Visa requirements for Vanuatu citizens are administrative entry restrictions by the authorities of other states placed on citizens of Vanuatu. As of 22 July 2024[update], Ni-Vanuatu had visa-free or visa on arrival access to 93 countries and territories.
A mutual visa waiver agreement was signed with Russia on 20 September 2016 and entered into force on 21 October 2016.[1]
Vanuatu signed a mutual visa waiver agreement with Schengen Area countries on 28 May 2015.[2]
The European Commission initiated the visa suspension mechanism against Vanuatu due to concerns over Vanuatu's investor citizenship scheme, also known as a "golden passport" program. These schemes allow foreign nationals to obtain Vanuatu citizenship and passport through investment, thereby gaining visa-free access to the EU while bypassing regular visa procedures.[3]
The Commission found serious deficiencies and security failures in Vanuatu's investor schemes, including:
The suspension was implemented in three phases from May 2022 to August 2024, but Vanuatu failed to provide satisfactory remedies despite legislative changes. Key issues remained unresolved, such as:
As a result, the Commission concluded that Vanuatu's investor schemes still pose risks to the EU's internal security. It proposed transferring Vanuatu from the visa-free to the visa-required countries list under the Visa Regulation. The visa exemption suspension was extended until February 2025 to allow the legislative process.