No CBI program moves faster than Vanuatu. A qualifying applicant can hold a passport in as little as 30 to 60 days — no interview, no language test, no residency obligation, and one of the simplest document sets in the industry. Speed like that comes with a trade-off worth understanding before you wire funds.
The Numbers
The Development Support Program requires a non-refundable contribution starting at $130,000 for a single applicant, rising with each added dependent. Vanuatu doesn’t ask for a property purchase, a fund lock-up, or years of residency — it asks for a government contribution and a clean due diligence file, and moves.
| Factor | Vanuatu CBI |
|---|---|
| Minimum investment | $130,000 (single applicant, Development Support Program) |
| Processing time | 30–60 days |
| Residency requirement | None |
| Interview required | No |
| Visa-free/visa-on-arrival access | Roughly 88–90 countries |
| Schengen and UK access | No — revoked; not currently included |
The Catch, Stated Plainly
Vanuatu’s passport does not currently carry visa-free access to the Schengen Area or the United Kingdom — both were revoked over concerns tied to the very speed and light-touch due diligence that make the program so fast in the first place. For a buyer whose primary goal is EU mobility, this is disqualifying, full stop. For a buyer whose priority is a fast, low-friction second citizenship as a jurisdictional fallback — banking access, a non-Western travel document, or a rapid Plan B while a slower Caribbean or European application is still in process — the trade-off is far more tolerable.
This is precisely why “citizenship in 60 days” headlines are misleading on their own. The right question isn’t how fast Vanuatu moves. It’s whether the roughly 90 destinations it actually opens match what you need the passport to do.
Who Vanuatu Actually Fits
Vanuatu citizenship by investment makes the most sense as a second or third passport in a broader portfolio — not as a standalone Plan B for a family whose priority is Europe or the UK. Entrepreneurs needing an immediate alternative banking jurisdiction, investors who already hold EU access through another route, and buyers who simply want speed and privacy tend to get the most value from it.
The Zam Zam Advisory Perspective
Vanuatu gets sold on speed alone more often than any other program we review, and speed is real — but it’s only half the picture. We walk investors through exactly which destinations the passport opens today, not the marketing copy from two years ago, before recommending it as part of a citizenship strategy.
If a fast, low-friction second passport fits your actual travel and banking needs, message our team on WhatsApp at +971 527851761, or visit us at Port Saeed, Deira, Dubai, for a confidential assessment.