Moving to Vanuatu
Visas and residency, citizenship, tax, company and banking, cost of living and the places to live in Vanuatu, in one place.
MelanesiaThinking about moving to Vanuatu?
Here's how long you can stay, the ways to live there for good, what you'd pay in tax and what everyday life costs, each figure from an official source.
In this guide, I'll show you:
- How long you can stay, by passport
- How long citizenship takes
- How tax works, with the rates
- What it costs, and the internet and safety
- The basics: capital, currency and languages
Pick your passport at the top of the page, and the stay rule shows for you.
TL;DRKey takeaways
Vanuatu at a glance
How long can you stay in Vanuatu?
It depends on the passport you hold.
Here's the rule for the most common ones:
US passport- Rule
- Visa-free
- Stay
- 30 days
UK passport- Rule
- Visa-free
- Stay
- 120 days
EU passport (German)- Rule
- Visa-free
- Stay
- 90 days
Canadian passport- Rule
- Visa-free
- Stay
- 120 days
Australian passport- Rule
- Visa-free
- Stay
- 120 days
Indian passport- Rule
- Visa-free
- Stay
- 120 days
For any other passport, pick yours at the top, or see every country on the visa-free countries map.
Citizenship in Vanuatu
Naturalization takes about 10 years of residence.
Dual citizenship is allowed, so you can keep your passport.
Work out your own timeline with the second passport calculator.
Tax in Vanuatu
Vanuatu has no personal income tax.
See where it sits among every country on the territorial tax map.
The main rates:
- Lowest income tax band – 0%
- Top income tax rate – 0%
- Corporate tax – 0%
- VAT or sales tax – 15%
Where you're a tax resident usually comes down to days.
Count yours with the 183-day rule calculator.
Company and banking
Compare the banks and cards that work for people abroad in the bank account finder.
Move money for less with the money transfer comparison.
Many people who live abroad run a US LLC instead; check yours with the US LLC for non-residents checker.
Cost of living in Vanuatu
Everyday prices in Vanuatu are about 90% of US prices.
That's the World Bank's price level for 2024: its purchasing power conversion factor divided by the exchange rate.
It's close to US prices, or above them.
Convert what things cost with the currency converter.
Is Vanuatu safe?
The US State Department rates Vanuatu Level 1 ("Exercise normal precautions", updated 2025-05-22), the same level it gives Austria, Portugal, Japan and Australia. Level 1 is normal travel. Some advisories are stricter for parts of a country, so read the full advisory before you go.
For a second view, the UK has no warning against travel.
See every country's level on the travel advisory map.
Vanuatu: the basics
| What | Vanuatu |
|---|---|
| Capital | Port Vila |
| Currency | Vanuatu vatu (VUV) |
| Languages | Bislama, English, French |
| Population | about 292,680 |
From GeoNames' country data (CC BY 4.0).
More tools for Vanuatu
- Passport index and compare passports
- Time zone overlap calculator for calls with home
- eSIM finder for data when you land
- Card fees abroad calculator before you spend
Vanuatu FAQs
Visa-free, for 30 days.
Pick another passport at the top of the page to see its rule.
It depends on your passport.
Pick yours at the top of the page to see the days, and whether you need a visa first.
Not that I've found in official sources as of 2026-09-29.
The digital nomad visa finder lists every country that has one.
About 10 years of residence.
Yes.
Check that your own country allows it too.
Vanuatu has no personal income tax.
Check the details with a tax adviser before you move.
Everyday prices are about 90% of US prices, by the World Bank's price level for 2024.
Rent in the biggest cities can be higher than that suggests.
The US State Department rates it Level 1.
Levels 1 and 2 are everyday travel; read the full advisory for any regions it warns about.
The Vanuatu vatu (VUV).
The main languages are Bislama, English and French.
Navid Moazzez
AI business strategist & AI OS builder
Navid Moazzez helps creators and founders master AI and build their own AI Operating System (AI OS) to automate their business and life.
Navid.me is reader-supported. When you buy through links on this site, I may earn an affiliate commission. Learn more.
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