HOW MUCH DOES VANUATU’S CITIZENSHIP BY INVESTMENT PROGRAMME COST?

Vanuatu’s Citizenship by Donation programme requires a contribution to the governments development fund from $130,000 for a family of four. There is a $25,000 fee per each additional applicant for families of more than four persons. Additional due diligence and processing fees are also applicable and will vary depending on the applicant’s age and the size of their family.

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First launched in 2017, Citizenship by investment in Vanuatu is available to applicants who invest from $130,000 into a local development fund. Officially known as the Vanuatu “Development Support Programme” (DSP), the programme offers one of the fastest citizenship and second passport programmes in the world and is the only programme of its kind in the Asia-Pacific Hemisphere. Vanuatu, a chain of 80 islands in the south Pacific to the east of Australia is part of the Commonwealth. The official languages are English and French. Vanuatu offers Citizenship with full Ni-Vanuatu rights (less voting rights and political involvement).

 

Citizenship in Vanuatu hands you global freedom and privacy while traveling. As a citizen, you also enjoy a safe and friendly second home for your family as well as living in a tax efficient nation with zero tax.

Establishing a corporation or banking group, high taxes in your current residence are avoided. Vanuatu is private and remote — the perfect escape.

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• Visa-free travel to 125 nations

• The sole Citizenship by Investment (CBI) program of its type serving the Asia-Pacific Hemisphere

• Tax-free nation

• International offshore financial center — since 1972

• Strong presence of International banks

• Simple business and banking start-up procedures

• Peaceful, stable nation

• British Commonwealth Member nation

• Fast and simple application — as short as 45 days

• Transparent pricing structure

• Inexpensive real estate includes everything from choice beachfront properties to entire islands

• Long term and secure land tenure with affordable rental rates

• Tremendous financial growth prospects and investment opportunities throughout the nation

As each nation’s visa requirements are subject to change, tourists with Vanuatu passports should check the latest requirements of each destination country.

 

Becoming a Vanuatu Citizen

The first step to becoming a Vanuatu Citizen is to decide.

A ‘pre-approval’ period involving a government background check is required. When that is been completed, all documentation, with full payment, is submitted. The rest of the process only takes 30 to 60 days to complete — one of the fastest globally.

The applicant will be required to meet with the nominating office within the Vanuatu Consulate or in Vanuatu.

There, the applicant is given the Oath of Allegiance and are granted full citizenship and are given their Vanuatu passport.

At the point, the application is entitled to full citizenship benefits and rights and given visa-free travel to 125 nations. The citizenship is for life, is hereditary and does not require a visit to Vanuatu.

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Who Can Apply?

• Anyone with a clean criminal history

• Business person/investor

• Perpetual traveler

• Stateless person

• Anyone renouncing their current citizenship​

 

Application Process

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Government’s Due Diligence.

Once the Vanuatu government provides written confirmation of no negative findings, pre-approval is given. The applicant, with the help of Bukh Global, completes the documentation and makes full payment to either a Trust Account or directly to the Vanuatu Information Center, or a government approved agent.

The application is submitted to the Vanuatu government representative. The representative will review the documentations and provide a pre-submission to the Citizenship Commission. The commission meets the last Friday of every month and the application package must be received at least 8 days before the committee meets.

A screening committee reviews the application 24-hours prior to the Citizenship Commission meeting and makes a 

recommendation.

When the Citizenship Commission ratifies the request, an Agreement in Principle is issued and the process normally takes between 7 and 14 days.

The applicant takes their oath, receives a Certificate of Vanuatu Citizenship and their new passport.

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Fees (cryptocurrency accepted)

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Family Requirements

 

Family members can be included in the application for Vanuatu citizenship. The main investor can include:

• Spouse

• Dependent Children

• Dependent Parents over 65 years

 

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Due Diligence Requirements

 

All applicants will need to be of good character and undergo the Vanuatu government’s full due diligence formalities. Investors must provide:

• Police Reports – evidence of a clean criminal record

• Have no outstanding visa refusals

• Various documentation, including financial documents, employment/ business documents, ID, proof of address

 

 

Minimum Stay Requirements

 

Vanuatu’s Citizenship by Investment programme does not require applicants to meet any minimum stay requirements. Ni-Vanuatu citizens will have the right to live, work or study in Vanuatu should they choose to, but this is not a pre-requisite of the programme. There is also no interview or language test required.

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The benefit of using our service is that our network within the Government public circle is extensive and reaches the inner sanctum of the Executive branch of the Vanuatu Government. Our partner lawyer is well acquainted with the Prime Minister and all his cabinet members.

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STEP BY STEP PROCESS

 

(1) Financial Intelligence Unit background check (Pre-approval stage)

 

An FIU check is conducted before the documents are given to the Citizenship Commission. The client will provide the Designated Agent the sum of USD 5000 per application, a copy of their passport police clearance from state of origin and curriculum vitae.

 

The Designated Agent will pay the Government a probity check fee and provide the documents mentioned previously as supporting documents. The check will be to ensure that the applicant does not have any criminal record or adverse background record in other parts of the world. The check takes 24 to 48 hours to complete. If the background check is positive then we move on to the application stage.

 

 

(2) Lodgment of documents (as set out in the checklist)

 

In the application form there is a checklist of the documents which the client needs to provide (we enclose a copy of the application form and the checklist for your reference).

 

The documents need to be certified by a Commissioner of Oaths, Justice of the Peace or Notary Public. Any document in a foreign language must be translated into english. The english version must be certified as a true copy translation of the foreign language document.

 

(3) Payment of Application fee

 

Once we confirm that all the documents are in order, we will provide you an invoice with banking details for National Bank of Vanuatu USD call account. You will then transfer to us the application fee.

 

(4) The Screening Committee and Citizenship Commission meeting

 

A screening committee meeting is held first to screen the documents lodged. If there are any other documents required, there is an interval of 24 hours provided before the Citizenship Commission meeting. Within that 24 hours, we are required to provide any missing or further documents to support our application. Then after that the Citizenship Commission will meet and endorse and approve our application. Once the approval is made, we should receive an Approval in Principle letter within 24 hours after the meeting has concluded.

 

(5) The Citizenship Certificate and Passport

 

Once the approval letter is provided, we will apply for the Citizenship certificate to be printed. Once the certificate is printed it will be signed by the Chairman of the Commission and one member. We will be provided a copy of the certificate and we will use it to apply for the client(s) passport.

 

IMPORTANT INFORMATION

 

Time frame from date of lodgment to when passport is printed.

 

It takes 14-21 days from the lodgment date of the application to when the passports are printed and ready for collection. The process for collection is for us to send the passport to the nearest Vanuatu diplomatic office closest to where the applicant is located. You will attend the office and we will arrange with the Vanuatu diplomat there to undertake your oath of allegiance there. Oaths are done via video call, skype, zoom or whatsapp or wechat. We will have a commissioner of oaths from Vanuatu who will administer the oath. Passports are then delivered via DHL express mail.

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