Vanuatu has introduced new mandatory documentation requirements for all citizenship by investment applications. Effective July 2025, every applicant must obtain a Vanuatu birth certificate and national identification card as part of the citizenship application process.

This additional requirement applies to all applicants, including the principal applicant, spouse, and all dependent children. The processing time for these documents is approximately two weeks, and costs start at $1,500 per applicant.

Understanding the New Requirements

The birth certificate and national ID card requirements serve as additional layers of identity verification within Vanuatu’s domestic administrative framework. While CBI applicants already undergo comprehensive international background checks, these domestic documents create a local administrative record that integrates new citizens into Vanuatu’s civil registration system.

This integration is important for several reasons. It facilitates the issuance and renewal of passports, establishes a domestic identity record that can be used for banking and legal purposes within Vanuatu, and creates a more complete administrative trail that enhances program oversight.

Impact on Costs and Timeline

The additional documentation adds approximately $1,500 per applicant to the total cost of the citizenship application, and extends the overall processing timeline by approximately two weeks. For a family of four, this represents an additional $6,000 in costs — a meaningful but manageable addition to the overall investment.

For applicants with minor children, the documentation requirements are slightly more complex, as birth certificates for minors require additional parental verification steps. However, our team has developed streamlined processes to handle these requirements efficiently.

“While the additional documentation requirements add a modest cost and a short extension to the timeline, they actually strengthen the overall citizenship package for our clients. Having a Vanuatu birth certificate and national ID card provides domestic administrative integration that can be useful for banking, property ownership, and other activities within Vanuatu. We’ve updated our standard application process to incorporate these requirements — most clients barely notice the additional step.”

— Manpreet Kataria, CEO, Alpha Immigration Associates

Questions about the new documentation requirements? Our team can guide you through every step of the updated process.