Development Support Program
Vanuatu's Development Support Program (DSP) is the fastest direct-citizenship program operating today — approval in as little as one to two months. It is also the lowest-cost entry point into a non-Caribbean second citizenship currently available. For specific client profiles where rapid timing or absolute capital efficiency outranks passport breadth, Vanuatu is a serious option. For most others, we recommend a Caribbean alternative.
- Minimum Investment
- From $130,000 (single applicant)
- Family of Four
- From $180,000
- Processing
- 1–2 months
- Stay Requirement
- None
- Citizenship
- Lifetime, hereditary
- Visa-Free Access
- ~95 countries (post-2022 changes)
When time is the only consideration.
We are direct with clients about Vanuatu's positioning. Following the EU's 2022 suspension of Schengen visa-free travel for Vanuatu citizens, the passport's mobility profile changed materially. Where Caribbean passports retain Schengen and UK access, Vanuatu does not. The program's defining advantages are now speed and cost — and for the narrow set of use cases where those two factors dominate, no other program competes. For broader passport mobility, we point clients to the Caribbean.
1 to 2 months from filing to passport. No other CBI in the world processes this fast.
$130,000 for a single applicant — the lowest direct-citizenship threshold currently operating.
Citizenship transmitted to children and grandchildren under Vanuatu nationality law.
For clients with Asia-Pacific business interests, Vanuatu offers a Pacific-aligned legal jurisdiction.
How to qualify.
A non-refundable contribution to the Vanuatu Development Support Program. Single applicant from $130,000; family of four typically $180,000. The only practical pathway for our clients.
- Verifiable lawful source of investment funds.
- Clean criminal record across all countries of prior residence.
- Good health, with no communicable disease of public health significance.
- Principal applicant aged 18 or older.
- Successful completion of the program's due-diligence review.
How we run this program.
Confidential intake. We confirm whether Vanuatu is, in fact, the right tool — most often it is not, and we say so.
Source-of-funds, biometrics, FBI clearance, medicals, and supporting documentation assembled.
Application filed through an authorized agent. Due diligence completed by the Citizenship Office.
Approval issued. Contribution paid. Oath taken (often via video). Passport issued — typically within weeks of approval.
Questions worth answering candidly.
What happened with EU Schengen access?+
In early 2022, the EU Council partially suspended visa-free Schengen access for Vanuatu citizens, citing concerns over the program's due-diligence rigor. Subsequent measures further restricted access. The UK followed with a similar visa requirement in 2023. As a result, a Vanuatu passport today does not provide visa-free entry to the EU or UK — a material change from earlier years.
When is Vanuatu actually the right recommendation?+
Three scenarios, in our practice: (1) a client requires a second passport on an absolute deadline measured in weeks rather than months; (2) capital efficiency is the binding constraint; (3) the client's travel and business profile makes EU and UK visa-free access genuinely irrelevant. Outside these scenarios, a Caribbean program is almost always the better recommendation.
Is the program likely to be reformed?+
The Vanuatu government has taken steps to enhance due diligence in response to international pressure. Whether these reforms are sufficient to restore Schengen visa-free access remains an open question. We track the program's regulatory status and update clients accordingly.
Will US authorities know about Vanuatu citizenship?+
Yes — US citizens must report all foreign citizenships and passports on relevant tax and disclosure forms. There is no concealment pathway with any CBI program; we structure all engagements with full transparency to the client's US tax counsel.
Considering Vanuatu? Let's talk before you commit.
Thirty minutes with an experienced advisor. We'll tell you, candidly, whether this program is the right fit — and if it isn't, which one is.
You speak directly with an experienced advisor — not an intake associate.