Vanuatu fully permits dual and multiple citizenship. The country places no legal obligation on DSP applicants to renounce their existing nationality. Once you receive your Vanuatu passport, you hold two (or more) citizenships simultaneously — there is no reporting requirement, no renewal condition, and no restriction on how you use each passport.
The Citizenship Act of Vanuatu (Chapter 112) contains no prohibition on holding foreign nationality alongside Vanuatu citizenship. The Citizenship Commission does not ask applicants to declare renunciation of prior citizenship as a condition for approval. This is a deliberate policy position — Vanuatu actively markets its program to investors who value passport optionality, and requiring renunciation would undermine that appeal.
Practically, the process works like this: you submit your DSP application with your existing passport as a primary identity document, pay the contribution, pass due diligence, and receive a Vanuatu certificate of naturalisation. Your original nationality is unaffected unless your home country’s law says otherwise.
While Vanuatu is permissive, the real question is whether your current country allows you to acquire foreign citizenship without losing your original one. Rules vary widely:
| Country | Dual Citizenship Rule | Risk if Acquiring Vanuatu |
|---|---|---|
| China | Not recognised — acquisition of foreign citizenship automatically terminates Chinese nationality under Article 9 of the Nationality Law | High: loss of Chinese passport if discovered or reported. Many Chinese applicants obtain Vanuatu passport quietly and do not officially register; legal exposure varies. |
| India | Not permitted — Section 9 of the Citizenship Act 1955 terminates Indian citizenship upon voluntary acquisition of foreign nationality | High: Indian citizenship is automatically forfeited. Indian nationals applying for CBI must choose. OCI (Overseas Citizen of India) card is available as a partial mitigant but is not a passport. |
| UAE | Generally not permitted without prior approval from the UAE Cabinet; exceptions exist for certain Emirates and high-value individuals | Medium-High: unauthorised acquisition can lead to UAE citizenship withdrawal. UAE has recently created exceptions for “golden” talent categories — consult a UAE legal adviser. |
| Saudi Arabia | Not permitted — acquisition of foreign citizenship results in automatic revocation of Saudi nationality | High: loss of Saudi citizenship. Some applicants hold Vanuatu passport without formal declaration; this carries legal risk. |
| Russia | Permitted — Russia recognises dual citizenship and does not restrict acquisition of foreign nationality | Low: Russian law allows holding multiple citizenships freely. Note: Russian residents must notify authorities of foreign citizenship acquisition (Federal Law 62-FZ), but this is administrative, not prohibitive. |
| Nigeria | Permitted — Section 28 of the Nigerian Constitution allows dual citizenship for citizens by birth | Low: Nigerian nationals can hold Vanuatu citizenship without risk of losing Nigerian nationality. |
| United Kingdom | Permitted — the UK allows its citizens to hold any number of other citizenships | None: no restriction from the UK side. |
| United States | Technically not officially endorsed but practically permitted — US citizens can hold multiple citizenships without formal renunciation | Low: US law does not automatically terminate citizenship upon foreign naturalisation. Expatriation requires a voluntary act with intent to relinquish. |
| Germany | Generally not permitted — German law requires renunciation before or shortly after acquiring foreign citizenship (exceptions: EU/Switzerland, political refugees, hardship cases) | Medium: German nationals risk losing German citizenship. Post-2024 legal reforms have slightly broadened exceptions — verify current rules. |
| Japan | Not permitted — Japan requires choice of one nationality by age 22 and revokes Japanese citizenship upon voluntary foreign naturalisation | High: loss of Japanese citizenship. |
Many CBI applicants come from countries that technically prohibit dual citizenship — China, India, and the Gulf states account for a significant share of global citizenship-by-investment demand. In practice, several approaches are used:
Vanuatu is a zero-tax jurisdiction: no income tax, no capital gains tax, no wealth tax, no inheritance tax. Holding a Vanuatu passport does not by itself create any Vanuatu tax obligation. Vanuatu citizenship does not trigger tax residency; tax residency is determined by where you actually live and spend time, not which passport you carry.
However, your home country’s tax rules may be triggered by your activities abroad. The most important example is the United States: US citizens are taxed on worldwide income regardless of where they live. Acquiring Vanuatu citizenship does not help a US citizen avoid US taxes unless they also formally renounce US citizenship — an entirely separate and consequential legal act.
For most non-US applicants, Vanuatu citizenship is used as a travel-access and optionality tool rather than a tax structure. Actual tax planning requires advice from a tax lawyer in your home country, not from a citizenship consultancy.
Vanuatu is not a member of the Common Reporting Standard (CRS) automatic exchange of tax information in a way that would routinely disclose citizenship acquisition to foreign governments. However, Vanuatu cooperates with international requests under mutual legal assistance treaties and does not provide categorical concealment. Applicants should not assume that their Vanuatu citizenship will remain permanently unknown to their home country authorities.
General information only, not legal advice. Nationality laws vary by country and change over time. Confirm current rules with a qualified legal adviser in your jurisdiction before making any citizenship or renunciation decision. Last verified July 2026.
We advise clients from China, India, Russia, the Gulf, and Europe on dual nationality questions in the Vanuatu DSP context.
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