Where the Vanuatu passport takes you
The Vanuatu passport carries visa-free or visa-on-arrival access to around 88 destinations, ranked around 50th on the Henley Passport Index. Until 2022 that number was above 130 and included the whole Schengen Area; the EU suspended the waiver in May 2022 and removed Vanuatu from its visa-exempt list on 12 December 2024, the first time it has done so because of an investor citizenship scheme. The United Kingdom followed on 19 July 2023. What remains is a genuinely useful Asia-Pacific document: Singapore, Hong Kong, Russia, the Gulf, Southeast Asia on arrival, and every Pacific neighbour.
Henley's 2026 index puts Vanuatu at roughly 88 destinations; our own list below, which counts territories as well as countries, comes to 103 entries without a visa in advance (66 visa-free, 34 on arrival, 3 with an eTA) and 92 that require a visa. The gap between the two lists is mostly Pacific and Caribbean territories. Counts differ between passport indices because each treats territories, transit rules and visa-on-arrival categories differently. Treat any single number, ours included, as a snapshot: access is granted bilaterally and can be withdrawn without notice, as the section on what changed shows.
What it opens, and what it does not
Russia. Not the Schengen Area.
Visa-free or eTA: Singapore, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Philippines, Israel. On arrival or eVisa: Thailand, India, United Arab Emirates, Qatar.
Panama, Costa Rica, Peru, Dominican Republic.
Kenya, Egypt, Mauritius, Tanzania, Rwanda.
The Schengen Area, the United Kingdom, Ireland, the United States, Canada and Australia. Everything a European or North American buyer would want from a second passport, in other words. If that is the objective, Vanuatu stopped being the answer in 2022.
The full list, by region
Every destination, sorted by region, with the type of access and the permitted stay. Visa-free means you board with the passport alone; visa on arrival and eTA mean a fee or an online form, not a consulate; eVisa means an application in advance, online; visa required means a consulate. Notable destinations that still require a visa: United Kingdom, Ireland, Germany, France, Spain, Italy, Switzerland, Netherlands.
Visa-free Visa on arrival eTA eVisa Visa required
Europe 8 visa-free · 2 eVisa · 38 visa required
| Destination | Access | Stay | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Albania | eVisa | Visa is not required for Holders of a valid multiple-entry Schengen, UK or US visa has been previously used once or residence permit of Schengen, UK, US or UAE 10 years. | |
| Andorra | Visa required | Although no visa requirements exist, apply the relevant regulations of France or Spain, whichever must be transited to reach Andorra. | |
| Austria S | Visa required | ||
| Belarus | Visa-free | 30 days | Must arrive and depart via Minsk International Airport . |
| Belgium S | Visa required | ||
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | Visa-free | 90 days | |
| Bulgaria S | Visa required | ||
| Croatia S | Visa required | ||
| Czech Republic S | Visa required | ||
| Denmark S | Visa required | ||
| Estonia S | Visa required | ||
| Faroe Islands | Visa required | ||
| Finland S | Visa required | ||
| France S | Visa required | ||
| Germany S | Visa required | ||
| Gibraltar | Visa-free | ||
| Greece S | Visa required | ||
| Hungary S | Visa required | ||
| Iceland S | Visa required | ||
| Ireland | Visa required | ||
| Italy S | Visa required | ||
| Kosovo | Visa-free | 90 days | |
| Latvia S | Visa required | ||
| Liechtenstein S | Visa required | ||
| Lithuania S | Visa required | ||
| Luxembourg S | Visa required | ||
| Malta S | Visa required | ||
| Moldova | Visa-free | 90 days | 90 days within any 180 day period |
| Monaco | Visa required | ||
