Vanuatu remains one of the fastest citizenship by investment (CBI) programs in the world, and that hasn’t changed. What has changed is how access to the program works in practice. While the process is still presented as straightforward, outcomes today are less consistent than many applicants expect.
On paper, the pathway is simple. In reality, some applicants continue to receive approvals within 30 to 60 days, while others experience delays, extended due diligence, or unnecessary back and forth. The difference is rarely the applicant alone. Increasingly, it comes down to how the application is structured and who is managing it.
The market has not fully caught up with this shift. Many agents still approach Vanuatu as a volume-driven product, focusing on price and basic submission rather than execution. They facilitate applications, but they do not manage the process end to end. In a more refined regulatory environment, that distinction becomes more visible.
What Goes Wrong
When an application is poorly structured from the start, the consequences compound. Processing timelines stretch as the Citizenship Office requests clarification on inconsistencies between supporting documents and the application itself.
Medical certificates, police clearances, and financial statements carry expiration dates; a delay at any stage can force applicants to resubmit documents that were valid at the time of filing but have since lapsed. Each new round of resubmission resets part of the clock, turning a process designed to take weeks into one that drags on for months.
For applicants with complex financial profiles or multinational exposure, the margin for error is even thinner. A single discrepancy between a bank statement and a declared source of funds can trigger additional due diligence that would not have been necessary had the application been prepared properly from the outset.
Built From the Inside
VIMB Vanuatu was founded in 2016. Its CEO, Daniel Agius, served as the master architect behind Vanuatu’s Capital Investment Immigration Plan (CIIP), the investment-based track of the country’s CBI offering.
That level of involvement is not typical of a service provider. It reflects a decade of direct engagement with the program’s regulatory framework, its institutional relationships, and the operational mechanics that determine whether an application moves smoothly or stalls.
Daniel is formally authorized by the Vanuatu Citizenship Office as a Master Agent for value-added products under the CIIP, with authority to represent the Citizenship Office in relevant matters through to 2033. This is an official appointment, and it reflects a closer working relationship with the program itself than most agents can claim.
For applicants, particularly those with international exposure or more detailed financial profiles, this translates into a more structured approach from the outset. Financials are presented clearly, documentation is properly sequenced, and the application is prepared in line with due diligence expectations before it reaches the Commission. In many cases, this is what separates a smooth process from a prolonged one.
The Program Still Works
Vanuatu remains one of the most efficient second citizenship options globally. There is no residency requirement, and timelines can still be highly competitive. Speed, however, is no longer something that can be assumed. It depends on how well the application is prepared and submitted.
The program itself continues to function as intended. Applicants who approach the process correctly are still seeing strong outcomes, while others are finding the experience less predictable. After ten years of operating inside this program, VIMB Vanuatu’s position is straightforward: execution matters more than it ever has.
Apply or request a confidential assessment at https://lp.vimb.org/ or email us directly at: info@vimb.org
