon IslandsVisa on arrival
SomaliaVisa on arrival
South AfricaVisa required
South SudanVisa required
SpainVisa not required
Sri LankaVisa on arrival
SudanVisa required
SurinameeVisa
SwedenVisa not required
SwitzerlandVisa not required
SyriaVisa required
TajikistanVisa required
TanzaniaVisa not required
ThailandVisa on arrival
Timor-LesteVisa on arrival
TogoVisa on arrival
TongaVisa on arrival
Trinidad and TobagoVisa not required
TunisiaVisa required
TurkeyVisa required
TurkmenistanVisa required
TuvaluVisa on arrival
UgandaVisa not required
UkraineeVisa
United Arab EmiratesVisa required
United Kingdom and Crown dependenciesVisa not required
United StatesVisa required
UruguayVisa required
UzbekistaneVisa
Vatican CityVisa not required
VenezuelaVisa required
VietnameVisa
YemenVisa required
ZambiaVisa not required
ZimbabweVisa not required
Denmark Territories
Faroe IslandsVisa not required
GreenlandVisa not required
Netherlands Territories
ArubaVisa required
Caribbean NetherlandsVisa required
CuraçaoVisa required
Sint MaartenVisa required
UK Territories
Akrotiri and DhekeliaVisa not required
AnguillaVisa not required
BermudaVisa not required
British Indian Ocean Territory Special permit required
British Virgin IslandsVisa not required
Cayman IslandsVisa not required
Falkland IslandsVisa required
GibraltarVisa not required
MontserratVisa not required
Pitcairn IslandsVisa not required
Ascension IslandeVisa
Saint HelenaVisitor’s Pass required
Tristan da CunhaPermission required
South Georgia and the South Permit required
Turks and Caicos IslandsVisa required
US Territories
American SamoaVisa required
GuamVisa required
Northern Mariana IslandsVisa required
Puerto RicoVisa required
U.S. Virgin IslandsVisa required
China Territories
Hong KongVisa not required
MacauVisa on arrival
French Territories
French GuianaVisa not required
French PolynesiaVisa not required
French West IndiesVisa not required
MayotteVisa not required
New CaledoniaVisa not required
RéunionVisa not required
Saint Pierre and MiquelonVisa not required
Wallis and FutunaVisa not required
New Zealand Territories
Cook IslandsVisa not required
NiueVisa not required
TokelauVisa required
Other
KosovoVisa not required
Northern CyprusVisa not required
PalestineVisa not required
Taiwan (ROC)Visa required
CrimeaVisa not required

Source: Wikipedia
Last updated: Feb 21, 2020