Citizenship in Vanuatu – interview with Mundo´s expert

Today, we have the pleasure of interviewing our citizenship expert, who is one of our experts in Vanuatu and Vanuatu citizenship. This expert has wide experience working with different applicants, so for this reason we have chosen him to tell us about Vanuatu’s program in detail.

Q-Hello, Alex, it is a pleasure to have you with us. Firstly, why would you recommend Vanuatu´s citizenship over other citizenship programs available?

A- Well, Vanuatu´s program is one of the fastest in the world. When you compare it to other citizenship programs it has a much shorter processing time. If you need your citizenship fast due to business or due to political issues in your country, this is the right choice. Nowadays, with the threats of a world war, economic default and with the political tension the world is facing, you can´t be too careful, can you?

Also, Vanuatu offers a case-to-case based attention. Other countries will simply reject your application for submitting the wrong document or because of a simple typo. I´ve heard of a case whose application was rejected because the native city of the person was misspelled. Can you imagine this?

Q-I can, all these efforts, months and months of gathering documents and all the time and energy wasted.

A-Exactly! Fortunately, Vanuatu has accessible requirements and allows individuals to explain some situations where other programs will just reject without asking any questions.

Q-What is the average cost of Vanuatu’s citizenship considering investment requirements and government fees?

A-According to Vanuatu regulations:

For a single person -the selling price must not be less than 150,000USD;

(b) for a married couple -the selling price must not be less than 170,000USD;

(c) for a married couple and a child under 18 years of age -the selling price

must not be less than 185,000USD;

(d) for a married couple and 2 children under 18 years of age the selling

price must not be less than 200,000USD."

Q-Is it possible to make the investment using bitcoins?

A-Not possible. There was a time when there was the possibility to pay with bitcoins to a local company, and this company would then exchange the bitcoin to fiat currency. Only then the investment was made. Vanuatu government never accepted investments in bitcoins.

Q-Is it possible for a family to apply? What are the additional costs for family members?

A-I repeat the costs that I mentioned above:

for an extra dependent child under 18 years of age -10,000USD;

for any extra dependent between the ages of 18 to 54 years of age -10,000SSD;

for any extra dependent aged 55 years of age and above -10,000 USD

It´s important to note that you need to add additional cost for each member as VAT, passport expenses, oath expenses and application expenses, depending on the number of applicants.

Q-Would you recommend Vanuatu for family groups or is there a better option?

A-I recommend Vanuatu for families. It offers more chances to explain the dependency of a family member than other programs. It´s a case-by-case analysis, like I explained at the beginning.

Q-We know that Vanuatu offers great fiscal advantages. Can you please explain to our readers why Vanuatu will help them protect their assets thanks to its citizenship program?

A-Vanuatu is a low tax jurisdiction, no tax over income generated overseas, or capital gains. It also has a strong international banking system.

For this reason, Vanuatu is one of Mundo´s favorite jurisdictions. Mundo´s editorial team has written many articles about Vanuatu, and not only about finance. Vanuatu has a very rich culture and a very profound philosophy. We encourage you to read our editor´s favorite where Vanuatu is beautifully described.

Q-What about business, specifically?

A-About business, Vanuatu citizenship is definitely a key element in your asset protection plan. It´s a choice and an investment from which you will benefit in the long run.

Q-Can you briefly describe the requirements that an individual has to meet in order to apply for citizenship?

A-The most important requirements are:

Police clearance

Marriage certificate and Birth certificate apostilled

Asset proof higher than 250.000 USD, shown with a bank account statement preferably.

Passport copy, CV.

Q-We understand that having only the money is not enough to acquire citizenship. Vanuatu is very protective of its reputation and will perform a thorough evaluation of each candidate in order to ensure transparency. This usually takes some bureaucracy and it´s recommended that the applying person starts gathering the documents in advance. In your experience, what documents need to be submitted to assure compliance. What is the first thing you would recommend the applicant to do or prepare in order to win time?

A-All documents need to be apostilled in the country where the document has been issued, usually the applicant´s native country.

Many of the applicants are businessmen and travel a lot. This can make it a little harder. I personally recommend to properly organize one´s schedule and start gathering the documents with enough time, so that while you are away the documents are being processes in your home country. There is also the choice to appoint someone you trust, like a family member, to move the process ahead for you. This is only if you are in a rush. If you can afford to wait longer, then you can do it on your own time.

Also, this is a very important point.

The bank account where the investment comes from needs to be in a non-risky jurisdiction. It has to be in a country that is considered trustworthy at least under international standards. If the money comes from a “grey-listed” jurisdiction you will probably face delays. It will take longer for the authorities to confirm the source of income and the person’s good reputation. 

For this reason, it´s important to think ahead and have a bank account in a jurisdiction that won´t give much trouble. We can assist you on this. We offer accounts in different countries and can help you choose the most appropriate banking jurisdiction for your citizenship plan.

Q-In your experience, how long may this whole process last, including due diligence?

A-Some cases are delayed because of bank clearance, which is what I was talking about just now. The processing time is usually 3 months.

Q-Wow, that is pretty fast for a citizenship.

A-It is, isn´t it? That is why I was telling you before that this is one of the fastest citizenship programs.

Q-Can you briefly describe the requirements?

● Nomination form

● Valid passport

● Police clearance

● Work certification/ company

● Passport pictures

● Marriage certificate

● Birth certificate

● Medical Check up

● Asset report and proof.

● Academic certificate

● Cv.

Q-Are there any forbidden or restricted nationalities to apply for citizenship? We have many readers from Venezuela, can they apply? What about other Latin American countries?

A-Restricted countries can apply if applicants are not living in those countries for more than 5 years and have evidence of a valid residency permit in their current country of residency.

Venezuelan and all Latin American countries are not restricted. Vanuatu warmly opens its gates to all Latin American individuals.

Q-Can you share a typical case that you have worked with, protecting the applicant´s confidentiality, of course.

A-Once we had a large family of a middle east country. They were looking for a second passport that would make business easier and to acquire education in other countries without much trouble. They wanted to do this without going through the inconvenience of endless visa applications.

The Vanuatu passport opened the gates to the world for them. They went through the paperwork only once and then enjoyed the benefits and the access that the Vanuatuan passport offered them. Now they travel around the world with absolute freedom, conduct business and go to college in Europe. I am still in touch with them. They are still very happy and grateful for the role Mundo has played.

Q-What is the success rate for applications? What does the success depend on?

A-We have a 100% success rate, but this depends entirely on the applicant. It is vital to provide TRUE INFORMATION. The due diligence authorities do their work very well. Any little “white lie” or omission will be detected, and the application rejected. Vanuatu’s authorities know that, if they don´t keep a high due diligence standard, the safety of their citizens and the continuity of the program will be jeopardized. If there is a document that you are not able to get, then you need to tell us in advance so we can prepare an affidavit to the correspondent authorities.

Alex has very well covered the basis of the Vanuatu citizenship program; however, this is not an exact science. Each person is a unique individual, everyone is different and so are their application processes. If you want to become a Vanuatu citizenship and enjoy your freedom, please ask for a consultation with our expert. Thanks to his extensive experience he will be able to give you detailed information on your particular case.

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