On August 7th, 2024, a notice was sent out today by the Vanuatu Government to all Vanuatu DSP and CIIP Local Agents today advising that a new passport system is being implemented. 

The notice advised that after August 31, 2024, under the new system, all Vanuatu citizens will be required to attend a personal identity verification interview and submit biometrics for their passport in person.

These proposed changes were intended to meet the international requirements set by ICAO in terms of the standard requirements for the Vanuatu passport as an international travel document.

All countries who are signatory to the ICAO must adopt the new changes to avoid border control issues with their travel documents. In compliance with the new ICAO standards, Vanuatu’s new passport is embedded with a chip containing encrypted personal data.

The move – and the requirement for in-person interviews in Vanuatu, in particular – has elicited concerns from a range of stakeholders, as the island is both far-flung and difficult to reach.

It would also undermine the Vanuatu Citizenship By Investment program’s appeal, which, thus far, has enabled applicants to complete their application processes fully remotely.

In response, numerous local agents have requested an urgent meeting with the Citizenship Commission to discuss alternative solutions for applicants as it is not a reasonable requirement for all new citizens to travel to Vanuatu. 

Discussions are already underway to find alternative options to the personal appearance requirement for passport applicants based outside Vanuatu. One proposed solution would be that applicants could appear at a Vanuatu Consulate or Embassy overseas, or use a globally certified organization like VFS Global.

As of this writing, however, the process for being granted Vanuatu citizenship by investment remains unchanged.

And based on previous experience with the way these matters are resolved in Vanuatu, we do anticipate a viable solution being found.  As soon as we have information on what other alternatives may be accepted, we will update this article.

In the interim, prospective applicants for either the Vanuatu CIIP or DSP Program can contact us for the latest information.