Renewing or losing a Vanuatu passport: what citizens should do

The key point: the document and the citizenship are different things

A passport only confirms citizenship. The citizenship itself is for life and passes to children. The grounds for revoking it are narrow: deception in the application, a breach of the law when it was granted, or a prison sentence of 10 years or more. An expired or lost passport is not on that list.

So there is no need to panic. The practical problem is a different one: until you have a new passport, you cannot travel on this document. Plan the replacement from that angle, starting from your trips.

Your children's status does not depend on it either. A child born to a Vanuatu citizen is a citizen by birth even if the parent's passport has lapsed at that moment: what counts is the parent's citizenship, not the document's date. Such a child gets their own documents, our work costs $5 000, and state fees are billed separately.

How long the passport lasts

A Vanuatu passport is biometric. An adult passport is valid for 10 years and a child's for 5. In a family with children, then, documents end at different times, and children's passports have to be replaced twice as often.

A simple example: a family's passports are all issued in the same year. The children's expire after 5 years and the adults' after 10. If you plan a family trip in the fifth year, check the children's documents first.

While it is valid, the passport gives 85 destinations without a prior visa under the index of 4 October 2026. Without it those rules do not help you, so check the end date against your travel plans a year ahead.

When to start a planned replacement

Do not wait for the last month. Write down the end date of every passport in the family and come back to it well ahead. Countries treat passport validity at entry in different ways, so check the rules for your destination before a trip, especially as the expiry date nears.

Look at the passport with particular care before major steps: a Greek residence filing, a large purchase or a long trip. Plans like these rest on the document. If it is about to end, deal with that first.

If the passport has already expired, that can be solved too. Expiry does not cancel citizenship. Write to us and we will tell you what your situation requires.

European plans are tied to this passport too. The purchase and the Greek residence filing are done on it, though a reservation and deposit can come earlier. The Greek government has announced a 15% tax for non-EU buyers from 1 July 2027. There is no law yet, but it is wise to close the purchase before that date. If your passport is ending or lost during this period, tell us right away.

Banks may ask for a valid document when you open an account or update your details. The decision always rests with the bank, so it is better to renew before the document is needed for an account.

What to do if you lose it

Dealing with a lost passport starts with simple steps. The exact list of documents depends on the situation, so we confirm it once you get in touch.

• Make sure the passport is really lost and not in a safe or with a relative.
• Write to us: who lost it, when and where, and whether there are trips in the coming weeks.
• Find a copy of the data page, a photo or a scan. If you have none, tell us.
• Gather your other Vanuatu citizen documents: ID and certificates.
• Move any trips planned on this passport until the new document is sorted out.

If you are abroad

If you lose the passport while travelling, first see what other document you have. Dual citizenship is allowed, so many citizens also hold a second passport, and it may be the one you need at that moment.

Tell us which country you are in and when you need to leave. We will advise on the next step for your situation. We will not promise a timeline or procedure abroad in advance, since these depend on the place and the circumstances.

Children's passports and signatures

A child's passport runs out sooner than an adult's, so keep the children's dates on the same list as the adults'.

The program has a clear rule on signatures: a parent signs for children under 12, and from 12 a child signs for themselves. There is no power of attorney in the process. If your child has grown older, check in advance that they can sign.

What to prepare in advance

The cheapest protection against passport trouble is orderly paperwork. Do this once for the whole family, and a replacement or a loss will be far less stressful.

• Keep a scan of each passport's data page separately from the document.
• Keep your ID, birth registration certificate and other Vanuatu citizen documents in one place.
• Maintain a list of expiry dates for all family passports.
• Take a copy of the passport on trips, not only the original.

What else can be arranged after the passport

Passport replacement is one of the regular services for people who are already citizens. Alongside it are other tasks: ID, certificates, apostille, a driving licence, a tax number, and a company in Vanuatu. Sometimes it is convenient to deal with these at the same time as a replacement.

We do not quote replacement costs or timelines in this article, since they depend on your situation and where you are. You will get an exact answer when you contact us. Biometric sessions run in Moscow and St Petersburg at least once a month, and also in Port Vila, Dubai and Hong Kong. We will confirm whether your replacement needs biometrics.

Common questions