Quick summary: Vanuatu remains the fastest citizenship-by-investment program to issue a passport, typically measured in weeks rather than months. But from 2022 through late 2024, the passport lost visa-free access to the Schengen zone and the UK; according to QuocTich.com data updated 09/2026, it now provides access to only 83 visa-free destinations. Vanuatu is right for someone who needs a backup passport very quickly and doesn't mind limited travel freedom. It's wrong for someone buying a passport mainly to travel through Europe.
We hear this question almost every week: "Another firm says they can get Vanuatu done in a month—why does it take you longer?" The short answer is: Vanuatu's speed is real, and that speed is exactly why Europe and the UK locked the door.
This piece is not meant to criticize Vanuatu. We're putting it on the scale the way a case handler sees it: where the speed comes from, what was lost, what risks sit outside the fee sheet, and who should actually choose it.
Why Vanuatu is Faster Than Every Other Program
Vanuatu's citizenship-by-investment program (typically called the Development Support Program) was designed to pull in capital quickly for a small Pacific island nation. Three features make it fast:
- No complex real estate track. You make a non-refundable contribution to a government fund instead of waiting for a property purchase contract, valuation, or registration.
- No requirement to travel to Vanuatu. No in-person interview on the island, no residency requirement before or after you receive citizenship. The oath is typically taken at a location outside Vanuatu that the government designates.
- Short due diligence cycle. Your application passes through financial intelligence screening and then to the Citizenship Committee for approval. Not as many layers as Caribbean programs have now, following their 2024 common agreement.
For comparison: a current Caribbean application usually requires an interview (online or in person), multiple due diligence layers, and with some programs, an in-person appearance. You can read more about those changes in the piece on Caribbean CBI: 5-year passport, 30-day residency. Vanuatu barely has any of these.
The Real Process: From Submission to Holding Your Passport
Most people outside the industry think "fast" means skipping steps. The steps still exist—each one is just shorter:
- Prepare your application in your home country: passport, birth certificate, marriage certificate (if applicable), police clearance, medical exam, bank statements, and documents proving source of funds. Everything needs to be translated to English and notarized.
- Submit through an approved agent: the Vanuatu government only accepts applications through officially licensed agents, not directly from applicants.
- Background check: screening against sanctions lists, criminal history checks, and verification that your source of funds makes sense.
- Approval in principle and contribution payment: after receiving a letter of approval, you transfer the required amount.
- Oath, receipt of citizenship certificate, then passport issuance.
The step where most applications get stuck is step one, not step three. Vanuatu applications delay mainly because of messy source-of-funds documentation: money from selling a house but the contract doesn't match the transfer amount, income from business but no proper accounting. The government's speed cannot make up for a weak application package. The piece Why Source-of-Funds Applications Get Rejected lists these common problems in detail.
What the Vanuatu Passport Lost Between 2022 and Now
This is the part most sales pitches skip over very quickly. Here's what happened, in chronological order:
- 2022: The European Union suspended partial visa-free access for Vanuatu passports issued after May 25, 2015—the exact cohort created by the investment program. EU's stated reason: weak due diligence and issuance to people other countries had rejected.
- July 2023: The UK imposed visa requirements on Vanuatu citizens, part of a wider shift affecting citizenship-by-investment programs.
- End of 2024: The EU expanded its suspension to full visa-free access termination for all Vanuatu citizens.
Into 2025, the EU revised its visa-suspension mechanism to make passport sales a standalone basis for review. That means not just Vanuatu—every citizenship-by-investment passport is now under increased scrutiny.
Direct consequence: someone who bought Vanuatu expecting "visa-free to France and Germany" now has to apply for a Schengen visa like a Vietnamese passport holder, and may face additional questions because the immigration officer knows the passport was obtained through investment.
Side by Side: Vanuatu, Grenada, and a Vietnamese Passport
The table below comes from QuocTich.com visa data, updated 09/2026. "No visa required" includes visa-free entry, visa-on-arrival, and electronic travel registration like an ETA, following our method for calculating visa-free destinations.
| Destination | Vanuatu Passport | Grenada Passport | Vietnamese Passport |
|---|---|---|---|
| France, Germany (Schengen) | Visa required | Visa-free 90 days | Visa required |
| Ireland | Visa required | Visa-free 90 days | Visa required |
| UK | Visa required | ETA | Visa required |
| China | Visa required | Visa-free 30 days | Visa required |
| Hong Kong | Visa-free 90 days | Visa-free 90 days | Pre-registration online required |
| Singapore | Visa-free 30 days | Visa-free 30 days | Visa-free 30 days |
| Russia | Visa-free 90 days | Visa-free 90 days | E-visa |
| USA, Canada, Japan | Visa required | Visa required | Visa required |
| Total visa-free destinations | 83 | 146 | 52 |
Two things stand out. First, for the destinations most commonly visited in Asia, Vanuatu doesn't open significantly more doors than what you likely already have. Second, the gap between Vanuatu and Grenada sits almost entirely in Europe and China—exactly the two regions most of our clients care about. For a destination-by-destination comparison, use the passport comparison tool or visit the Vanuatu page for the complete list.
