Vanuatu permanent residency visa

A permanent residency visa is granted for a period not exceeding 10 years, with multiple entries, and can be extended. The holder may later change to another visa class at the discretion of the Director of Immigration. The class was added to the Immigration Act by the Immigration (Amendment) Act No. 15 of 2013, which inserted section 30A: a permanent residence visa is granted for no more than 10 years, and members of the holder's family may be granted the same visa.

VUV 206,000 for an individual applicant, VUV 463,500 for a family of four, and VUV 100,000 for each additional child. The fee is paid through the eVisa application.

Before the online application is submitted, the designated agent must provide a valid copy of the applicant's passport and a valid police clearance so the Department of Immigration can run a background check. The application itself is then lodged online. Applications are lodged on the Vanuatu eVisa portal run by the Department of Immigration and Passport Services, Tamarama Building, Kumul Highway, Port Vila, telephone +678 22354, email evisa@vanuatu.gov.vu, open Monday to Friday from 8:00 to 17:00. The portal lists each class with its duration, number of entries, fee in vatu, whether it can be extended and whether a change of status is allowed.

Under section 37 of the Immigration Act No. 17 of 2010, a visa is granted only if the applicant is not a prohibited immigrant, passes the character test, does not have a contagious disease or mental condition that puts community health at risk, has provided any security required, and has the financial means to support themselves and any dependants. Under section 38, a sentence of 12 months or more, or several terms totalling two years or more, means the character test is failed, although the Director may waive minor offences committed at least five years earlier.

A refusal notice must state which criteria were not met and that you may ask the Minister to review it. Under section 58, the review request is made in writing within 14 days of the notice; the Minister must affirm, vary or set aside the decision within 14 days and send the reasons within 7 days. Under section 59, the Minister's decision can be appealed to the Supreme Court within 21 days.

Holders must not engage in employment, commercial or business activities. Investors who want permanent status while running a business use the permanent investor visa, open after 10 years of lawful, continuous residence. Every visa is subject to the general conditions in section 44: obey the laws of Vanuatu and the visa conditions, do not behave in a way prejudicial to peace, good order or public morality, and tell the Director of any significant change in your personal or financial circumstances. Under section 47 the Director may cancel a visa, for example for a breach of conditions, false statements or loss of financial means, after giving the holder 14 days to answer a notice of proposed cancellation.