| Montenegro | Visa-free | 90 days | |
| Netherlands S | Visa required | ||
| North Macedonia | Visa required | Visa is not required for stays upto 15 days if holding a valid multiple entry visa of Canada , the United States , United Kingdom , Schengen Area member state, or residence permit of Schengen Area member state. | |
| Norway S | Visa required | ||
| Poland S | Visa required | ||
| Portugal S | Visa required | ||
| Romania S | Visa required | ||
| Russia | Visa-free | 90 days | 90 days within one calendar year period |
| San Marino | Visa required | ||
| Serbia | Visa required | ||
| Slovakia S | Visa required | ||
| Slovenia S | Visa required | ||
| Spain S | Visa required | ||
| Sweden S | Visa required | ||
| Switzerland S | Visa required | ||
| Transnistria | Visa-free | Registration required after 24h. | |
| Ukraine | eVisa | 30 days | |
| United Kingdom | Visa required | Visa required since 19 July 2023. | |
| Vatican City | Visa required | Open borders but de facto follows Italian visa policy. |
Americas 28 visa-free · 2 on arrival · 1 eTA · 4 eVisa · 17 visa required
| Destination | Access | Stay | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anguilla | Visa-free | 3 months | |
| Antigua and Barbuda | Visa-free | 180 days | |
| Argentina | Visa required | The AVE (High Speed Travel) is open to Vanuatu citizens holding valid, current ordinary passports traveling to Argentina for tourism. To do so, they must hold a valid category B2/J/B1/O/P (P1-P2-P3)/E/H-1B visa issued by | |
| Aruba | Visa required | ||
| Bahamas | Visa-free | 90 days | |
| Barbados | Visa-free | 180 days | |
| Belize | Visa-free | ||
| Bermuda | Visa-free | ||
| Bolivia | Visa on arrival | 90 days | |
| Brazil | Visa required | ||
| British Virgin Islands | Visa-free | ||
| Canada | Visa required | US permanent residents (Green card) holders can enter visa free | |
| Cayman Islands | Visa-free | ||
| Chile | Visa required | ||
| Colombia | eVisa | 90 days | |
| Costa Rica | Visa-free | 30 days | |
| Cuba | eVisa | 90 days | |
| Curaçao | Visa required | ||
| Dominica | Visa-free | 6 months | |
| Dominican Republic | Visa-free | 30 days | |
| Ecuador | Visa-free | 90 days | |
| El Salvador | Visa-free | 90 days | |
| Falkland Islands | Visa required | ||
| French Guiana | Visa-free | ||
| French West Indies | Visa-free | Visa free for overseas departments of Guadeloupe and Martinique Visa required for overseas collectivities of Saint Barthélemy and Saint Martin | |
| Greenland | Visa required | ||
| Grenada | Visa-free | 90 days | Beginning on December 1, 2020, all travellers to Grenada will be required to complete an online application in order to receive a Pure Safe Travel Authorization Certificate to enter Grenada. |
| Guatemala | Visa-free | 90 days | |
| Guyana | Visa required | ||
| Haiti | Visa-free | 90 days | |
| Honduras | Visa-free | 90 days | |
| Jamaica | Visa-free | ||
| Mexico | Visa required | Visa is not required for Holders of a valid visa of Canada, US, UK or a Schengen State and Permanent residence of Canada, Chile, Colombia, Schengen State, Japan, UK, US Entry may be refused by immigration officials for i | |
| Montserrat | Visa-free | ||
| Nicaragua | Visa-free | 90 days | |
| Panama | Visa-free | 90 days | |
| Paraguay | Visa required | ||
| Peru | Visa-free | 180 days | |
| Puerto Rico | Visa required | ||
| Saint Kitts and Nevis | eTA | 90 days | |
| Saint Lucia | Visa-free | 6 weeks | |
| Saint Pierre and Miquelon | Visa-free | ||
| Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | Visa-free | 1 month | |
| Sint Maarten | Visa required | ||
| South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands | Visa on arrival | Pre-arrival permit from the Commissioner required (72 hours/1 month for 110/160 pounds sterling ). | |
| Suriname | eVisa | ||
| Trinidad and Tobago | Visa-free | ||