Risks to Know Before You Send Money
This is the section we hope you read most carefully.
Risk of losing travel privileges. Visa-free access is not an asset you own; it's a unilateral decision by another country. Vanuatu has already lost Europe and the UK; other countries can absolutely do the same if they decide the program is still too loose. If you're buying a passport for a specific visa-free privilege, you have to accept that privilege may disappear after you've paid.
Risk to document reputation. At some borders and with some banks, a Vanuatu passport issued after 2015 receives extra scrutiny. Opening a foreign bank account with this passport sometimes triggers the question "how did you obtain this citizenship?"—and you'll need to explain.
Risk from domestic policy shifts. Vanuatu has adjusted its program multiple times, changed agents, adjusted fees, and has revoked citizenship for some people after discovering issues. A small nation makes decisions fast in both directions.
Risk of no resale. The contribution is non-refundable. If years later you find the passport doesn't work the way you hoped, there's no mechanism to get your money back.
Risk on Vietnam's dual citizenship side. If you want to keep Vietnamese citizenship after acquiring another, you must follow the proper procedure—it's not automatic. The piece How Far Does Vietnam Allow Dual Citizenship? explains this in detail.
Tax implications not covered here. Vanuatu is often mentioned as having no personal income tax, but acquiring citizenship doesn't automatically change your tax residency. We don't give tax advice; consult a tax specialist before relying on this point.
Who Still Makes Sense for Vanuatu
To be fair, some people should still consider Vanuatu:
- Someone who needs a backup passport very urgently, for family or work reasons, and accepts narrower travel freedom.
- Someone who travels mainly within Asia and to a few hubs like Hong Kong, Singapore, Philippines, Malaysia, with Europe not a priority.
- Someone who already has a long-term visa or residence permit where they need to be, and just wants to diversify their citizenship portfolio.
Conversely, Vanuatu doesn't work for three groups: people who want free movement through Europe, people planning to use the passport as a stepping stone to a U.S. E-2 visa (Vanuatu has no E-2 treaty with the US), and people wanting a passport that holds its value long-term. For the E-2 group, read The Grenada Path to U.S. E-2.
Questions to Ask Your Advisor Before You Sign
Regardless of which country you choose, this checklist helps separate genuine practitioners from people just selling speed:
- [ ] What is the current contribution for my exact family structure, and what date is that fee sheet dated?
- [ ] Who is the agent submitting my application, and is that agent on the government's official licensed list?
- [ ] If I'm rejected during due diligence, which fees are refunded and which are forfeited? (Get this in writing.)
- [ ] Which countries I commonly travel to currently require a visa with this passport? (Ask for a written list, not a verbal answer.)
- [ ] If another country imposes visa requirements after I've received citizenship, what responsibility does your firm have? (The honest answer is usually "none," and that's the right answer.)
- [ ] Where do I take the oath, who attends with me, and is travel cost included or separate?
- [ ] If I want to keep my previous citizenship, what procedure do I follow and who handles it?
- [ ] What bank receives the contribution, and will I get a receipt from the government?
Any advisor who gives you a vague answer to questions three and five should be a red flag.
Is the Speed Worth It: How We Calculate
We suggest one simple test. Write down the three most important trips you plan to make in the next five years. For each trip, check whether your intended new passport offers visa-free entry, using the visa checker tool or each program's visa-free page.
If all three trips require a visa with your new passport, you're paying for the speed of issuance, not for travel freedom. That's not wrong—as long as you know what you're buying.
There's one angle few people discuss: a few months' difference between Vanuatu and a Caribbean program usually won't change a family's actual plans. What changes plans is whether that passport actually works for your life over the next ten years. Read Five Signs a Program is About to Shut Down for another framework to evaluate.
Next Steps
If you're weighing Vanuatu, do two things before discussing price: list the countries you actually need to visit, and ask your advisor for a dated fee sheet for your exact family structure. Put those two documents side by side, and the answer usually emerges. If you need a second opinion, you can submit your details at Program Recommendation; we'll tell you straight whether Vanuatu makes more sense than Grenada for your situation.
