Ranked as the fourth happiest country in the world, remote South Pacific island Vanuatu combines high levels of wellbeing with a low carbon footprint and a culture of inclusion, and it’s one of the last places on Earth with no confirmed Covid cases. And for just US$130,000, foreigners can become citizens in just 45 days. So why wouldn't you?
With a lucrative Citizenship by Investment programme under its Asia Pacific belt, the island nation of Vanuatu has put in place plans to become the first-ever CBI programme to allow stateless individuals to apply for citizenship, with accredited agent VanLS obtaining a three-year exclusive licence to handle the applications.
According to the Vanuatu National Citizenship Commission (VNCC), nearly US$53 million in revenue was made in 2020, thanks to the pacific island’s highly successful Citizenship by Investment programme.
Following the financial success that Vanuatu’s CBI programme has brought the island nation, could its South Pacific sister, the Solomon Islands, be on the verge of launching its own programme?