Finding a place where you can call home while experiencing adventure and nature’s best offer of virgin rainforests and pristine white sandy beaches? That’s Vanuatu for you. Its name is derived from the word vanua (land or home). Among the first visitors of the island was Portuguese navigator Fernandes de Queirós who led Spanish expeditions. Considered as the world’s fourth happiest country, these 83 islands of Vanuatu is located in the South Pacific Ocean. The population of the island is 98% ethnic Ni-Vanuatu citizens. While it opens itself to foreign tourists and retirees, Vanuatu continues to develop while preserving its traditions and cultural identity. For travelers, it’s just hours away and with regular flights from New Zealand, Honiara, Australia, Noumea and Fiji. Don’t hesitate and apply to Vanuatu’s citizenship by investment program.
Cost of living in Vanuatu
Vacation and retirement in the tropics with endless beaches and turquoise water requires money. We can all agree that the cost of living in Vanuatu is not cheap but definitely affordable. Its market is composed of imported products (i.e meat, cheese and clothes) and local produce (tropical fruits and vegetables). For tourists, accommodation can range from $900 to $2,600 depending if you’re staying in the city center or outside the city.
Beauty of Vanuatu
For families who wanted to have an exciting way to relax or for professionals who wanted to reconnect with nature, Vanuatu is the perfect place. It is a premier vacation destination for scuba divers exploring spectacular coral reefs, shipwrecks and canyons. For adrenalin rush, try bungee jumping which is actually invented in Vanuatu. You can also enjoy exploring Efate’s best waterfalls. Just outside Port Vila and hiding in the jungle, the Mele Cascades showcases its collection of terraced pools with a rocky hillside which then plunge into a natural swimming hole. Another stepped cascade is the Lololima Falls that have sloping limestone pools and hidden caves. Tanna, on the other hand, has Louniel, Lenuanatuaiu and Lenuingao Falls. These are the best spots for an afternoon swim.
Follow your waterfalls tour with peeking into the most active volcanoes in the world. From afar, Mount Yasur can be seen with a red distant glow. You can get near the volcano up to its crater rim by driving across the ash fields and up the mountainside. It offers people a better view of the sunset with lava bubbles and spits in the background. From the top of the volcano, go deep with Vanuatu’s Twin Bommies and underwater volcanoes and wrecks like the world-famous SS President Coolidge and Tasman. After a day of adventure, try to relax at Champagne Beach, Espiritu Santo. Lay down along it sugary white sand and blue water. Don’t be surprise if you catch a glimpse of some sea turtles and parrotfish that swarm over the offshore reef. North of Champagne is the coastal village of Port Olry that has the whitest, chalkiest sand known to science.
Another body of water to visit are the Blue holes. Freshwater lagoons called Blue holes are scattered throughout the jungle of Vanuatu’s major island. They are found in the eastern edge of Espiritu Santo and in Efate. Villages near Blue holes had built infrastructures like changing rooms and bathrooms to make swimming more convenient for locals and tourists.
How do you obtain Vanuatu’s citizenship by investment?
As early as the 1990s, the Vanuatu government had been offering Vanuatu citizenship by investments. It earned almost $3.3 million (1.5% of GDP at that time) from 1996-1997 through its citizenship for sale scheme. The Republic of Vanuatu as of 2020, offers two types of citizenship by investment programs:
- Development Support Program (DSP)
- Vanuatu Contribution Program (VCP).
While the programs’ investment requirements may vary from USD 130,000 – USD 150,000, it is donated to the state in exchange for citizenship and passport. The citizenship by investment is Vanuatu government’s effort in bringing revenues after the islands was hit by Cyclone PAM causing $600 million in damages.
With an online application process, interested applicants will initially pay a retainer deposit. There will be initial KYC checks and application will be submitted to the Vanuatu Citizenship office. After a month, the applicant will receive an approval letter, pay the remaining contribution to the government and take his/her oath. Lastly, collect his passport from agent or consulate. As easy as that, you’re already a Vanuatuan citizen. Enjoy your access and extensive passport benefits to 127 countries in the world including Schengen area, Russia, United Kingdom, Malaysia, Singapore etc.
Aside from visa-free access to various countries, Vanautu is also business friendly as it provides offshore financial services with low tax jurisdiction: no income tax, withholding tax, capital gains tax, inheritance tax or exchange controls in Vanuatu. Considered to have the lowest property prices in the world, living and doing business in the islands is made easy with English as a widely spoken language.