| Turks and Caicos Islands | Visa required | Holders of a valid visa issued by Canada, United Kingdom or the USA do not required a visa for a maximum stay of 90 days. | |
| U.S. Virgin Islands | Visa required | ||
| United States | Visa required | ||
| Uruguay | Visa required | ||
| Venezuela | eVisa | * Introduction of Electronic Visa System for Tourist and Business Travelers. |
Asia 8 visa-free · 11 on arrival · 1 eTA · 15 eVisa · 20 visa required
| Destination | Access | Stay | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abkhazia | Visa required | ||
| Afghanistan | eVisa | 30 days | Visa is not required in case born in Afghanistan or can proof that one of their parents is a national of Afghanistan or born in Afghanistan. e-Visa : Visitors must arrive at Kabul International (KBL). |
| Akrotiri and Dhekelia | Visa-free | Stays longer than 28 days per 12-month period require a permit. | |
| Armenia | Visa on arrival | 120 days | |
| Azerbaijan | Visa required | ||
| Bahrain | eVisa | 14 days | |
| Bangladesh | Visa required | 30 days | |
| Bhutan | eVisa | 90 days | Visa fee is 40 USD per person and visa application may be processed within 5 business days with duration of stay of 90 days. e-Visa applicant is also subject to pay Sustainable Development Fee |
| Brunei | Visa required | ||
| Cambodia | Visa on arrival | 30 days | |
| China | Visa required | ||
| Cyprus | Visa required | ||
| Georgia | eVisa | 90 days | |
| Hong Kong | Visa-free | 90 days | |
| India | eVisa | 60 days | e-Visa holders must arrive via 32 designated airports or 5 designated seaports. An Indian e-Tourist Visa may only be obtained twice within 1 calendar year. Foreigners of Pakistani origin or who hold a Pakistani Passport |
| Indonesia | Visa required | ||
| Iran | Visa on arrival | 30 days | Conditions apply. |
| Iraq | eVisa | 30 days | |
| Israel | eTA | 90 days | |
| Japan | Visa required | Eligible for an e-Visa if residing in one these countries Australia , Brazil , Cambodia , Canada , India , Saudi Arabia , Singapore , South Africa , Taiwan , United Arab Emirates , United Kingdom , United States . May ap | |
| Jordan | Visa on arrival | 3 months | |
| Kazakhstan | eVisa | ||
| Kuwait | Visa required | e-Visa can be obtained for holders of a Residence Permit issued by a GCC member state under the following conditions: To be 18 years old and over. The residence permit for a GCC state must be valid for at least another 3 | |
| Kyrgyzstan | eVisa | ||
| Laos | Visa on arrival | 30 days | 18 of the 33 border crossings are only open to regular visa holders. e-Visa may be used to enter Laos through the Luang Prabang , Pakse and Vientiane international airports, 3 Thai-Lao Friendship Bridges , in Boten (road |
| Lebanon | Visa required | ||
| Macau | Visa on arrival | ||
| Malaysia | Visa-free | 30 days | |
| Maldives | Visa on arrival | 30 days | |
| Mongolia | eVisa | 30 days | |
| Myanmar | Visa required | ||
| Nepal | Visa on arrival | 90 days | |
| North Korea | Visa required | ||
| Northern Cyprus | Visa-free | ||
| Oman | Visa required | ||
| Pakistan | eVisa | Online Visa eligible. | |
| Palestine | Visa-free | Arrival by sea to Gaza Strip not allowed. | |
| Philippines | Visa-free | 30 days | |
| Qatar | eVisa | 30 days | |
| Saudi Arabia | Visa required | Tourist visa on arrival for holders of a valid multiple entry visa from US, UK or Schengen area, under the condition that the multiple entry visa has been used at least once, proving that by showing the entry and exit st | |
| Singapore | Visa-free | 30 days | |
| South Korea | Visa required | Multiple-Entry Visa may be granted to who entered South Korea 4 or more times within the last 2 years, or 10 or more visits in total (one of those 10 visits should be within the last 2 years). May apply online | |
