cbi.vu The Program

Vanuatu · Citizenship Act, Cap. 112

Two tracks. One citizenship.

Two distinct legal pathways under the Citizenship Act. Both screened by the Vanuatu Financial Intelligence Unit. Both granted by the Vanuatu Citizenship Commission. Both end at the same passport. One pays direct; the other folds a redeemable fund component into the file. The right choice turns on your family size and your view on recoverability, and we name it on the first call.

Legal AuthorityCap. 112

ScreeningVFIU

GrantVCC

DSP Est.2017

CIIP Est.2023

Facts verified · May 2026 · Vanuatu Citizenship Commission · Sources

Licensed Agent · El Salvador Freedom Passport Filed via a licensed designated agent A division of Bitcitizen LLC Speak with Adam

The Two Tracks

Pay direct, or recover at year four.

The Development Support Programme is the direct-contribution route. The Capital Investment Immigration Plan pairs a lower contribution with a redeemable fund component. Both lead to the same citizenship grant and passport issuance; the choice is structural.

Recommended for most

Development Support Programme (DSP).

$130,000Government contribution · single applicant

Direct contribution to the Republic of Vanuatu. Non-recoverable.
Established January 2017 under regulations to the Citizenship Act, Cap. 112.
Processed by the Vanuatu Citizenship Office; screened by the Vanuatu FIU.
No residency. No interview. No language test. No annual cap.
Spouse: +$20,000. Family of three: $165,000. Family of four: $180,000.
Additional dependent beyond the family-of-four floor: $15,000 government component; $19,250 all-in.

See DSP Pricing

Family-friendly variant

Capital Investment Immigration Plan (CIIP).

$110,000+ $50,000 redeemable · Cocoa Sustainable Fund

$110,000 government contribution + $50,000 fund subscription.
Fund component is redeemable after a four-year hold period.
Established 2023 under Order No. 8 to the Citizenship Act.
Same VFIU due-diligence standard. Same VCC grant authority.
Additional dependent beyond the family-of-four floor: $10,000 program component; $14,000 all-in.
Net cost lower for cost-conscious families willing to lock the fund for four years.

See CIIP Pricing

The Authority

VFIU
VCC
CAP. 112

Every file passes through two sovereign authorities. The Vanuatu Financial Intelligence Unit screens the applicant: enhanced due diligence, INTERPOL NCB coordination, adverse media, and on-chain source-of-funds verification for Bitcoin-funded applications. See also citizenship by investment for Bitcoin holders. The Vanuatu Citizenship Commission grants the citizenship.

The pre-2024 critique was that some operators filed thin compliance packages. The post-2024 standard is materially tighter: fewer applicants clear the bar, and the file that clears it now carries more weight with international banking and immigration partners than one that cleared under the old regime. A higher bar is a feature, not a cost.

Biometric · Mandatory

One in-person visit. Four accredited centers.

Under the Vanuatu Passport (Amendment) Act 2025, which aligned passport issuance with ICAO biometric standards from May 2025, every applicant attends one in-person enrolment session for fingerprint and facial-image capture. The session is short; the location is flexible. Travel to Vanuatu is not mandatory: Port Vila is available, and overseas centers operate in Dubai, Hong Kong, and New Caledonia.

Port Vila Dubai Hong Kong New Caledonia

For Bitcoiners and HNWIs already moving across these hubs, the visit folds into existing travel. Dubai and Hong Kong cover most of our clients. Enrolment at an overseas center carries a variable biometric administration fee, invoiced per application at cost; we confirm the figure for your chosen center before you commit.

Visa-Free Reach

Eighty-seven destinations. Weighted toward Asia.

Singapore. Hong Kong. Malaysia. The Philippines. The Pacific Islands Forum bloc. ASEAN’s digital-asset-forward markets. Direct visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to the financial capitals of Asia, the region that leads on Bitcoin and digital-asset regulation. Eighty-seven destinations places the passport at approximately #57 on the Henley Passport Index.

Eighty-seven Destinations · Regional Breakdown

Where the passport actually reaches.

Henley Passport Index, reconciled May 2026, approximately #57 by rank. Each count combines visa-free and visa-on-arrival access, both filed at the gate without an embassy queue. Schengen, the United Kingdom, and Ireland are not on this list: Schengen access was revoked in December 2024, the United Kingdom has required a Standard Visitor visa since July 2023, and Ireland requires a visa.

Asia & Pacific Singapore, Hong Kong, Macao, Malaysia, Thailand, Philippines, Maldives, Timor-Leste, Sri Lanka (visa-on-arrival), Cambodia (visa-on-arrival), Laos (visa-on-arrival), Nepal (visa-on-arrival), Bangladesh (visa-on-arrival), and the Pacific Islands Forum bloc: Fiji, Samoa, Tonga, Solomon Islands, Kiribati, Palau, Micronesia, Tuvalu, Nauru, Niue, Cook Islands, Marshall Islands (visa-on-arrival), Papua New Guinea (visa-on-arrival).

