Where It Is Accepted
Every destination reached without a prior visa, the countries that now require one, and the visa rules a Vanuatu passport holder actually meets when travelling.
A Vanuatu passport gets you visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to 88 countries and territories. But there's a catch. Following the recent suspension of visa-waiver agreements by both the European Union and the United Kingdom, you must understand the passport's real-world travel rights today. Relying on outdated lists is a recipe for disaster—it can lead to denied boarding, visa rejections, and wasted travel funds. Our firm’s work across many jurisdictions gives us the clarity to provide clients with a precise, current analysis of their options.
Visa-Waiver Suspension - A temporary or permanent revocation of a pre-existing agreement that allowed citizens of one country to enter another without a visa. This action, often taken for security or policy reasons, requires affected passport holders to obtain a visa prior to travel. For example, the EU's suspension for Vanuatu was formalised under amendments to Regulation (EU) 2018/1806.
The Critical Challenge: Understanding the EU & UK Visa-Waiver Suspensions
The most significant change for anyone holding a Vanuatu passport is the loss of visa-free access to Europe. It happened fast. On 4 February 2023, the European Union fully suspended its visa-waiver agreement. The United Kingdom quickly followed, imposing its own visa requirement from 19 July 2023.
For investors and new citizens, the primary risk now is trusting outdated information from agents or online lists. It's a common mistake. You could be denied boarding, forfeit travel expenses, or face serious immigration problems on arrival. Many online sources simply haven't kept up, painting a dangerously misleading picture of the passport's current power.
The EU's decision wasn't just a notice; it was cemented in law through amendments to Regulation (EU) 2018/1806. What started as a temporary suspension under Delegated Regulation (EU) 2023/222 became permanent. Regulation (EU) 2025/11 officially moved Vanuatu to the list of visa-required nations, effective 3 February 2025. What this means for you is simple: if you want to visit Germany, France, or Italy, you now need a Schengen visa. Period. The same goes for the UK, where a Standard Visitor Visa is mandatory.
Comparing Global Access: Vanuatu vs. Alternatives
When considering citizenship by investment (CBI), passport strength is paramount. The loss of EU and UK access fundamentally repositions Vanuatu against its competitors, especially the Caribbean programmes. Vanuatu's key advantage used to be its speed. Now, that speed comes with a significant trade-off in mobility.
| Feature / Programme | Vanuatu (DSP/CIIP) | Caribbean Programmes (e.g., St. Kitts, Grenada) |
|---|---|---|
| Visa-Free Destinations | 88 countries and territories | ~150-160+ countries and territories |
| Schengen Area Access | Visa Required (since Feb 2023) | Visa-Free (90 days in a 180-day period) |
| United Kingdom Access | Visa Required (since July 2023) | Visa-Free (up to 6 months) |
| China Access | Visa Required | Visa-Free (for Grenada) |
| Minimum Investment | US$130,000 (single applicant) | US$200,000 (single applicant, OECS states) |
| Processing Timeline | 2-4 months (industry average) | 6-9 months |
The Takeaway: Caribbean passports currently offer far stronger global mobility, especially if you need to travel to Europe. Vanuatu remains a faster and lower-cost option, but it's now best suited for applicants whose travel and business are focused on Asia, Africa, and the Pacific—and for whom getting a passport quickly is the absolute highest priority.
This article is published by an independent law firm for informational purposes only and does not represent or claim affiliation with any government body, international organization, or official authority.
Every Destination, Without a Prior Visa
Below is the whole of it — each place a Vanuatu passport admits without a visa arranged beforehand, grouped by how admission works. The 88 behind the ranking is 55 visa-free destinations, 26 issuing a visa at the border and 7 partially recognised territories set out separately. Permitted stays are the published ones and belong to each destination.
Visa-free entry
Show the passport, enter. Nothing lodged in advance, nothing paid, no prior approval.
Africa (11)
| Destination | Permitted stay |
|---|---|
| Angola | 30 days |
| Botswana | 90 days |
| Eswatini | 30 days |
| Gambia | 90 days |
| Lesotho | 90 days |
| Mauritius | 90 days |
| Rwanda | 30 days |
| Tanzania | 90 days |
| Uganda | 90 days |
| Zambia | 90 days |
| Zimbabwe | 90 days |
The Americas and the Caribbean (17)
| Destination | Permitted stay |
|---|---|
| Antigua and Barbuda | 180 days |
| Bahamas | 90 days |
| Barbados | 180 days |
| Belize | — |
| Costa Rica | 30 days |
| Dominican Republic | 30 days |
| Ecuador | 90 days |
| El Salvador | 90 days |
| Grenada | 90 days |
| Guatemala | 90 days |
| Haiti | 90 days |
| Honduras | 90 days |
| Jamaica | — |
| Nicaragua | 90 days |
| Panama | 90 days |
| Peru | 180 days |
| Trinidad and Tobago | — |
Asia and the Pacific (7)
| Destination | Permitted stay |
|---|---|
| Fiji | 120 days |
| Hong Kong | 90 days |
| Kiribati | 90 days |
| Malaysia | 30 days |
| Micronesia | 30 days |
| Philippines | 30 days |
| Singapore | 30 days |
Europe (5)
| Destination | Permitted stay |
|---|---|
| Belarus | 30 days |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | 90 days |
| Moldova | 90 days / 180 |
| Montenegro | 90 days |
| Russia | 90 days per calendar year |
Territories (15)
| Destination | Permitted stay |
|---|---|
| Anguilla | 3 months |
| Bermuda | — |
| British Virgin Islands | — |
| Cayman Islands | — |
| Cook Islands | 31 days |
| French Guiana | — |
| French Polynesia | — |
| Gibraltar | — |
| Montserrat | — |
| New Caledonia | — |
| Niue | 30 days |
| Pitcairn Islands | 14 days, landing fee |
| Réunion | — |
| Saint Pierre and Miquelon | — |
| Wallis and Futuna | 3 months |
Visa on arrival
The visa is issued at the border against the passport. A fee normally applies and several of these destinations ask for onward travel or accommodation first. Convenient, though the decision is still made at the counter after you land.
