In a world where cryptocurrency is increasingly being integrated into official mechanisms, Vanuatu is confidently taking the lead. This Pacific nation has become one of the first to officially allow payment of the investment contribution for citizenship in Bitcoin. Such an option opens new horizons for investors who value not only financial planning but also freedom of movement.
Obtaining a second passport without banking intermediaries, declarations, and lengthy checks is now a reality. Vanuatu citizenship is processed within 1–2 months, and digital currency has become a legitimate means of payment for it. This decision has already been appreciated by dozens of entrepreneurs and digital asset holders worldwide.
The lawyers of our team will help you go through the entire process: from compliance verification to obtaining a citizenship certificate. We support the application process, ensure cryptocurrency payment compliance, and provide advice on all legal nuances.
Is it possible to officially buy a Vanuatu passport with bitcoins?
In recent years, Vanuatu has become known not only as a picturesque state in the Pacific Ocean but also as a jurisdiction offering one of the fastest investment citizenship programs. Interest in it sharply increased when the opportunity arose to pay for participation in this programme using cryptocurrency, including Bitcoin. But how legal is this, and how does the mechanism work? Let’s delve into the details.
The Vanuatu Citizenship Development Support Program provides for a non-refundable contribution to the National Development Fund in exchange for economic citizenship. The processing time ranges from 1 to 2 months, with no residency or language exam requirements.
The government of Vanuatu does not accept bitcoins and other digital assets directly. You cannot transfer bitcoins to a government account. Instead, payment in cryptocurrency is possible through an accredited agent, who then converts the assets into fiat currency and transfers the amount to the official fund.
This practice is completely legal, provided that two requirements are met:
- Payment is made through a licensed agent officially accredited by the government of Vanuatu.
- The agent conducts the AML/KYC verification procedure before accepting cryptocurrency.
Thus, Bitcoin effectively serves as a means of payment, but within the framework of a private agreement between the investor and the intermediary, rather than directly with the state. This solution allows simplifying access to the programme for crypto investors, maintaining transparency of operations, and avoiding the risks of cryptocurrency volatility at the stage of final fund crediting.
Costs
How does the Vanuatu citizenship by investment programme work?
The DSP programme was launched in 2017 as a tool for attracting foreign investments to support the economic development of the country. Vanuatu citizenship under this programme is obtained in exchange for a voluntary contribution to the Vanuatu Development Fund.
All amounts are non-refundable, this is not a real estate purchase or an investment in securities. The investor does not receive a return but acquires citizenship.
Capital Investment Immigration Plan
Development Support Program
Application Timeline 3-4 Months
2-3 Months
Program Fees USD
USD
One applicant 155 000
130 000
Married couple 155 000
150 000
A family of 3 people 155 000
165 000
A family of 4 people 155 000
180 000
Additional dependent 25 000
25 000
The DSP programme is open to citizens of most countries in the world, subject to the following conditions:
- Age – from 18 years;
- The absence of convictions and criminal prosecution;
- Confirmation of the legality of the origin of funds;
- The absence of visa refusals from countries with a visa-free regime with Vanuatu;
- The minimum level of capital – from $250,000 (as proof of financial solvency).
Apart from the main applicant, the programme can include a spouse, children up to 25 years old, and parents over 50 years old.
Citizenship under the DSP program can be obtained within 30–60 days, making it one of the fastest programmes in the world. Accelerated procedures, digital submission of documents, and a streamlined process of interaction with authorised agents allow all stages to be completed remotely.
Vanuatu does not require residency, a visit to the country, or mandatory exams. Citizenship is valid for life and can be renewed without additional investments.
How to pay for Vanuatu citizenship in bitcoins
Payment in cryptocurrency is carried out through officially accredited agents who cooperate with the Government of Vanuatu under the DSP programme. These agents have the right to accept cryptocurrency from the investor, conduct conversion through regulated exchanges, transfer funds to the state fund on behalf of the client, and prepare documents for citizenship application.
You should only choose registered and verified agents, as they bear legal responsibility for compliance with all stages of AML/KYC requirements and the laws of Vanuatu.
