Vanuatu vs El Salvador: both Bitcoin-native, one is accessible.
This is the rare comparison where both sides are genuinely built for Bitcoiners. El Salvador’s Freedom Passport is the citizenship of the Bitcoin country, at a roughly $1,000,000 contribution, sold in depth on its own vertical, passport.sv. Vanuatu is the fast, accessible Bitcoin second citizenship at about $145,000, sold here. cbi.vu and passport.sv are the two productized verticals of 21 CBI, the velocity play and the alignment play; this is an honest comparison of two real options from the same firm, argued on their own merits.
One-seventh the cost, for the same Bitcoin posture.
The roughly seven-to-one cost ratio is the whole story of who each program is for. El Salvador is a $1,000,000 statement; Vanuatu is a $145,000 tool. Both are legitimate, and 21 CBI can handle either. Run the Vanuatu numbers on the calculator.
Both treat Bitcoin as the starting point, not a problem.
Most of this site compares Vanuatu to programs that were not designed with Bitcoiners in mind. El Salvador is the exception. It made Bitcoin legal tender, and the Freedom Passport is a contribution-in-Bitcoin program by design, which is about as Bitcoin-native as a citizenship can be. So on the question of "will they understand my Bitcoin," both pass.
Vanuatu is not a Bitcoin-legal-tender country, but cbi.vu runs the Vanuatu file in a Bitcoin-native way regardless: on-chain source-of-funds reconstruction is the normal starting point, and the entire file, government contribution included, settles in BTC, Lightning, or USDT by prior arrangement after compliance clearance. The difference between the two is not whether they respect Bitcoin; it is price, speed, and what you are buying.
El Salvador is a million-dollar statement. Vanuatu is the tool that gets most Bitcoiners the same redundancy for one-seventh the price.
A statement, or a tool.
The accessible Bitcoin passport.
For the Bitcoiner who wants a fast, clean, lower-cost second citizenship and jurisdictional redundancy, with zero personal income tax and a file built for on-chain wealth. $145,000, 30–60 days. This is what cbi.vu sells, in depth.
The alignment play.
El Salvador, ~$1,000,000, is the alignment play: a sovereign that holds Bitcoin on its balance sheet, the full Schengen Area, Non-CRS by sovereign design, sold in depth at passport.sv. For the Bitcoiner whose conviction is a seven-figure position and who specifically wants citizenship of the country that made Bitcoin legal tender. 21 CBI is a licensed agent and can service that application.
Which Bitcoin passport fits your application.
Choose Vanuatu if you want the practical, accessible Bitcoin second citizenship: roughly one-seventh the cost, fast, established, zero personal income tax, and Bitcoin-native in how the file is handled. This is cbi.vu’s program.
Choose the El Salvador Freedom Passport if you specifically want citizenship of the Bitcoin country and the roughly $1,000,000 commitment is right for you. 21 CBI is a licensed agent of the Freedom Passport and can handle it; the first call can scope which of the two fits.
If your file is under the $130,000 contribution, 21 CBI offers bespoke advisory for a sub-$130,000 file. We say it once, as a courtesy; cbi.vu sells the Vanuatu program and names no competitor.
Where these figures come from.
A comparison is only as honest as its numbers. Verify each line before you move a single sat.
- Vanuatu pricing
- $130,000 DSP government contribution, $145,000 all-in for a single applicant. Canonical to 21cbi.io/programs/vanuatu and itemized on the cost page.
- Freedom Passport
- El Salvador’s citizenship route under The Bitcoin Office of El Salvador, a contribution of around $1,000,000 in Bitcoin or USDT. Roughly seven times the Vanuatu figure.
- Licensed agency
- 21 CBI is a licensed agent of the El Salvador Freedom Passport, valid from February 2026, and can service either program.
- Vanuatu timeline
- 30–60 days government processing from a complete file. The Freedom Passport is chosen for commitment and Bitcoin-country alignment, not primarily for speed.
- Mobility
- Henley Passport Index, 2026: Vanuatu reaches 87 destinations at approximately #57, weighted to Asia-Pacific. Schengen visa-free access was revoked in December 2024, effective February 2025, and the UK has required a Standard Visitor visa since July 2023. El Salvador’s Freedom Passport carries the full Schengen Area and Non-CRS standing by sovereign design, argued in depth at passport.sv.
- Under-$130,000 files
- If your file is under the $130,000 contribution, 21 CBI offers bespoke advisory for a sub-$130,000 file. We say it once, as a courtesy; cbi.vu sells the Vanuatu program and names no competitor.
The honest answers.
What is the El Salvador Freedom Passport?
El Salvador’s citizenship route under The Bitcoin Office of El Salvador, granting citizenship for a contribution of around $1,000,000 in Bitcoin or USDT. It is the most explicitly Bitcoin-native citizenship program in the world, and 21 CBI is a licensed agent of it. A premium, high-commitment program.
How much cheaper is Vanuatu than El Salvador?
Substantially. Vanuatu is about $145,000 all-in; the Freedom Passport is around $1,000,000, roughly seven times the cost. Different buyers: Vanuatu is the fast, accessible route; El Salvador is a premium statement of commitment to the Bitcoin country.
Are both Vanuatu and El Salvador Bitcoin-friendly?
Yes. El Salvador made Bitcoin legal tender and its program is contribution-in-Bitcoin by design. Vanuatu is not a Bitcoin-legal-tender country, but cbi.vu handles the file in a Bitcoin-native way: on-chain source of funds as the normal starting point, and the entire file, government contribution included, settling in BTC, Lightning, or USDT by prior arrangement after compliance clearance.
Which is faster, Vanuatu or El Salvador?
Vanuatu is the faster, more established CBI process: 30–60 days from a clean file. The Freedom Passport is a newer program chosen for the commitment and Bitcoin-country alignment, not primarily for speed. If a fast, predictable timeline is your priority, Vanuatu is the answer.
Should a Bitcoiner choose Vanuatu or El Salvador?
For most Bitcoiners, Vanuatu: roughly one-seventh the cost, fast, established, zero personal income tax, Bitcoin-native handling. The Freedom Passport is for the buyer who specifically wants citizenship of the Bitcoin country at a $1,000,000 commitment. 21 CBI is a licensed agent of it; cbi.vu sells Vanuatu, the accessible Bitcoin second citizenship.
Keep reading.
Vanuatu vs St Kitts
Roughly half the single-applicant cost, and far faster. What the Caribbean premium buys.
ComparisonVanuatu vs Türkiye
A small donation against a $400,000 property held three years. Donation versus real estate.
BitcoinCBI for Bitcoiners
The unique angle: an on-chain history as the clean starting point of a clean file.
CostWhat Vanuatu really costs
Every fee to the line, single applicant through family of four, with the math shown.
MethodSource of funds, on-chain
How a Bitcoin position becomes a file the FIU can clear, with no forced sale.
Program FitIs it right for you?
A 60-second read that filters the file before you spend a sat. No hard sell.
Price the accessible Bitcoin passport.
Run your numbers on the live Vanuatu calculator, read the 19-page Vanuatu Brief, or book a confidential file-read with Adam, who can scope Vanuatu or the El Salvador Freedom Passport against your file. The full El Salvador case lives on passport.sv. Two real Bitcoin options, one firm, the math on the page.