Vanuatu passport and Greek residence: linking the two steps

Why this route exists

For many readers, a Vanuatu passport is about more than travel. It is a route to Europe through residence: the second passport opens the Greek program where a Russian document currently does not.

The logic is simple. You become a Vanuatu citizen, buy a home in Greece and file for residence as a citizen of Vanuatu. You do not have to fly to Vanuatu or live there: the oath is online, and biometrics can be given in Moscow or St Petersburg. Vanuatu and Russia both allow dual citizenship, so you keep your Russian passport.

After becoming a Vanuatu citizen, a Russian citizen must notify the Interior Ministry (MVD) within 60 calendar days, counted from the certificate date, or within 60 days of entering Russia if abroad. Each Russian citizen does this personally, and a parent does it for children, through Gosuslugi or in person.

How much you need to invest in property

The threshold depends on the location and type of property. Start there, because it sets the budget for the whole plan.

For most families, the working figure is 400 000 €, if a region outside Attica, Thessaloniki and the large islands suits them. If Athens or Thessaloniki matters, count from 800 000 €. The 250 000 € threshold covers a narrow set of properties, so check the property itself and not only its price.

The order of steps

The main rule: a reservation and deposit may come before the passport, but the purchase and the residence filing are done on the Vanuatu passport. Mix up the sequence and you could end up with a contract on a document you cannot file with.

• Preliminary check for Vanuatu: free, 1-2 working days, before any contract.
• Choice of property and threshold, reservation and deposit.
• Vanuatu citizenship application: usually 2 months, 3 at most.
• Online oath, biometrics and collection of the passport.
• Purchase of the Greek home on the Vanuatu passport.
• Residence filing in Greece on the same passport.

How long the Vanuatu passport takes

Your purchase depends on this timeline. The whole process usually takes 2 months, 3 at most. Documents take 1-2 weeks, the check about a week, the Commission meets twice a month, and the letter arrives about a week after the meeting. Passports are issued 2-4 weeks after biometrics.

A holiday in the middle of the process or a slow money transfer will stretch it. So if you have already paid a deposit, agree the property terms with some margin and avoid long pauses on your side.

Purchase tax: why the date matters

The tax on purchase is currently 3%. The Greek government has announced a 15% rate for non-EU buyers from 1 July 2027. There is no law yet, but it is wiser to plan around the announced date and close the purchase before it.

A Vanuatu citizen buys as a non-EU person. On a 400 000 € property, the gap between 3% and 15% comes to 48 000 € on a simple calculation from the price. That sum is easier to keep if you start the passport stage early and do not run up against the date.

Another route: residence through income

If a purchase is unnecessary or does not suit you, Greece also has income-based residence. The requirement is from 3 500 € a month, plus 20% for a spouse and plus 15% for a child. That gives from 4 200 € a month for a couple and from 4 725 € a month for a couple with one child, if the supplement is counted from the base amount. The card is issued for 3 years, and the income history should cover 6-12 months.

For Russian citizens, Greek lawyers check whether such an application will be accepted, so assess this option against your situation in advance. It is not a substitute for buying but a separate route for people with steady income.

Hungary is another European residence option, considered as a second choice if Greece does not suit you. You can raise it during a consultation.

Planning for the family

Under property-based residence, children under 21 live with their parents. So plan the two sets of applicants together: who becomes a Vanuatu citizen, and who then goes on to Greece.

A Vanuatu application can include a spouse, children and parents. A child aged 18-25 needs full-time study, no income and no marriage. Children over 25 and other relatives are considered individually. Check an adult child against both programs before signing, since their age limits differ.

What to include in the budget

The full picture has two blocks: the Vanuatu program and the Greek purchase. The contribution program with fee: $135 000 for one, $155 000 for a couple, $170 000 for a family of three, $185 000 for a family of four. The fund with fee: $165 000 for 1-4 people, and $115 000 after the share is returned.

On top of that come the property amount at your threshold and the purchase tax, plus documents and translations by invoice. If you want an exact figure for your family, send us the family list and we will calculate the Vanuatu program. The preliminary check is free and takes place before any contract.

If you are paying from Russia, note that banks in Russia and Belarus will not go through. The applicant pays personally: from their own account abroad, in rubles through a broker, in cryptocurrency or from their own company account. Another company or someone else's card will not work. The passport itself does not change your taxes, which follow your tax residence.

Common questions