To get Vanuatu citizenship you pass a check, gather documents, wait for the Commission's decision, pay for the program, take the oath online and give biometrics. The whole route usually takes 2 months and 3 at most. Applications can only be filed through an authorized representative.
Preliminary check: free and before any contract
The first step is a short review of your situation. It takes 1-2 working days, costs nothing, and nothing has been signed yet. The purpose is simple: to find out whether there are obstacles, who should go on the application and which route makes more sense.
It helps to know your family makeup by now, and how you will show where the money came from. Source of funds is required in every application, so it is worth raising early.
Contract and choice of route
Next you choose between the contribution and the fund and sign a contract. The FIU due diligence fee is paid at this point: $5 000 per application for the contribution or $8 000 for the fund. This fee is not refundable.
The choice depends mainly on how many people are applying. A single person usually takes the contribution, while a family of three to five does better in the fund. A couple should decide whether they will leave $50 000 in place for 5 years. The contribution then follows the contract schedule, in one payment or in parts.
Totals with the fee are $135 000 for one person and $155 000 for a couple under the contribution, and $165 000 for a family of up to four in the fund. In the fund, $50 000 becomes a share for 5 years, after which the fund buys it back from its reserves under its own documents. Our work is included in the program cost, while translations and certification, Vanuatu citizen documents, biometrics and the passport, and bank charges are invoiced separately.
This is also when the application makeup is settled: spouse, children, parents. Children aged 18-25 qualify if they study full time, have no income and are not married, while anyone older than 25 and other relatives are considered individually.
Gathering documents: 1-2 weeks
This is the most hands-on step for you, but it usually fits into 1-2 weeks. The main applicant prepares an international passport and a second ID document, a police certificate, birth certificate, employment letter, medical certificate, a 35 x 45 mm photo, a 6-month bank statement, a bank letter and business letter, an asset report and proof of source of funds.
Everyone aged 18 or over brings a police certificate from their country of citizenship and country of residence, valid for 6 months. If you lived in another country for more than a year in the last 10 years, you need one from there as well. A non-working spouse provides a certificate from a public organization.
Signatures are personal, as this process has no power of attorney. A parent signs for children under 12, and children aged 12 and over sign for themselves. Translations and certification are invoiced separately.
The check and the Commission's decision
The FIU check covers the main applicant and takes about a week. The application then goes to a meeting of the Commission, which sits twice a month. The decision letter arrives roughly a week after the meeting.
Accuracy and honesty matter most here: deception in an application can be grounds for revoking citizenship even after it is granted.
Meetings follow a schedule, so your filing date also affects the wait: an application ready just after a meeting waits for the next one. The due diligence fee is not refunded after a refusal, and everything else follows the program rules and your contract.
Payment and oath after approval
From approval you have 3 months to pay and take the oath. If that is not enough, you can ask for a 2-month extension. The applicant pays personally, and someone else's company or card will not be accepted. Banks in Russia and Belarus will not work for this payment.
The oath is taken online by video call, at a convenient time and separately from biometrics. There is no need to fly anywhere for it.
Biometrics and receiving the passport
Each participant gives biometrics in person, children included. It takes 30-60 minutes. Sessions run in Moscow and Saint Petersburg at least once a month, and also in Port Vila, Dubai and Hong Kong. In another city a staff member will come to your home, office or hotel, even for one person.
Passports are ready 2-4 weeks after biometrics. An adult passport lasts 10 years and a child's 5. Biometrics, the passport and Vanuatu citizen documents, meaning the birth registration certificate and ID, are paid by invoice.
What can slow things down
Two causes stretch the timeline most often, and both can be anticipated. The first is a holiday in the middle of the process, when people cannot sign or provide documents on time. The second is a slow money transfer. Check your payment route in advance and see whether the process overlaps with any trips.
If you are expecting a child, say so right away. A baby born during the process is added before the oath, and our work for this is $2 500.
For reference, here is a summary by stage. The usual total is 2 months and 3 at most.
| Stage | How long it takes |
|---|---|
| Preliminary check | 1-2 working days |
| Documents | 1-2 weeks |
| FIU check | About a week |
| Commission meeting | Twice a month |
| Decision letter | Roughly a week after the meeting |
| Payment and oath | Up to 3 months, with a possible 2-month extension |
| Passports | 2-4 weeks after biometrics |
What to do after the passport arrives
With the passport in hand you can arrange an ID, certificates, an apostille, a driving license and a tax number, later replace the passport, or set up a company in Vanuatu. If you also hold Russian citizenship, you must notify the MVD within 60 calendar days of the certificate date, or within 60 days of entering Russia if you were abroad.
If Europe is your goal, the next step is Greek residence through buying a home. You can apply on the Vanuatu passport: the reservation and deposit are placed earlier, and the purchase and application are done on the new passport.
Common questions
Can I apply on my own?
No. Applications go only through an authorized representative.
Where do I start if I have not decided yet?
With the free preliminary check. It takes 1-2 working days and happens before any contract.
Can everything be done by power of attorney?
No, this process has no power of attorney. The applicant signs personally, a parent signs for children under 12, and children aged 12 and over sign themselves.
What if I cannot pay within 3 months?
You can ask for a 2-month extension. It is better to request it before the term runs out.
How long does the whole route take?
Usually 2 months and 3 at most. A holiday mid-process or a slow money transfer can stretch it.