Citizenship / Vanuatu residence
A place to live. A permit with conditions.
Vanuatu permanent residence can be part of a plan for a home, retirement or a family base. Start with the life you intend to lead there, then confirm the permit that allows it. Residence, a passport, permission to work and tax residence are separate decisions.
Published by Bitcoin Lawyer
In this guide8 sections
Confirm the exact permit before comparing packages.
The government eVisa catalogue lists a Permanent Residency Visa with a term not exceeding ten years. Its published conditions prohibit employment, commercial and business activity. It lists a separate Permanent Investor Visa. Similar names do not make these permissions interchangeable.
Ask for the permit name, category and conditions in writing before relying on a residence proposal. If you intend to work, manage a local business or provide services from Vanuatu, explain the activity at the outset. A company registration does not answer the immigration question.
Source check: 16 October 2026, limited to the government’s published permit description. The authority must confirm the category, conditions and term for the actual application.
Separate what the status changes.
Residence
The permit concerns residence in Vanuatu under its conditions. It does not grant Vanuatu nationality, a passport or the travel rights attached to a passport.
Later citizenship
Naturalization has its own requirements. The Immigration Department describes actual lawful residence when certifying residence for nationality purposes. Keeping a permit for ten years is not proof of ten years living in the country or an automatic citizenship award.
Tax and banking
A residence permit does not settle tax residence or oblige a bank to accept an applicant. Review presence, existing obligations, address evidence and account requirements separately with the relevant professionals and institutions.
Build a household file before ordering documents.
The checklist follows the category and each applicant’s circumstances. These are preparation questions, not a universal application checklist.
People and relationships
List the proposed applicants, relationships and dependent ages without sending identity numbers. Confirm who can be included, whether separate applications are required and what changes if the household changes.
Identity and residence
Locate current passports, records of name changes and residence history. Record document expiry dates and discrepancies so the receiving requirements can be confirmed before certification or translation.
Background and health
The eVisa description requires a valid passport and police clearance for the background check before online submission by the designated agent. Confirm every applicant’s police, medical and document-validity requirements before ordering records.
Purpose and support
Describe your intended stay and how you will support it. Locate relevant income and asset records. If Bitcoin is part of the funding plan, prepare the acquisition and custody history separately from the residence documents.
Know who owns the next step.
Check fit
Use the free screening call to explain the intended residence, household and activities. A written enquiry through Contact is also free. Neither is an application, appointment with the government or eligibility decision.
Assess the route
Where further assessment is useful, the strategy session organizes the route questions, document gaps and order of work. Application coordination and any retained professional work require a separate written scope and fee quote after the session.
Confirm the filing arrangement
Before application work starts, identify the responsible filing party, current authorization, recipient of each payment and secure document channel. A legacy brand’s description is not proof that an appointment or authorization has transferred.
Prepare and submit
Complete the agreed records and answer requests accurately. The filing party handles the agreed submission; government authorities assess it. Preparation, background review and a government decision are different milestones.
Read the decision and permit
Check the named holders, validity, entry conditions and restrictions on the actual document. Plan travel and later renewal from those instructions. A proposed timetable is not an approval or a guarantee of delivery.
Ask for a complete cost breakdown.
| Cost category | What to establish |
|---|---|
| Government and application charges | Applicable category, household, currency, payer and recipient. Confirm current official amounts before payment. |
| Professional work | Assessment and retained coordination are separate. Further professional fees are quoted after the strategy session. |
| Applicant records | Police and medical records, certification, translation and replacement documents, including who arranges each item. |
| Travel and ongoing responsibilities | Travel, accommodation, delivery and future renewal or support. Identify what is included and what needs a separate arrangement. |
Historic sister-site packages are not the corporate fee schedule. Do not send programme funds using instructions from an old article or an unverified message.
Keep the conditions with the permit.
- Record each holder’s expiry, entry conditions and the current process for changes or renewal.
- Recheck the permissions before changing employment, business activity, household composition or the purpose of the stay.
- Keep evidence of actual presence separately from possession of a valid permit.
- Agree who handles future administration. The strategy session does not include ongoing monitoring, renewal reminders or later application work.
Before you decide
Common questions.
Can my family apply together?
Household treatment depends on the applicable category and each person’s circumstances. List relationships and dependent ages for review; do not assume a legacy family package establishes eligibility.
Is the permit always granted for ten years?
The eVisa description states a maximum term of ten years for the Permanent Residency Visa. The actual grant and conditions control. Extension is a further decision, not an automatic promise.
Do I need to pay before asking about residence?
No. The screening call and a brief written enquiry are free. A paid strategy session is a separate assessment, and further professional work is separately quoted afterward.
Should I send passports or financial records now?
No. Start with an outline. Send supporting records only through the channel agreed for an actual engagement. Never share private keys, seed phrases or wallet backups.
Your next step
Turn the guide into a working list.
Start by listing the records you hold, the decision you need to make, and the questions this guide leaves open. A free 15-minute screening call helps to establish eligibility.
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