2024

Reading Time: 4 min

Fast-track passport: how an Armenian family obtained Vanuatu citizenship in 3 months

Before applying for Vanuatu citizenship, my wife, son, and I attempted to obtain passports in Saint Kitts and Nevis.

However, the agent we approached kept giving us empty promises. Due to his inefficiency, we were denied citizenship.

The lawyers at Immigrant Invest achieved the impossible. They made time work for us, not against us. Obtaining second passports in just 3 months was a real stroke of luck for our family.

Arthur, 52

Owner of an IT-company

Clients’ names and photos have been changed

Vanuatu citizenship by investment in coconut oil production

This case was provided by our expert

Lyle Julien

Investment programs expert

Fast-track passport: how an Armenian family obtained Vanuatu citizenship in 3 months

Why Arthur and Anait wanted to get a second passport as quickly as possible

Background. Arthur and Anait are a married couple from Armenia. The family planned to obtain second passports by investment in the summer of 2023. Arthur chose an agent based on reviews on a specialised Facebook page with 30,000 subscribers, believing such an audience deserved trust.

Arthur informed the agent about the main condition: his son David needed to obtain a second passport before his 14th birthday. This was a precaution due to the tense political situation in Armenia.

Under Armenian law, if martial law is declared, boys aged 14 and over cannot leave the country until they have completed military service. This decision was made by an emergency government decree. Similar decrees were issued in 2022 and 2023. A second passport would allow David to leave Armenia with his family at any time.

Problem. In 2023, David was 13 years old. The process of obtaining a second passport in St Kitts and Nevis typically takes about six months, so the family had enough time. However, at the application stage, Arthur realised there was a communication breakdown between him and the agent.

The agent often went weeks without responding to questions. For instance, he did not promptly inform the family about the need to provide additional documents. These delays cost Arthur his citizenship application.

The family planned to obtain passports by making a non-refundable contribution to the country’s economy. But in July 2023, St Kitts and Nevis doubled the investment threshold from $125,000 to $250,000. This option was no longer suitable for Arthur, as his budget for obtaining second citizenship was limited to $200,000.

Solution. The family researched the fastest ways to obtain a second passport. On the Immigrant Invest website, Arthur read about the advantages of Vanuatu citizenship: it is issued faster than anywhere else, in just 1—4 months.

Arthur had doubts: the Vanuatu passport is weaker than the Saint Kitts and Nevis passport, offering fewer visa-free destinations. However, the family could no longer obtain citizenship in a Caribbean country before their son’s 14th birthday.

To ask questions about the Vanuatu program, Arthur scheduled an individual meeting with the Immigrant Invest’s lawyer.

Consultation with Immigrant Invest lawyers

The lawyer informed Arthur that in March 2024, Vanuatu introduced a new option for investors: investments in the CNO Future Fund. This fund supports coconut oil production in the country.

The new option is the most affordable for a family of three. Arthur’s expenses would be around $165,000, compared to $179,000 with the non-refundable contribution to the state fund.

The return on investment in the CNO Future Fund is another advantage. The expected annual return from coconut oil production is about 5%. After 5 years, Arthur would recover $50,000 from the invested amount.

Arthur weighed the pros and cons and signed an agreement with Immigrant Invest to obtain Vanuatu citizenship.

Arthur and his family’s expenses for obtaining Vanuatu passports

In total, Arthur invested $165,000 in the second passport. This is one and a half times less than the expenses for citizenship by investment in Saint Kitts and Nevis under the new conditions, where the minimum investment threshold is $250,000.

The investment amount included the purchase of shares in the CNO Future Fund for $157,000 and the Due Diligence fee of $8,000 for the entire family.

To obtain a passport by investing in the CNO Future Fund, the investor registers an international company in Vanuatu. The registration cost is included in the fees.

The investor can choose the type of business activity and conduct business through the company. Maintaining a company in Vanuatu costs an average of $1,650 per year, but a fixed payment based on the profit amount is also available at $1,850 per year.

How Arthur and his family obtained a second passport in Vanuatu: step-by-step procedure

Arthur acted as the primary investor and included his wife and son in the application. The process of obtaining citizenship took 3 months.

Participation in the program through the new option is possible only through an official representative, VIMB, the Vanuatu Investment Migration Bureau. Immigrant Invest, holding a partner licence, assisted Arthur in submitting the documents.

New personal visit requirement. From August 31st, 2024, all the applicants must visit Vanuatu or the assigned representative office to file an application and provide biometrics.

1 day, March 20th, 2024

Preliminary Due Diligence

A certified Compliance Anti Money Laundering Officer checked Arthur against international databases.

The preliminary Due Diligence was completely confidential and did not reveal any potential risks that could result in denial of passports for Arthur and his family.

A certified Compliance Anti Money Laundering Officer checked Arthur against international databases.

The preliminary Due Diligence was completely confidential and did not reveal any potential risks that could result in denial of passports for Arthur and his family.

+ 2 weeks

Documents preparation

Arthur, with Immigrant Invest's assistance, prepared the documents for verification by the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU). For the application under the CNO Future Fund option, all papers had to be certified by a lawyer or notary.

Arthur had the documents certified by the family lawyer in Yerevan and also provided medical and police clearance certificates for himself and his wife.

+ 4 days

Verification by FIU

The lawyers at Immigrant Invest sent the documents to the program agent in Vanuatu. The document verification took four days.

+ 7 days

Submission and review of application

After FIU approval, the lawyer submitted scanned documents alongside the application to Vanuatu.

+ 30 days

Company registration and investment

Arthur was given 90 days to open a company and meet the investment requirement. With the help of the lawyers, he registered the business and transferred the money.

+ 1 month, June 16th, 2024

Passport issuance

The Citizenship Commission issued naturalisation certificates for Arthur and his family. They obtained passports within 3 weeks.

All the documents were sent to Arthur by courier to the address in Yerevan.

The Citizenship Commission issued naturalisation certificates for Arthur and his family. They obtained passports within 3 weeks.

All the documents were sent to Arthur by courier to the address in Yerevan.

Arthur and his family’s plans with their second passport

Arthur achieved his main goal: obtaining second passports for the entire family before his son was restricted from leaving Armenia.

As citizens of Vanuatu, the family can now travel freely and visit over 100 countries without a visa, including Asian hubs like Singapore and Hong Kong.

Arthur,

Obtained a Vanuatu passport along with his wife and son

We don't have any long-term plans at the moment. We're taking a break after the long process of obtaining citizenship by investment.

The Vanuatu passport met our primary needs: saving time and money. We are happy to have finally found the right agent to complete this journey.

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