Programme overview
Vanuatu, a Pacific archipelago of 80 islands northeast of Australia, runs the fastest CBI in the world. The Development Support Programme (DSP), launched in 2017, can deliver a passport in 30-60 days from filing — and the Citizenship Office routinely accepts biometrics in Dubai or Hong Kong rather than requiring travel to Port Vila. The price is the lowest of any well-known CBI: USD 130,000 for a single applicant, USD 180,000 all-in for a family of four.
That price-and-speed combination has historically drawn two client types: legitimate Asian and African investors who needed an alternative passport quickly (often as a hedge against currency or visa-policy risk in their home country), and — controversially — a smaller cohort of high-risk individuals whose presence in the programme drew international scrutiny. The OECD flagged Vanuatu in 2018 as posing CRS-integrity risk, and on 12 December 2024 the Council of the EU formally suspended Vanuatu’s Schengen visa-waiver, requiring all Vanuatu passport-holders to obtain a Schengen visa before EU entry.
Vanuatu enacted significant DD reforms in 2024 (mandatory video interviews, expanded sanction-list screening, expulsion of one major agency network) and has been negotiating with Brussels for reinstatement of full or partial Schengen access — but as of April 2026 the suspension remains in force. Advisors should not sell Vanuatu as a Schengen-mobility passport. Its real value today is jurisdictional optionality at speed and price for clients with specific needs.
Investment routes
Development Support Programme (DSP) — USD 130,000. Non-refundable contribution to the Vanuatu government’s development fund. Single USD 130K; couple USD 150K; family of four USD 180K; each additional dependant adds USD 15K. Plus due-diligence (USD 5,500), document translation (~USD 2K), ID/birth-certificate (USD 1K per applicant), and biometrics (USD 1K in Vanuatu / USD 3K consular). All-in: roughly USD 150K (single), USD 180-200K (family of 4).
Capital Investment Immigration Plan (CIIP). A newer, government-positioned route channelled through licensed agents. Headline cost similar to DSP but with longer processing and slightly different fee structure. Used when the agent network or client preference favours it; less common than DSP in practice.
Vanuatu Contribution Programme (VCP). Legacy honorary-citizenship route, largely superseded by DSP for new applicants.
Due diligence & process
Vanuatu’s pre-2024 DD was widely criticised as the lightest of any CBI globally, and that perception cost the programme its Schengen access. The 2024 reform package added mandatory video interviews, expanded screening against OFAC, EU, UK, UN, and Interpol lists, and tightened agent licensing. International background firms (typically S-RM or BDO) now run a screen prior to Citizenship Commission review. End-to-end timeline still leads the world: 30-60 days from clean filing to grant, with passport delivery in another 2-4 weeks.
What it gets you
Lifetime Vanuatu passport, dual citizenship allowed, hereditary. Visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to roughly 95 destinations including Hong Kong, Singapore, Russia, the UK (with ETA), and most Pacific and Commonwealth states. Schengen Area visa REQUIRED as of December 2024. Zero personal tax of any kind in Vanuatu. The right to live in Vanuatu, but in practice few CBI clients do. Spouse, children to 25 (if dependent), and parents 50+ may be included.
Our role on a Vanuatu file
- Reality-check & expectation-setting — confirm the client understands Schengen is currently suspended; if Schengen mobility is the goal, recommend a Caribbean CBI or Türkiye + Schengen visa instead.
- Use-case validation — Vanuatu fits clients who need: a fast second passport for jurisdictional hedging, a tax-neutral citizenship for non-resident structuring, or an alternative ID quickly under family-emergency conditions. It does not fit clients optimising for European mobility.
- Authorised Agent appointment — engage one of the post-2024 reformed licensed agents; verify they are not on any expulsion list.
- Source-of-funds dossier — Vanuatu post-reform DD now expects a clean SOF narrative; assemble the same documentation as for a Caribbean file.
- Application + biometrics — coordinate biometric capture in Dubai, Hong Kong, or Vanuatu; oath of allegiance scheduling.
- Passport delivery & ongoing monitoring — passport courier, plus advisory monitoring of the EU Schengen reinstatement track and any further sanctions/listings affecting the passport.