Vanuatu runs the fastest citizenship-by-investment programme — approvals in about one to two months, fully remote, from a donation around 130,000 USD. Its trade-off is decisive and must be stated plainly: the passport has lost visa-free access to the EU Schengen area, Switzerland and the United Kingdom, so its travel value is a fraction of what agents still advertise.
Vanuatu commonly approves citizenship in one to two months, fully remote — a pace no Caribbean programme matches — and that part of the pitch is genuinely true. What is no longer true is the travel value agents still advertise: the European Union has suspended Vanuatu passport holders' visa-free Schengen access, Switzerland has required a visa since 4 February 2025, and the United Kingdom does too. Anyone buying mainly to travel to Europe should treat that as decisive. The Development Support Program contribution runs from 130,000 USD for a single applicant, though due diligence, processing and agent fees push the real figure closer to 150,000-165,000 USD. Personal and corporate income both go untaxed, unlike Dominica, which taxes residents up to 35 percent. See how it stacks up on our comparator.
| Programme | Status | Verified on | Official source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vanuatu Development Support Program (DSP) | Open | Vanuatu Citizenship Office & Commission — site officiel |
Citizenship by investment
Read the full Vanuatu Development Support Program (DSP) page →
| Route | Official minimum | Real total, family of four | Hold | Recoverable |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DonationDSP contribution for a single applicant, as commonly reported for 2026. On top sit due diligence, processing and agent fees, so the real single cost is higher than the headline — budget closer to 150,000–165,000 USD all-in. | $130 000 | ≈ $173 550 | — | No |
| DonationDSP contribution for a family of four (main applicant, spouse, two children), as commonly reported for 2026. Additional dependants raise the figure; confirm the current schedule with the Citizenship Office. | $180 000 | ≈ $240 300 | — | No |
The programme announces 1–2 months. That is the official figure, not a commitment.
Vanuatu is widely regarded as the fastest citizenship-by-investment programme; approvals in about one to two months are routinely reported, faster than any Caribbean unit.
Unlike the Caribbean programmes, Vanuatu levies no personal income tax whatsoever. There are no progressive bands to read: the rate is zero. For a genuinely relocating individual, that is a materially different proposition from Dominica, which taxes resident income up to 35%.
Vanuatu also imposes no corporate income tax on company profits, which is why it has long featured in offshore structuring. As always, how a foreign tax authority treats such a structure is a separate question from Vanuatu’s own rules.
With no income tax, revenue rests on a value-added tax of 15% and on import duties. Everyday consumption is therefore taxed regardless of income — the burden sits on spending, not earning.
There is no capital gains tax, no inheritance or estate tax, and no wealth tax. Holding and passing on personal assets is untaxed.
A Vanuatu passport does not, by itself, make you tax-resident, and it does not remove obligations to a country that taxes on citizenship, such as the United States. But weigh the real reason most people buy a CBI — travel — against the facts: Vanuatu has lost visa-free access to the Schengen area, Switzerland and the United Kingdom. If mobility matters, compare it honestly against alternatives on our comparator, and read how each figure is checked in our methodology.
| — | Nauru | Vanuatu |
|---|---|---|
| Official minimum | $90 000lower | $130 000 |
| Real total, family of 4 (fees included) | ≈ $120 150lower | ≈ $173 550 |
| Announced processing | 3–4 months | 1–2 monthsfaster |
| Presence required | None.Identical on this line | None.Identical on this line |
| Investment routes | DonationIdentical on this line | DonationIdentical on this line |
| A route returns the capital | NoIdentical on this line | NoIdentical on this line |
| Open to Russian applicants | YesIdentical on this line | YesIdentical on this line |
| Region | PacificIdentical on this line | PacificIdentical on this line |
Open the country page · NauruOpen the country page · Vanuatu
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Citizenship or residence, the honest answer often is not the one you arrived with. We take the whole procedure with you — eligibility, the route that fits your situation, the file, the follow-up — with one person on your side throughout.
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