Vanuatu Citizenship for International Families.
Vanuatu citizenship by investment allows a single application to include a spouse, dependent children and, in qualifying cases, dependent parents — creating a shared, lifelong second citizenship for the family, with no residency requirement and completion in approximately 45–60 days.
For internationally mobile families, a second citizenship is increasingly treated as part of long-term family planning.
This is often relevant if you…
- ✓Want to include your spouse, children or dependent parents in one application
- ✓Want citizenship your children can inherit by descent
- ✓Value discretion and confidential processing
- ✓Do not want any family member to relocate or meet a residency requirement
- ✓Are planning for your family's mobility and options decades ahead
- ✓Want the process completed in approximately 45–60 days
The eligibility guide sets out exactly who can be included in a single family application.
Why families choose Vanuatu
Citizenship, once granted, is held for life and can be passed to children by descent. That makes it unlike most other assets a family holds: it does not need to be sold, refinanced or renewed, and it sits naturally alongside trusts, holding companies and succession arrangements in a Commonwealth jurisdiction with no inheritance tax. Families often think of it less as a purchase and more as an option written for the next generation. Our essay on diversification and your family's future develops that idea.
Practically, the appeal is that the whole family moves through one coordinated application. A spouse, dependent children and, in qualifying cases, dependent parents can be included on the principal's file, each undergoing individual due diligence but within a single process completed in approximately 45 to 60 days, remotely, with no residency requirement or relocation for anyone. Read more on why Vanuatu, compare the two pathways, or see why a second passport functions as a family contingency plan.
Family questions.
Can my future children inherit Vanuatu citizenship?+
Yes. Children born to a Vanuatu citizen are eligible for citizenship by descent, subject to registration of the appropriate birth and parentage documentation. This makes Vanuatu citizenship a genuinely intergenerational asset rather than a one-off acquisition.
Is Vanuatu citizenship suitable for family succession planning?+
Yes. Because citizenship is lifelong, transferable by descent, and held in a stable Commonwealth jurisdiction with no inheritance tax, it sits naturally alongside trusts, holding structures and family governance arrangements as a long-horizon planning instrument.
Can children be included in the application?+
Yes. Dependent children may be included on the principal's application, subject to age and dependency criteria set by the Citizenship Commission. Birth certificates and, where relevant, evidence of full-time education or dependency are required.
Can parents or grandparents be included?+
Dependent parents may be included where genuine financial dependency on the principal applicant can be demonstrated, and each undergoes the same due diligence as the principal. Grandparents are not included as standard dependants but may apply in their own right as principal applicants where they meet the eligibility and source-of-funds requirements.
Why do internationally minded families choose Vanuatu?+
Vanuatu combines Commonwealth status, political stability, a tax-neutral framework, and an efficient legislated pathway with no residency obligation. Citizenship is granted for life, can be passed to descendants, and gives families optionality without disrupting existing residency or business arrangements.
Ready to plan for your family's future?
A confidential eligibility assessment will confirm who can be included in your application and what the process looks like for your family.
Request a Confidential Eligibility Assessment