What Vanuatu Citizenship by Investment Costs Canadian Applicants

If you are a Canadian passport holder exploring a second citizenship, the first question is almost always the same: what does it actually cost? For Vanuatu’s citizenship by investment programme, the honest answer is that the total outlay for a single applicant generally falls in the range of roughly USD 150,000 to USD 200,000 once you account for the government contribution, due diligence, professional fees, and the smaller administrative charges that are easy to overlook. Larger families pay more, and the number moves depending on how many dependants you include. Below is a transparent breakdown of each component, written from the perspective of someone who wants to see every line before signing anything. The advisory team at https://vanuatucitizenship.ca/ structures these figures for Canadian applicants specifically, including the currency and banking considerations that come with paying from Canada.

The Core Costs: Government Contribution and Due Diligence

The largest single line item is the non-refundable government contribution, which is the investment itself. This is not a purchase of property or shares; it is a direct payment to the Vanuatu government in exchange for citizenship. For a single applicant, the contribution sits at the lower end of the total range. For a couple, or a family with children, the contribution scales upward in tiers, so it is worth confirming the exact bracket that applies to your household before you budget.

Due diligence fees are separate and are charged per person. Every applicant aged 18 and over is subject to background checks, and the fee reflects the cost of those checks. This is a fixed, non-negotiable cost and should never be treated as optional. If you are applying with a spouse, expect two due diligence fees, not one.

A useful way to think about the core costs:

• Government contribution: the main investment, tiered by family size, non-refundable.
• Due diligence fee: per applicant aged 18+, covering background verification.
• Application fee: a smaller administrative charge submitted with the file.
• Passport issuance fee: payable once citizenship is approved and the passport is printed.

Canadians sometimes assume the contribution is the whole cost. It is not. The contribution is the headline, but the fees around it are what turn a rough estimate into a real budget.

Professional Fees, Dependants, and the Costs That Catch People Out

Because Vanuatu requires applications to be lodged through an authorised agent, professional fees are a genuine part of the budget rather than a discretionary extra. These fees cover file preparation, document review, liaison with the citizenship commission, and ongoing communication through the process. They vary by provider and by the complexity of your case, so ask for a written fee schedule rather than a verbal estimate.

Dependants change the maths significantly. Each additional family member typically adds a further contribution tier plus their own due diligence and passport fees. If you are including children, confirm the age limits and whether they qualify as dependants under the current rules.

Then there are the smaller costs that rarely appear in headline figures:

• Document legalisation and translation: notarisation, apostille or consular legalisation, and certified translations where documents are not in English.
• Police certificates: obtaining a Canadian criminal record check and any foreign police certificates for countries you have lived in.
• Medical examinations: required for each applicant, usually arranged locally.
• Courier and bank charges: international wire fees, currency conversion, and secure document delivery.
• Travel: if an in-person step or oath is required, factor in flights and accommodation.

Individually these are modest. Together, they can add several thousand dollars to the total, and a budget that ignores them will come up short.

A Summary Table and What the Money Does Not Cover

Here is a simplified view of how a single-applicant budget typically breaks down. Figures are indicative only and should be confirmed against a current written quotation.

What the money does not cover matters just as much. The programme does not provide relocation support, housing, employment, or a guaranteed outcome. Approval rests with the Vanuatu authorities, and no adviser can promise it. It also does not resolve your Canadian tax position: as a Canadian citizen, you remain subject to Canadian tax rules based on your residency and ties, and a second citizenship does not change that. Any competent adviser will tell you to speak with a Canadian tax professional before you commit funds.

For Canadians specifically, there are two further practical points. First, dual citizenship is permitted by Canada, so taking Vanuatu citizenship does not require you to give up your Canadian passport. Second, you should confirm how you will exit Canada and enter Vanuatu on your new passport, and what visa-free access the Vanuatu passport gives you for the travel you actually plan to do. These are not costs, but they affect whether the investment is worth making.

My advice to any Canadian weighing this up is to request a full written breakdown before paying anything. Ask what is included, what is excluded, what happens if the application is declined, and which fees are non-refundable. A provider who answers those questions clearly and in writing is worth more than one who quotes the lowest headline number. Budget for the top of the range, keep a contingency for document and travel costs, and treat the total as the price of a second citizenship rather than a bargain. Done that way, there are no surprises.