The Vanuatu citizenship process, step by step
From a complete file, the programme typically takes 60 to 90 days. This is what happens in that time, and in what order.
Five steps, one point of contact
1. Free consultation
You talk through your goals, who you want to include, and whether Vanuatu is the right fit for your family at all. Sometimes the honest answer is that it isn't.
2. Assessment
Your profile is reviewed so the clearest route forward is confirmed before you commit to anything, and your exact document list is set out in writing.
3. FIU clearance — about seven working days
The main applicant goes through financial intelligence clearance first, with the first payment of $5,000. Because this comes before the larger payments, any problem surfaces early.
4. Documents and first instalment
Your legal documents go to the government together with 25% of the programme amount. See the document checklist.
5. Approval, certificate and passport
Once the application is approved, the remaining 75% is paid, which releases the citizenship certificate and the passport.
How long it takes
Typically 60 to 90 days — two to three months — from a complete file. The first seven working days go to FIU clearance. After that the biggest variable is how quickly your documents come together, which is why police certificates and source-of-funds paperwork are worth starting early.
Do I have to travel to Vanuatu?
No. The whole process is handled remotely, and there is no residency requirement before or after approval.
Who can be included?
A spouse and dependent children can go on a single application. The right structure is worked out during the assessment, so nobody has to apply separately later.
Next: what it costs in 2026.
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