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- The first step is to send us the preliminary (click here to download) Pre-Approval Form duly filled-out, along with the mandatory NON-Refundable Pre-Approval Fee (paid directly into the designated bank account of the VIMB (Vanuatu Investment Marketing Bureau), and electronically send us the Proof of Payment.
Budget -- 7 days.
- As soon as we receive the above and verify the payment with VIMB's bank, we process the Applicant's information to make sure that it can be Pre-Approved by the authorities in Vanuatu.
Budget -- 10 (working) days.
- Once this Pre-Approval is obtained, we immediately inform the Applicant, who then starts to put his final Application together and gets the funds ready for the Application fee that will need to be paid in full up-front at this next stage.
Once an applicant has gotten the full amount of the money ready to remit for their application, a main challenge and source of delay is the putting together (by the applicant) of all the necessary documentation that the 'citizenship application' filing event requires.
The clock starts when we receive the FULL application packet, including every last document attachment sought, all duly attested as true copies of originals -- all 't's crossed and 'i's dotted. Plus, at this 'milestone', the Applicant must remit the FULL AMOUNT of the Investment Required, into the same bank account (as used for the Pre-Approval Fee), and electronically send us the Proof of Payment (which will immediately be verified by VIMB with their bank, before the Application is procesed any further).
If the client is highly motivated, and highly prepared with all supporting documentation in advance, it can take very little time, and vice versa.
Budget -- 7-30 days for a typical client to do all this.
- Once ALL the above are received, and the Applicant's payment verified, we submit the Applicant's completed Application file to the Vanuatu government's Immigration Commission for final processing, and the Approval exercize starts, with our dedicated staff in Port Vila continuously monitoring and following up with the Vanuatu Government employees tasked with processing the case.
The Commission meets twice a month. The approval takes approximately upto 2 weeks after submission.
Budget -- 14 days.
- Thereafter, as soon as the Applicant is successfully cleared, i.e., Approved for Vanuatu citizenship, we so inform the Applicant.
Budget -- 3 days.
- Next, the "Swearing-in" ceremony is scheduled, online (over Zoom or another equivalent online meeting / communication platform). The Applicant undergoes this ceremony before the Vanuatu government's Immigration Commission officials. This takes another 7 days.
Budget -- 7 days.
- After the "Swearing-in" ceremony is concluded, it takes a further week for the Citizenship Certificate to be printed.
Budget -- 7 days.
- Next, it takes an additional week for the new Vanuatuan passport to be issued.
Budget -- 7 days.
- Lastly, the Applicant's new Vanuatu Citizenship Certificate and Passport are couriered to them.
This takes 1-2 weeks depending on the Applicant's location.
Budget -- 14 days.
- Adding up the (cumulative) total above, one gets 70-99 days. From
(A) the time of submission to us by the Applicant of the FULLY COMPLETED Vanuatu Citizenship / Passport Application, along with ALL Attachments and FULL FEES
-- to --
(B) the client having his new passport in hand,
-- we generally advise Applicants to expect the whole process to take between (a very lucky) 30 and (a more leisurely) 90 days.
Conservative Budget -- 90 days TOTAL.
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