| South Ossetia | Visa-free | Multiple entry visa to Russia and three day prior notification are required to enter South Ossetia. | |
| Sri Lanka | Visa on arrival | 30 days | Electronic Travel Authorization can also be obtained on arrival. 30 days extendable to 6 months. The standard visitor visa allows a stay of 60 days within any 6-month period. Visa fees (for Standard visitor visa): SAARC |
| Syria | eVisa | ||
| Taiwan | Visa required | ||
| Tajikistan | Visa required | ||
| Thailand | Visa on arrival | 30 days / 15 days | Visa on arrival from 14 April 2019. |
| Timor-Leste | Visa on arrival | 30 days | |
| Turkey | Visa required | please refer to the website of MOFA -Turkey . | |
| Turkmenistan | Visa required | ||
| United Arab Emirates | eVisa | 30 days | May apply online. May apply also using 'Smart service'. |
| Uzbekistan | eVisa | 30 days | |
| Vietnam | eVisa | 90 days | Visa free for 30 days when visiting Phú Quốc |
| Yemen | Visa required |
Africa 13 visa-free · 13 on arrival · 1 eTA · 21 eVisa · 11 visa required
| Destination | Access | Stay | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Algeria | Visa required | ||
| Angola | Visa-free | 30 days | |
| Ascension Island | eVisa | 3 months within any year period | |
| Benin | eVisa | 30 days | Must have an international vaccination certificate. |
| Botswana | Visa-free | 90 days | |
| British Indian Ocean Territory | Visa on arrival | Special permit required. | |
| Burkina Faso | eVisa | ||
| Burundi | Visa on arrival | 30 days | May Apply online |
| Cameroon | eVisa | ||
| Cape Verde | Visa on arrival | 30 days | Visa on arrival at Sal , Boa Vista , São Vicente or Santiago international airports. Requirement to register online 5 days before arrival Also pay the airport security fee of CVE 3400 either online or on arrival. |
| Central African Republic | Visa required | ||
| Chad | eVisa | 90 days | |
| Comoros | Visa on arrival | 45 days | |
| Côte d'Ivoire | eVisa | 90 days | |
| Democratic Republic of the Congo | eVisa | 7 days | |
| Djibouti | eVisa | 31 days | |
| Egypt | Visa on arrival | 30 days | Conditions apply. |
| Equatorial Guinea | eVisa | ||
| Eritrea | Visa required | ||
| Eswatini | Visa-free | 30 days | |
| Ethiopia | eVisa | up to 90 days | eVisa holders must arrive via Addis Ababa Bole International Airport |
| Gabon | eVisa | 90 days | Electronic visa holders must arrive via Libreville International Airport . |
| Gambia | Visa-free | 90 days | |
| Ghana | Visa required | ||
| Guinea | eVisa | 90 days | |
| Guinea-Bissau | Visa on arrival | 90 days | |
| Kenya | eTA | 3 months | Electronic Travel Authorisation (eTA) Applications can be submitted up to 90 days prior to travel and must be submitted at least 3 days in advance. eTA fee is USD 32.50. eTA is good for single entry, but visitors who lea |
| Lesotho | Visa-free | 90 days | |
| Liberia | eVisa | 30 days | |
| Libya | eVisa | 30 days | |
| Madagascar | Visa on arrival | 90 days | |
| Malawi | Visa on arrival | 30 days | |
| Mali | Visa required | ||
| Mauritania | eVisa | 30 days | |
| Mauritius | Visa-free | 90 days | |
| Mayotte | Visa-free | ||
| Morocco | Visa required | May apply for an e-Visa if holding a valid visa or a residency document issued by one of the following countries: Schengen Area , Australia , Canada , Ireland , New Zealand , United Kingdom , United States a residency do | |
| Mozambique | Visa on arrival | 30 days | |
| Namibia | eVisa | 90 days | |
| Niger | Visa required | ||
| Nigeria | eVisa | 90 days | |
| Republic of the Congo | Visa required | ||
| Rwanda | Visa-free | 30 days | |
| Réunion | Visa-free | ||
| Senegal | Visa on arrival | 30 days | |
| Seychelles | Visa on arrival | 3 months | |
| Sierra Leone | Visa on arrival | 30 days | |
| Somalia | eVisa | 30 days | |
| Somaliland | Visa on arrival | 30 days for 30 US dollars , payable on arrival. | |