Primary corridor

Africa Kenya, Uganda, Mauritius, Seychelles, Eswatini, Lesotho, Malawi, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Senegal, Gambia, Angola, St. Helena, Tanzania (visa-on-arrival), Rwanda (visa-on-arrival), Namibia (visa-on-arrival), Mozambique (visa-on-arrival), Madagascar (visa-on-arrival), Comoros (visa-on-arrival), Djibouti (visa-on-arrival), Burundi (visa-on-arrival), Cape Verde (visa-on-arrival), Guinea-Bissau (visa-on-arrival), Sierra Leone (visa-on-arrival).

Resource trade

Caribbean & Americas St. Kitts & Nevis, Antigua & Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada, St. Lucia, St. Vincent, Barbados, Bahamas, Trinidad & Tobago, Jamaica, Haiti, Anguilla, British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Montserrat, Belize, Costa Rica, Panama, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Peru, Suriname.

Open hemisphere

Europe (non-Schengen) Montenegro, Moldova, Kosovo, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Belarus, Russia. Schengen Area access revoked December 2024; the United Kingdom and Ireland both require a visa.

Limited

Middle East Israel, Palestine, Jordan (visa-on-arrival), Iran (visa-on-arrival), Egypt (visa-on-arrival).

Near East

Counts and country-level access are accurate as of May 2026 against the Henley Passport Index. Visa rules shift; we re-verify quarterly against Henley and the destination’s official immigration portal. Some destinations grant visa-on-arrival rather than pure visa-free; the practical experience at the border is similar but the legal mechanism differs. For mission-critical travel, confirm with the destination consulate before booking.

Explore the interactive map

December 2024 · The Schengen Read

What changed. What did not.

On December 12, 2024, the Council of the European Union ended Schengen visa-free access for Vanuatu passport holders. The Council cited due-diligence concerns across CBI applications, not the citizenship framework itself. Schengen travel now requires a Standard Schengen visa, fifteen to sixty calendar days. The United Kingdom has required a Standard Visitor visa since July 2023, a separate and earlier change.

What did not change: the eighty-seven destinations across Asia-Pacific, the zero-personal-income-tax structure, and the citizenship itself.

For a Bitcoiner operating across Asia-Pacific or seeking a clean tax structure with a non-resident operating vehicle, the trade-off is direct. Schengen access is not the reason to choose Vanuatu. Velocity, structure, and Asia-Pacific reach are.

Yasur · The Pacific’s living crater

Sovereignty is older than money.

Mount Yasur on Tanna has been erupting continuously for centuries. The republic that surrounds it codified its citizenship framework in 1980 and its tax-zero architecture decades before Bitcoin existed. Vanuatu did not become Bitcoin-friendly. Bitcoin caught up to Vanuatu.

Tax Structure · Disclosed

Zero. Each one specified.

01 · Income 0%

Zero personal income tax. Zero corporate income tax. No PIT or CIT regime exists in Vanuatu law.

02 · Capital Gains 0%

Zero capital gains tax at the personal or corporate level. Bitcoin held by a Vanuatu resident or an IBC is unaffected at the Vanuatu layer.

03 · Inheritance 0%

Zero inheritance tax. No statutory forced heirship for Vanuatu trust structures under the International Trusts Act 1996.

Zero tax in Vanuatu does not eliminate obligations in your country of tax residence. US citizens remain subject to citizenship-based taxation regardless of physical relocation. The 15% Value Added Tax (VAT) applies on local consumption. Consult a qualified tax advisor regarding your specific situation. Vanuatu participates in the OECD Common Reporting Standard (CRS), meaning financial account information held in Vanuatu institutions is automatically exchanged with your country of tax residence. Self-custodied Bitcoin is usually not a financial-institution account by itself, but that does not remove tax, asset, or reporting obligations that may apply to you. For the full breakdown, read Vanuatu taxes, the honest way.

Six Questions

The honest answers.

Direct answers first. Then the context. The six questions that decide a file at this depth; every other question is answered on the full FAQ.

How much does Vanuatu citizenship cost?Cost

DSP: $130,000 non-refundable government donation; $145,000 all-in for a single applicant. CIIP: $110,000 government contribution plus a $50,000 redeemable Cocoa Sustainable Fund; $174,000 all-in gross for a single applicant, approximately $124,000 net after the four-year fund redemption (advisory, due diligence, and processing fees included). Additional per-person fees apply for family members. 21 CBI advisory fee: five percent of the government contribution, flat. Use the calculator on the pricing page for an exact figure based on your family size and pathway.

What is the difference between DSP and CIIP?Process

DSP (Development Support Programme) is the donation pathway: $130,000, no ongoing commitment, thirty to sixty day processing. CIIP (Capital Investment Immigration Plan) is the investment pathway: $110,000 program fee + $50,000 redeemable Cocoa Sustainable Fund subscription, recoverable after four years with projected four to five percent annual returns. Projected returns are estimates and are not guaranteed. Same thirty to sixty day processing. Choose DSP for speed and finality. Choose CIIP for cost recovery over a four-year horizon.

