Vanuatu Citizenship by Investment Cost: Real Numbers, All Options, What You Actually Pay

A single applicant pays a government contribution of $130,000 USD under the Development Support Program (DSP). On top of that, expect due diligence fees of roughly $5,000, agent or authorized dealer fees typically ranging from $10,000 to $15,000, and passport and government processing fees of around $2,000 to $3,000. Total all-in cost for a single applicant lands in the $145,000 to $155,000 range depending on the agent you use.

A spouse adds $30,000 to the government contribution, bringing the family baseline to $160,000. Each additional dependent under 18 adds $10,000, and dependents aged 18 to 25 who are full-time students also add $10,000. A family of four (two adults, two minor children) would pay roughly $180,000 in government contributions alone, plus agent and due diligence fees scaled to headcount. Some agents charge a flat family fee; others itemize per person, so get a full quote before signing anything.

The Vanuatu passport currently provides visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to roughly 90 to 100 countries, including the UK, the Schengen Area, Hong Kong, Singapore, and Russia. It does not provide visa-free access to the United States or Canada, which is a common point of confusion. Vanuatu has no income tax, no capital gains tax, and no inheritance tax, so the passport pairs well with genuine relocation to the country for those seeking a territorial tax base. For a broader comparison of what different CBI programs deliver at various price points, see this overview of every live CBI program with real numbers.

Vanuatu processes applications through the Vanuatu Financial Intelligence Unit and the Citizenship Commission, and approved applicants typically receive a letter of approval within 30 to 60 days from submission of a complete file. Physical passports are then issued within a few weeks of that approval. No other CBI program consistently matches this timeline. St. Kitts and Nevis, the next fastest, takes four to six months under its accelerated lane.

Vanuatu's passport has faced scrutiny from the EU, which suspended its visa-free Schengen access in early 2022 citing due diligence weaknesses, before reinstating limited arrangements later. The EU relationship remains under review, so verify current Schengen access status with your agent before committing funds, as this can change on short notice. Vanuatu also revamped its due diligence process in response to that pressure, so applications today undergo stricter background checks than they did pre-2020. The program is legitimate and government-run, but applicants with complex financial or legal backgrounds should get a pre-assessment before paying any fees.

Vanuatu's government requires that all DSP applications be submitted through an authorized agent or licensed dealer registered with the Citizenship Commission. Agent fees are not regulated, meaning the spread from $8,000 to $20,000 is entirely market-driven. Get itemized quotes from at least two authorized agents, confirm they are on the current government-approved list, and insist that your contribution funds are held in escrow until approval is issued. Agents who demand full upfront payment with no escrow arrangement are a red flag.