| South Africa | Visa required | ||
| South Sudan | eVisa | Obtainable online Printed visa authorization must be presented at the time of travel | |
| Sudan | Visa required | ||
| São Tomé and Príncipe | eVisa | ||
| Tanzania | Visa-free | 90 days | |
| Togo | eVisa | 15 days | |
| Tunisia | Visa required | ||
| Uganda | Visa-free | 90 days | |
| Zambia | Visa-free | 90 days | |
| Zimbabwe | Visa-free | 90 days |
Oceania 9 visa-free · 8 on arrival · 6 visa required
| Destination | Access | Stay | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| American Samoa | Visa required | ||
| Australia | Visa required | Online Visitor e600 visa are not eligible. Please contact your nearest Australian Government Office overseas. Transit visa is not required. | |
| Cook Islands | Visa-free | 31 days | |
| Fiji | Visa-free | 120 days | |
| French Polynesia | Visa-free | ||
| Guam | Visa required | ||
| Kiribati | Visa-free | 90 days | |
| Marshall Islands | Visa on arrival | 90 days | |
| Micronesia | Visa-free | 30 days | |
| Nauru | Visa on arrival | 90 days | |
| New Caledonia | Visa-free | ||
| New Zealand | Visa required | International Visitor Conservation and Tourism Levy not required. May transit without visa if transit is through Auckland Airport and for no longer than 24 hours, subject to meeting character requirements and obtaining a | |
| Niue | Visa-free | 30 days | |
| Northern Mariana Islands | Visa required | ||
| Palau | Visa on arrival | 30 days | |
| Papua New Guinea | Visa on arrival | 60 days | |
| Pitcairn Islands | Visa-free | 14 days visa free and landing fee US$35 or tax of US$5 if not going ashore. | |
| Samoa | Visa on arrival | 60 days | |
| Solomon Islands | Visa on arrival | 45 days | |
| Tokelau | Visa required | ||
| Tonga | Visa on arrival | 31 days | |
| Tuvalu | Visa on arrival | 30 days | |
| Wallis and Futuna | Visa-free | 3 months |
237 destinations, countries and territories, sorted by region. S marks the Schengen Area, where one entry rule covers all members. Compiled on 21 September 2026 from the published entry requirements of each destination, as collated in Wikipedia's visa requirements table, each row of which cites its source. Rules change without notice: confirm with the destination's consulate before you book.
What changed, and what is under review
The European Union: suspended in 2022, revoked in 2024
Vanuatu had enjoyed a Schengen visa waiver since 28 May 2015. On 4 May 2022 the EU partially suspended it, for passports issued since the waiver began, citing the volume of passports sold, the absence of interviews or residence, processing too short for proper screening and grants to people on Interpol notices. The suspension was extended to all Vanuatu passports in February 2023. On 12 December 2024 the Council of the EU removed Vanuatu from the visa-exempt list altogether. A Vanuatu citizen now applies for a Schengen visa like most of the world.
The United Kingdom, 19 July 2023
The UK imposed a visit visa requirement on Vanuatu nationals on 19 July 2023, on the same day as Dominica, Honduras, Namibia and Timor-Leste, and for the same stated reason. There is no Electronic Travel Authorisation route for Vanuatuans; it is a visa or nothing.
◇ Older pages, including some still ranking for this search, quote 130 or more destinations and list Germany, France or the UK as visa-free. That was true in 2021. It has not been true since 2023, and since December 2024 the loss is permanent unless the EU takes a fresh decision to restore the waiver.
What still holds
The mutual visa waiver with Russia, in force since 21 October 2016, is untouched, as is visa-free access to Singapore, Hong Kong, Malaysia and the United Arab Emirates. Vanuatu's own region is fully open through the Melanesian Spearhead Group and Pacific arrangements.
