Feb 14, 2020

Apply for Vanuatu citizenship as the infrastructure is rapidly improving in the country

The insula state of Vanuatu is not found among the wealthiest countries of the world. Its GDP per capita was less than US$ 3,000 in 2018. However, after a slight decrease in 2015, the country economy is picking up.

As the Government of Vanuatu offers inviting conditions for obtaining citizenship of the country in exchange for a donation, the number of foreign investors who ‘buy’ Vanuatu passports is constantly growing. In addition, large economies located not too far away from the islands – Australia and China in particular – are making large investments into infrastructure development in Vanuatu.

Even though it is not required that ‘economic citizens’ of Vanuatu should reside in the country, visiting the tropical islands is certainly a nice trip to make. This opportunity will look especially tempting when you hold the Vanuatu passport.

At the same time, when planning a trip to a small island country, you will naturally be worried about the level of comfort that you can find there. As far as Vanuatu is concerned, people do not go there to find perfect roads or luxurious accommodations. Rather, they want to enjoy the warm sun, the light breeze, the fantastic sights, and the slow-paced lifestyle that the islands offer. At the same time, Vanuatu is not a hundred percent rural country and some serious infrastructure improvements are taking place at the moment when you are reading this text.

New sewage treatment facilities near Port-Vila

If you would like to find a new home in Vanuatu after acquiring citizenship of the country but you are afraid that the public utilities may fall short of your expectations, please worry no more. The infrastructure of Port-Vila, the capital of Vanuatu, is already quite advanced by the modern standards and the municipal authorities continue developing it at a fast pace.

For example, new sewage treatment facilities placed in Port-Vila suburbs have been put into operation recently. The wastewater is purified with the help of anaerobic bacteria there. The system consists of two ponds and the purification equipment that is serviced by less than ten people.

The sewage treatment facilities are part of a comprehensive Port Vila Urban Development Project. It is expected that the facilities will contribute to improving the environment in the region and the hygiene and sanitation conditions in Port-Vila and the neighboring settlements that will also use these purification facilities.

The construction project was financed jointly by the Government of Vanuatu, the Government of Australia, and Asian Development Bank.

Educational and medical services in Vanuatu

Australia assists Vanuatu in other spheres of economy as well. For example, it allocates funds to the development of educational and medical infrastructure on the islands. The amount of financing grew significantly after the tropical cyclone Pam caused great destructions on several islands.

The class five cyclone raged around Vanuatu between March 12 and 14 of 2015. It killed eleven people then and destroyed many houses, schools, hospitals, and other critically important social infrastructure objects. The cyclone did great damage to 195,000 people in the provinces of Tafea, Shefa, Malampa, and Penama.

Australia, the largest trade partner of Vanuatu, allocated fifty million dollars to humanitarian aid. The money was to be used for urgent reconstruction works and for long-term projects as well. The Australian aid allowed (re)building 71 hospitals and clinics, 95 classrooms, 51 public buildings, 80 sewage systems, and other socially important objects.  

Australians also provide consulting services to their neighbors on educational programs development in various professional spheres. Besides, they offer stipends to Vanuatu students that let them attend Australian universities.

In order to further contribute to the development of the human potential on the islands the Australian authorities launched the Vanuatu Education Support Program that is financed by the Australian Ministry of Trade and Foreign Affairs.  

The Program is aimed at strengthening the education system in Vanuatu by involving representatives of different communities into the education process thus promoting social integration. The goal of the Program is to bring together the local culture and the western concept of education.

Alternative energy in Vanuatu

The abovementioned Asian Development Bank also provides assistance to Vanuatu in various spheres of economy. A 15.1 million dollar agreement between the bank and the Government of Vanuatu was signed recently. It will contribute to the development of alternative energy sources on the islands.  

The project is aimed at increasing the share of the renewable energy in the regions of Malekula and Estipito-Santo and at improving the energy security in both of these regions.

