Vanuatu citizenship refusal: reasons, risks and your money

How often refusals happen

General statistics do not apply directly to one person: either your application raises a question or it does not. We review complex cases and past refusals in other programmes separately.

Bear in mind too that parliament tightened oversight of the program in 2025. So past figures alone are not something to lean on. It makes more sense to prepare the application so that no weak spots remain.

Where an application is most vulnerable

This is not an official list of refusal grounds. These are the areas where program requirements are strictest. If you have a question in any of them, resolve it before filing.

If only one participant is in question, such as a child over 25, ask about that person separately and early. Such cases are considered individually, and it is better to have the answer before filing than to build the family's whole calculation around it.

• Source of funds. Proof is mandatory for every application. Money in an account does not by itself explain where it came from.
• Inaccurate information. Deception in an application is a serious problem both at review and later, since it remains a ground for revoking citizenship.
• Police clearance. It is required from everyone aged 18 and over and is valid for 6 months. An expired certificate, or a forgotten country where someone lived for more than a year during the past 10 years, leaves a gap in the pack.
• Inconsistent financial papers. The employment letter, 6-month statement, letters and statement of assets must not contradict one another.
• Borderline participants. A child aged 18-25 must study full time, have no income and be unmarried. Children over 25 and other relatives are considered individually.

What happens to the money on refusal

The key point about money should be clear before you sign. One part is definitely not returned on refusal, and the rest depends on the program rules and the contract.

The fee is set per application, not per person, so it does not grow with a large family. A family of six has the same fee at risk as one applicant: $5 000 under the contribution program or $8 000 under the fund. This difference alone should not drive your choice of program. It is already part of the totals, and family size remains the main criterion.

How payments are spread over time

The fee is paid when the contract is signed, so it is the first amount at risk. The main amount follows the contract schedule, in one payment or in parts. Documents and biometrics are paid by invoice.

After approval you have 3 months for payment and the oath, and you can request a 2-month extension if needed. Check in your own contract when each payment falls due and what it says about refusal. It is among the most useful clauses to read before signing.

How to reduce risk before spending money

The cheapest way to learn about a problem is to find it before the contract. The preliminary check is free, takes 1-2 working days and comes before you pay the fee. It does not replace or guarantee the Commission's decision, but it shows the risks in advance.

For the check to be useful, mention the difficult things right away: convictions, long periods in other countries, a complicated history of funds. Hiding them at the start only moves the problem to a more expensive stage.

There is another benefit: the fewer surprises at the document stage, the less chance of delay. The program usually takes 2 months, 3 at most. A vacation mid-process and a slow money transfer stretch that, so dates and the payment route are worth discussing early as well.

What to check before filing

A short list closes most weak spots before documents go for review.

• Proof of source of funds is in place and explains how the money reached the account.
• The 6-month statement, letters, employment letter and statement of assets tell one story.
• Police clearance is in hand for all participants aged 18 and over, and the 6-month validity has not lapsed.
• All countries where adult participants lived for more than a year during the past 10 years are covered.
• Children aged 18-25 meet the conditions, and the question about children over 25 and other relatives has already been asked.
• Signatures are personal, since there is no power of attorney in this process.
• Information matches across all documents and is not embellished.

Refusal is not the same as revocation

These two words are often mixed up, though they describe different events. Refusal is a decision on an application, before any citizenship exists. Revocation concerns someone who is already a citizen.

There are three grounds for revocation: deception in the application, a breach of the law when citizenship was granted, and a sentence of 10 years or more. An expired passport is not one of them, since expiry does not cancel citizenship. The practical takeaway: honesty in the application protects you not only from refusal but also from problems after you hold the passport.

Does the applicant's nationality matter

Russian citizens often worry about this. In March 2026 the Commission confirmed that Russian citizens are accepted on general terms. That means their applications face the same document and source of funds requirements as any other.

Their particular difficulty lies with payment, not with the decision. Payments from Russian and Belarusian banks will not go through, nor will another person's company or card. The applicant must pay personally: from a personal account abroad, in rubles through a broker, in cryptocurrency or from an account of their own company.

Common questions