Before proceeding to payment, the agent conducts Due Diligence: passport and identity verification (KYC), a certificate of no criminal record, confirmation of the source of funds, and a declaration of asset status. After the approval of the candidature, an investment agreement is drawn up, specifying the investment amount, payment currency (BTC), conversion terms, and the responsibilities of the parties.
The client transfers the required amount in BTC to the agent’s wallet specified in the contract. The agent is obliged to fix the exchange rate at the moment of receipt, convert the BTC into fiat currency through a licensed cryptocurrency exchange, and transfer the funds to the Vanuatu National Development Fund. Important: the entire process is accompanied by financial reports for both the client and government authorities.
The role of licensed agents
Obtaining citizenship by investment directly through the government is impossible. All applications are processed exclusively through state-accredited licensed agents. These are professional intermediaries who oversee the entire process: from document preparation and due diligence to the final receipt of the passport. They operate under strict rules established by the country’s immigration and investment authorities.
Licensed agents are responsible for complying with AML/KYC standards, ensuring the transparency of clients’ capital sources, and the accuracy of application submission. Their activities are officially regulated. For example, on the government websites of Vanuatu, Malta, and Antigua, one can find an up-to-date list of companies admitted to the programme.
Choosing a reliable agent is a critically important stage. It is recommended to check the presence of a licence, legal status, experience in supporting international clients, transparent contractual terms, and financial responsibility. By working with a verified agent, you minimise the risks of refusals, delays, and legal consequences. Turning to an unverified intermediary may result in the loss of funds and application blockage. Our company cooperates exclusively with officially licensed agents and takes full legal support of the client upon itself.
Used cryptocurrency platforms
When paying for investment citizenship using cryptocurrencies, agents work exclusively through reliable and verified platforms that ensure transaction security and compliance with legal requirements. Most often, platforms such as Binance, Coinbase, Kraken, BitPay, and Fireblocks are used. These services are known for their high level of protection for user funds, support for multiple currencies, and built-in measures for anti-money laundering (AML) and customer identification (KYC).
In most cases, cryptocurrency first arrives in the agent’s wallet on one of such platforms, where it is then converted into fiat currency, usually US dollars. Afterwards, these funds are transferred to a national fund or a government account as part of the citizenship by investment programme. This eliminates volatility risks and ensures that the transaction will be recorded in the required amount.
Platforms provide transparent reports, transaction confirmations, and dual authorisation mechanisms, allowing participants in the process to ensure the legality and correctness of all stages. Moreover, many agents already have established official relationships with exchangers, which simplifies the process of identifying the source of the investor’s funds.
Temporary and exchange rate risks
One of the key risks is exchange rate volatility. The value of Bitcoin can fluctuate significantly even within a few hours. This creates a risk that by the time the funds are credited to the agent’s account or after conversion into fiat, the amount will be below the required minimum set by the citizenship programme. In such a case, the applicant will have to pay the difference or start the process anew.
To minimise these risks, agents use mechanisms to fix the rate at the moment of invoicing. Usually, the amount required to participate in the programme is fixed in US dollars, and the estimated amount of cryptocurrency is specified taking into account the current rate and an allowable “floating window” (most often 15–30 minutes).
Temporal risks also include delays in the confirmation of transactions on the blockchain, especially during network overload. This can lead to overdue payments at the rate and additional administrative delays. Therefore, it is important to make payments in advance and use platforms with priority transaction processing.
In the event of a sharp drop in the cryptocurrency exchange rate before fixing the amount, it is advisable to use a hedging service or stablecoins (USDT, USDC) tied to the dollar. This allows maintaining purchasing power until the transaction is completed.
Advantages of obtaining a Vanuatu passport using bitcoins
Payment of investment via Bitcoin accelerates the process. Transactions are confirmed on the network within 10–60 minutes, after which the funds are converted into fiat and credited to the agent’s account. This allows the documentation process to begin almost immediately, without waiting for bank confirmations typical for international transfers in USD.
Cryptocurrency transactions do not require the provision of bank details, which significantly reduces the risks of disclosing confidential information. The agent receives payment in a digital asset without specifying the applicant’s financial data in the accompanying documents. The bitcoin wallet itself is not tied to a specific bank or state, which ensures a high level of privacy.