It is expected that the households in the areas will be the main beneficiaries of this project. They will be able to use energy from ecologically friendly sources, which will enhance the living standards in the rural areas.

Currently, around 75% of the Vanuatu population lives in the countryside. Many people have to put up with limited access to electricity, as the level of electrification in the country is only 33%. In addition to that, in the rural areas electricity is often produced by diesel generators and those running on other fossil fuels, which does serious harm to the natural environment there.

A city “from scratch”

There is a much more ambitious construction and infrastructure development project that is about to start in Vanuatu. The local mass media call the project “Rainbow International City” or “Little Singapore”. A new city will be built in Vanuatu by FPF Company Limited engaged in construction business in the Pacific region and China.   

The city is to be constructed on a land lot of 87 hectares on the island of Etafe approximately 9 kilometers (6 miles) away from Port-Vila. According to the developers, the houses in the new city will serve tourists and long-term investors.

In the city, the visitors will find luxury residential accommodations, high quality meals, various shopping opportunities and entertainments. The city will also give its residents access to educational and medical services as well as different sightseeing and other recreational activities. In particular, a ‘six-star’ hotel will be built there, which is expected to increase the attractiveness of Vanuatu to international tourists.  

According to the information that we have obtained from FPF Company Limited, the project is aimed at attracting investors mainly from Australia and New Zealand and most tourists are expected to come from China.

You could also consider taking part in this investment project and choose the most appropriate piece of real estate in Vanuatu that you can purchase or whose construction you can sponsor.

A new sports complex

Understandably, the building of a whole new city can take many years. However, there are some smaller-scale construction projects in Vanuatu that are implemented much more rapidly. One of such projects is a new sports arena whose construction has been completed recently.  

Korman Stadium Complex has been constructed in cooperation with the Chinese Government. China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC) supervised the project. The Stadium Complex was built between 2016 and 2017 and it took 15 months to complete the construction.

The cost of the project was around 3 billion vatu (26 million US dollars). The cost includes the construction materials, the sports equipment, and the labor.

CCECC has also undertaken to provide consultations and technical advice on the Complex maintenance in the future.

The sports complex comes up to the highest world standards and it is expected that it will not only host local athletic contests such as the recent Pacific Mini Games, for example, but will also make Vanuatu more attractive for sports tourism.

The longest quay in the South Pacific region

There are other projects implemented in Vanuatu that are capable of attracting visitors from abroad and improving the overall quality of local resorts. For instance, e new quay has recently been put into operation in the country that is referred to as the longest quay in the southern part of the Pacific Ocean.

The quay is located near Loganville settlement on the island of Santo. The quayside is 360 meters (1,181 feet) long. It is connected to a passenger terminal and to a cargo terminal as well. Two cruise ships can dock there at a time.

During the official procedure of opening the quay, Government representatives noted that the completion of this construction project served as one more indication of the deepening of partnership relationships between Vanuatu and China.

There is no denying that the economic, political, and cultural cooperation between Vanuatu and China is strengthening. Currently, the possibility of visa-free entry to China for citizens of Vanuatu is discussed by the two governments.

As of today, Vanuatu citizens can enter all Schengen countries without a visa and stay there for up to 90 days. They are also free to visit Great Britain and stay in the country for up to six months. All in all, Vanuatu citizens have vise-free or visa-on-arrival access to nearly 150 countries of the world.

Vanuatu citizenship is fast to obtain. It only takes between six and eight weeks to be handed the passport. Citizenship is granted for a donation to the state fund of Vanuatu whose amount starts at US$ 145,000. This price applies to a single person wishing to obtain Vanuatu citizenship. You can also acquire passports of Vanuatu for all members of your family. The required donation amount is going to be a bit higher in this case but not too much.

If you have questions related to becoming a citizen of this paradise land in the Pacific tropics, please apply for a consultation by writing to [email protected]. Our experts will be happy to provide assistance to you in obtaining a second passport of Vanuatu and thus enlarging your business and travel opportunities.