Adding Vanuatu Citizenship While Keeping Your First One and Your Home
Vanuatu permits dual citizenship and does not require you to live there, so your first nationality and your home can stay as they are, subject to your own country's law.
Reviewed by Christina Abdel Ahad, Senior Associate
The single most decisive factor for global investors seeking a second passport is the residence requirement. Can you get it without uprooting your life? For Vanuatu, yes. It is possible to obtain Vanuatu citizenship without living there, but only if you use the correct legal pathway. The country's citizenship by investment route is designed so that you never have to reside in Vanuatu; you do attend two steps in person, passport biometrics (in Port Vila or at an approved overseas enrolment point) and the oath before a Commissioner for Oaths. This pathway is completely separate from standard naturalisation, which legally demands 10 years of continuous residence.
This site explains the legal framework behind these applications, so that you can check which programme applies and what due diligence involves. Applications themselves are lodged by a designated agent from the published register, and the decision rests with the Citizenship Commission under the Citizenship Act [Cap. 112].
The Core Challenge: Securing a Second Passport Without Disrupting Your Life
For high-net-worth individuals, entrepreneurs, and global families, a second passport means freedom. It offers enhanced mobility, smarter financial planning, and personal security. The primary obstacle, however, is the commitment to live in another country for years on end—a demand that is often impossible due to business, family, or personal obligations. The risk is committing significant funds to a programme only to find that undisclosed residency rules make it unworkable, costing you both time and capital.
Vanuatu's legal framework offers a clear choice. Standard naturalisation under the Citizenship Act [CAP 112] is unequivocal: an applicant must have lived continuously in Vanuatu for at least 10 years before applying. An application for naturalisation made without meeting this residency period cannot succeed. Even the path through marriage requires a person to live with their citizen spouse in Vanuatu for at least two years.
The solution lies in a separate legal framework. Vanuatu’s Citizenship by Investment (CBI) route operates independently of the standard residency-based naturalisation path. It waives the residence requirement for qualifying investors, although one step—biometric enrolment for the passport—is still done in person. This creates a direct and legitimate route to obtaining Vanuatu citizenship without living there.
Vanuatu's Citizenship by Investment vs. Standard Naturalisation: A Comparison
The critical difference between success and failure in obtaining Vanuatu citizenship without moving is choosing the correct legal pathway. Standard naturalisation is a long-term process tied to physical residency. The country's Citizenship by Investment (CBI) route, on the other hand, is structured for speed and does not require residence.
| Feature | Citizenship by Investment (DSP) | Standard Naturalisation |
|---|---|---|
| Residency Requirement | None. At no stage, from filing through approval and beyond, do you have to reside there; only the biometric enrolment for your passport and the oath of allegiance require you to appear in person. | Mandatory 10 years of continuous residence before applying. |
| Legal Basis | Government regulations under the Citizenship Act establishing the DSP. | Citizenship Act [CAP 112]. |
| Processing Time | Usually 2–4 months from submission to passport issuance, without guarantee. | Over 10 years (including the residency period). |
| Primary Requirement | A significant financial contribution and passing strict due diligence. | Proving long-term, continuous physical presence and ties to the community. |
| Process | Handled through a designated agent. Biometric enrolment for the passport is in person; the oath is taken before a Commissioner for Oaths under the published notice, and the agent confirms the current procedure. | An in-person application process involving local government bodies in Vanuatu. |
| Ideal Candidate | Global investors seeking fast access to a second passport for mobility and security. | Individuals who have already made Vanuatu their long-term home for a decade or more. |
Takeaway: For any individual who cannot relocate to Vanuatu for a decade, the Development Support Programme (DSP) is the only viable and legal route to citizenship.
FAQ
Questions on Keeping Two Citizenships
No. Vanuatu permits dual citizenship, so it does not ask you to renounce your existing nationality. Whether you can keep that first citizenship depends on the law of your own country, which may not allow it, so check that point with a lawyer there before you apply.
Yes. There is no requirement to live in Vanuatu to obtain or keep citizenship through the Development Support Program, so your home, work and family life can stay where they are. Two steps are attended in person: passport biometrics, in Port Vila or at an authorised location outside the country, and the oath of allegiance.
Tax generally follows your tax residence, not your passport. Vanuatu has no personal income tax, but that does not change your obligations where you live. Some countries, such as the United States, tax by citizenship instead, so take advice in your own country before relying on any tax outcome.
That depends on your own country's law, not on Vanuatu's. Vanuatu permits dual citizenship, and the oath is a formal step sworn before a Commissioner for Oaths under the Citizenship Commission's published notice. Some countries treat voluntary acquisition of another nationality as grounds for losing their own, so check before you take the oath.
Keep both valid and use the one that suits each trip. A Vanuatu passport gives visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to about 88 destinations, but visas are needed for the Schengen Area, the UK, the US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Japan. Vanuatu passports issued since July 2019 are valid for 10 years.
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