How it ranks against the alternatives
Vanuatu's natural comparison is Nauru, the other Pacific citizenship-by-investment passport. With Europe gone from Vanuatu's list, the two reach broadly the same places, and Nauru does it for a third less.
| Programme | Destinations | Schengen | United Kingdom | From | Timeline |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vanuatu | 88 | No | Visa required since 19 Jul 2023 | US$130,000 | 1–3 months |
| Nauru | 86 | No | Visa required since 9 Dec 2025 | US$90,000 to 31 Dec 2026, then US$115,000 | 3–5 months |
Destination counts follow the Henley Passport Index and vary by index and month. Neither Pacific passport reaches the Schengen Area, the United Kingdom, the United States or Canada in 2026.
Neither is a substitute for a Caribbean passport if Europe matters: the five Caribbean programmes still carry Schengen access, at roughly double the price. The full market is in our guide to every citizenship by investment programme.
How the passport is obtained
Vanuatu issues its passport to citizens, and citizenship comes by descent, by naturalisation after ten years of residence, or through the Vanuatu citizenship by investment programme, the Development Support Program, running since 2015 and the fastest on the market.
- Contribution to the Development Support Program: from US$130,000 for a single applicant, non-refundable, with government and due diligence fees on top. Family additions raise the figure.
- Due diligence and Citizenship Commission approval. Police certificates, source-of-funds evidence and a background check. The whole process typically runs between one and three months from a complete file, which is the programme's selling point.
- Oath and passport. The oath can be taken abroad; no visit to Vanuatu is required and there is no residence obligation afterwards.
The speed that sells the programme is the same feature Brussels cited when it revoked the waiver. Our guide to the programme goes through the cost, the family rules and the honest case for and against.
Who this passport is actually for
Holders of a narrow passport who travel in Asia, Russia, the Gulf and the Pacific; families wanting a fast, low-cost contingency nationality with no residence obligation; anyone who already has European access through another document.
Anyone whose objective is the Schengen Area, the United Kingdom, the United States or Canada. Vanuatu lost the first two because of this programme, and there is no route back on the horizon.
The questions we get every week
How many countries can I visit visa-free with a Vanuatu passport?
Around 88 destinations visa-free or visa on arrival according to the Henley Passport Index, ranked around 50th. Our own list on this page, which counts territories as well as countries, comes to about 100 entries without a visa in advance. The figure was above 130 until the EU suspended Vanuatu's Schengen waiver in 2022.
Can Vanuatu citizens travel to Europe without a visa?
No. The EU partially suspended Vanuatu's visa waiver on 4 May 2022, extended the suspension to all passports in February 2023 and removed Vanuatu from the visa-exempt list on 12 December 2024. The United Kingdom has required a visa since 19 July 2023. Vanuatu citizens apply for Schengen and UK visas in the ordinary way.
Will the EU restore visa-free access for Vanuatu?
There is no proposal to do so. The December 2024 decision was a permanent removal from the visa-exempt list, not a temporary suspension, and restoring the waiver would require a fresh legislative decision by the EU. Nothing on this page should be read as expecting one.
Which useful destinations are visa-free?
Singapore, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Russia (under a mutual waiver since 2016) and the United Arab Emirates, plus most of Southeast Asia on arrival and the whole Pacific. The full list by region is above.
Can I get to the United States with a Vanuatu passport?
Not without a visa. Vanuatu is not in the US Visa Waiver Program and holds no E-2 investor treaty with the United States. Canada and Australia also require a visa.
How much does Vanuatu citizenship cost and how long does it take?
From US$130,000 for a single applicant under the Development Support Program, plus fees, with a passport typically in one to three months. There is no residence requirement before or after.
Last reviewed 21 September 2026.
This guide is general information, not legal, tax or immigration advice. Programme terms are set by the relevant government and can change; confirm any figure with the authority, or with us, before acting on it.