Do I have to visit Vanuatu?Process

No, unless you want to. One in-person biometric appointment is mandatory under the Vanuatu Passport (Amendment) Act 2025, which aligned passport issuance with ICAO biometric standards from May 2025; Dubai, Hong Kong, New Caledonia, or Port Vila are the four accredited enrolment centers. Pick any of the three overseas options and no Vanuatu travel is needed. Document submission, Oath of Allegiance, and passport delivery are handled remotely.

Can my family be included?Process

Yes. Spouse included in the family rate. Dependent children (typically up to age 25; full-time education until 26) and aging parents (50+) added at per-person rates. Post-approval additions: $19,250 per person on the DSP, or $14,000 per person on the CIIP.

How does source-of-funds documentation work for Bitcoin holdings?Process

Vanuatu’s Financial Intelligence Unit accepts exchange purchase records, custody statements from regulated providers, transaction-by-transaction wallet history, and on-chain proofs as the source-of-funds package. The standard is a coherent audit trail from purchase or earnings event to your current address. Exchange-to-self-custody withdrawals are documented in two halves: the exchange’s CSV plus a signed-message proof that you control the destination wallet. Mining rewards, payment for services, and pre-coinbase historical purchases all qualify with the right documentation. Mixers, privacy-coin conversions, and unexplained on-chain jumps are flags. The VFIU’s posture is rigorous, not adversarial; it wants the on-chain story told completely, not collapsed into a one-line summary.

The EU removed Vanuatu from Schengen visa exemption in December 2024. What does this mean?Travel

Your Vanuatu passport reaches eighty-seven destinations visa-free or visa-on-arrival, approximately #57 on the Henley Passport Index, weighted toward Asia-Pacific. EU and Schengen travel now requires a standard Schengen visa (fifteen to sixty days standard processing; ninety days within any 180-day period). For speed, cost, and tax neutrality as priorities, Vanuatu remains the cleanest option in its class. If frequent Schengen access is genuinely the center of your plan, Vanuatu is not built for that, and Adam Juchniewicz, CEO, 21 CBI, will say so on the call rather than sell you the wrong application.

Every question, answered

Three Application Shapes

No invented praise. The shape of the work.

We do not publish client names or testimonials. We publish the shape of the file, because that is what tells you whether yours resembles one we have already run. Details are composited and anonymized.

Single · United States

Coinbase, Strike, self-custody to 2017.

A US-based holder, clean exchange history, a hardware wallet funded over years. The work was the source-of-funds stitch: matching exchange withdrawals to signed messages from the receiving addresses. The file cleared the FIU and reached a passport inside the speed band, with no forced liquidation and no taxable event created by the funding path.

Couple · Asia-Pacific

Mobility-first, CRS-reporting home.

A couple whose priority was Asia-Pacific access and a structure that did not leave their entire position inside one CRS-participating country. The DSP fit on speed and tax structure. We paired the recommendation with a candid read of what citizenship does and does not do for tax residency, and referred the residency-planning piece deliberately rather than overpromising.

Family of four · Business owner

Pre-exchange holdings, a mining period.

A business owner with early holdings that predated clean exchange records, plus a stretch of mining income. The reconstruction combined on-chain history, pool statements, and a signed affidavit for the earliest coins. The family filed together on one application. The lesson generalizes: the harder the history, the more the reconstruction experience is worth.

Illustrative composites for explanatory purposes. Timelines depend on application completeness and Financial Intelligence Unit processing, and are not guaranteed. Every file is screened on its own facts. Read the three file shapes in full on the case studies page. See the full source-of-funds method on the Source of Funds page, or read the Vanuatu Brief.

The Application, in Three

One application. · One contribution. · One Pacific passport.

Vanuatu, In Detail

Every route, on its own page.

The program in one place above. Each specific, in depth below.

Guide

The Vanuatu passport

Cost, timeline, visa-free countries, and the CBI rules, in one place.

Cost

What it really costs

Every fee to the line, single applicant through family of four.

Program

Vanuatu CBI, in full

DSP and CIIP: the two routes, and which one fits your file.

Mobility

The Schengen question

What changed in December 2024, and what 87 destinations still cover.

Method

Source of funds

How a Bitcoin position becomes a file the FIU can clear.

Bitcoin

CBI for Bitcoiners

The unique angle: an on-chain history as the clean starting point.

The next quiet step

See the math. Then the application.

Run the numbers for your specific family size, then book a confidential session to walk the file through end to end. The first call is a $475 engagement via BitSettle (BTC or USDT) or $500 via Stripe; whichever you pay is credited in full toward the advisory if you retain within 90 days, separate from the $5,000 VFIU line. No obligation to proceed, no sales funnel. The Vanuatu Brief stays free.

See Pricing Begin Your Sovereignty