Many citizens of countries with strict currency regulation face problems when attempting to transfer large sums abroad. The use of Bitcoin allows bypassing restrictions on international transfers, as cryptocurrency is not subject to cross-border banking control rules.
One of the key differences in paying for Vanuatu citizenship through cryptocurrency is that there is no need to disclose the source of asset origin if the applicant’s country of tax residency does not require such confirmations. This is especially important for investors who have obtained cryptocurrency from mining, trading operations, or P2P transactions, which are difficult to formalise in a traditional banking format.
Legal aspects and compliance with requirements
Despite the attractiveness of paying for Vanuatu citizenship in cryptocurrency, applicants are required to go through all standard stages of legal verification. The main requirements include compliance with KYC and AML procedures provided by the DSP programme. Each candidate must provide official documents verifying identity, residency, as well as confirm the absence of criminal records and sanction restrictions.
The key point remains the verification of the legality of the origin of funds. Licensed agents are obliged to carry out the source of funds procedure and establish how exactly the cryptocurrency was obtained. In some cases, statements from crypto wallets, confirmation of transactions, and transaction history on exchanges may be required.
Applicants from high-risk countries, as well as individuals involved in politically sensitive cases, may be rejected. Furthermore, citizenship cannot be granted to individuals violating international sanctions, under investigation, or with outstanding court rulings.
Citizenship for cryptocurrency in other countries
Despite the fact that Vanuatu remains the only country where payment for citizenship in Bitcoin is actually implemented, the idea of using cryptocurrency has been discussed in other jurisdictions as well. For instance, the authorities of Antigua and Barbuda in 2020 expressed their readiness to accept cryptocurrency through licensed agents, but a fully transparent infrastructure for this was never established. Saint Lucia and Dominica were also mentioned in the context of interest in digital assets; however, official regulations for accepting cryptocurrency are absent.
Stages of obtaining Vanuatu citizenship with cryptocurrency
01
Preliminary consultation and selection of an agent
The applicant contacts an authorised government-licensed agent of Vanuatu. Lawyers verify the client’s compliance with the basic requirements of the program.
02
Due Diligence Lite
Before submitting the main package of documents, a quick reliability check is conducted. Agents send copies of the applicant’s passport and basic information to the competent authorities in Vanuatu. This check takes from 2 to 5 working days and is necessary for admission to the programme.
03
Preparation of documents and primary verification
After approval, the collection of the complete set of documents begins. The client provides certificates of no criminal record, proof of source of funds, a biographical questionnaire, and notarised translations. All documents undergo official verification according to KYC/AML standards.
04
Payment of the investment contribution
After the documents are confirmed, the client pays the investment fee. If payment is made in cryptocurrency, the funds are transferred to the address specified by the agent, who performs the conversion into fiat. The amount is fixed at the moment of the transaction to avoid the risk of exchange rate fluctuations.
05
Official approval and issuance of the naturalisation certificate
After the contribution is received, the government makes a decision on granting citizenship. If the decision is positive, a Certificate of Naturalisation is issued, on the basis of which a passport is prepared.
06
Oath and passport delivery
The final stage is the signing of the oath of allegiance to the Republic of Vanuatu, which can be organised remotely or with a representative visiting the client. After the oath, the passport is delivered by courier service within 7–10 days. The document has a validity period of 10 years and provides visa-free access to more than 100 countries.
Is it worth obtaining Vanuatu citizenship for bitcoins?
Obtaining Vanuatu citizenship for bitcoins is a rare way of acquiring a second passport for crypto investors. Among the main advantages are the high speed of the procedure, minimal documentation, and confidentiality. This format is convenient for those who do not want to undergo bank checks or do not have easily verifiable fiat capital.
However, there are also limitations. Formally, the government of Vanuatu does not accept bitcoins directly; the funds are transferred to an agent and converted into US dollars. This creates risks associated with exchange rate volatility and temporary delays. Moreover, citizenship does not guarantee tax anonymity: the country participates in the international CRS reporting system, and upon relocation or opening accounts, data may be shared with the country of tax residency. Additionally, such a scheme should not be used if your income cannot be explained by a legal source. The programme requires basic KYC/AML verificat