Africa (6)
| Destination | Permitted stay |
|---|---|
| Burundi | 30 days |
| Cape Verde | 30 days |
| Comoros | 45 days |
| Egypt | 30 days |
| Senegal | 30 days |
| Seychelles | 3 months |
Asia and the Pacific (10)
| Destination | Permitted stay |
|---|---|
| Macau | — |
| Maldives | 30 days |
| Marshall Islands | 90 days |
| Nauru | 90 days |
| Palau | 30 days |
| Samoa | 60 days |
| Solomon Islands | 45 days |
| Timor-Leste | 30 days |
| Tonga | 31 days |
| Tuvalu | 30 days |
Both eVisa and visa on arrival (10)
| Destination | Permitted stay |
|---|---|
| Bolivia | 90 days |
| Cambodia | 30 days |
| Guinea-Bissau | 90 days |
| Laos | 30 days |
| Madagascar | 90 days |
| Malawi | 30 days |
| Mozambique | 30 days |
| Nepal | 90 days |
| Sierra Leone | 30 days |
| Thailand | 15–30 days |
Partially recognised territories
Counted inside the ranking total, so listed here rather than dropped. Several attach conditions that make the access far narrower than the figure suggests.
| Territory | Access and conditions |
|---|---|
| Kosovo | visa free, 90 days |
| Northern Cyprus | visa free |
| Palestine | visa free |
| Akrotiri and Dhekelia | visa free; a permit is needed beyond 28 days in any 12 months |
| South Ossetia | visa free, but entry requires a Russian multiple-entry visa and three days' notice |
| Transnistria | visa free; registration required after 24 hours |
| Somaliland | visa on arrival, 30 days, US$30 |
Electronic visa — not visa-free
A further 40 destinations issue Vanuatu citizens an electronic visa — an application, a fee and a decision taken online instead of at a consulate. These sit outside the 88, and counting them is how published totals for this passport climb past a hundred.
Africa (16)
Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Chad, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Djibouti, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Guinea, Kenya, Liberia, Libya, Mauritania, Namibia, Nigeria, Togo
.Asia (20)
Afghanistan, Armenia, Bahrain, Bhutan, Georgia, India, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Pakistan, Qatar, Sri Lanka, Syria, United Arab Emirates, Uzbekistan, Vietnam
.Europe and the Americas (4)
Albania, Colombia, Cuba, Ukraine
.Where a Visa Must Be Obtained First
The absences decide more for most applicants than the list does, and two of them are recent.
The Schengen Area. Visa required. The waiver was suspended in full on 4 February 2023 and made permanent by Regulation (EU) 2025/11 of 19 December 2024, which moved Vanuatu to Annex I of Regulation (EU) 2018/1806 with effect from 3 February 2025.
The United Kingdom. Visa required since 19 July 2023, when Vanuatu was added to the visa national list in Appendix Visitor of the Immigration Rules.
The United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, China and Japan. Visa required. None of these has ever been open to Vanuatu passport holders without one.
Entry rules belong to each destination and change without notice. The position above held when this page was written; confirm with the immigration authority of your destination before booking.
FAQ
Where It Is Accepted: FAQs
The main route is the Vanuatu Citizenship by Investment Program. It requires a non-refundable contribution to the government's Development Support Program, which starts at US$130,000 for a single applicant. You also must pass a strict due diligence check by Vanuatu's Financial Intelligence Unit. This is where applications often fail; even minor, undisclosed past legal issues or a poorly documented source of funds can lead to a denial.
No. For visits up to 30 days, U.S. citizens do not need a visa. Vanuatu Immigration and Passport Services includes the USA on its list of visa-exempt countries. Just be sure to have a valid passport and proof of an onward or return ticket when you arrive.
The world's weakest passports, offering visa-free entry to fewer than 40 countries, usually come from nations mired in political instability or conflict. Think Afghanistan, Syria, Iraq, Pakistan, and Yemen—they consistently land in the bottom 10. A Vanuatu passport, with access to 88 countries, offers a completely different level of global mobility.
It’s possible, but don't count on it happening soon. For access to be restored, Vanuatu would need to make substantial, sustained changes to its citizenship program that fully satisfy the EU's security concerns. Any investment decision today should be based on the current reality—that a Schengen visa is required—not on the hope of a future policy change.
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