One headline can push an important decision: selling property, cancelling a trip or rushing a payment. Before reacting, weigh the news with these few questions.
1. Who is the source?
- Official source: the website of the government or the body concerned, such as the CBIU of Dominica, the Council of the European Union, the European Commission, GOV.UK or the UAE government portal.
- Secondary source: news agencies and specialist media, which should refer to the official source.
- Advertising: sales pages that repeat the news to attract customers.
Follow every important item back to its official source.
2. At what stage is it?
Many changes go through several stages:
- Proposal: a body makes a proposal, but no decision has been taken yet.
- Decision: the competent authority adopts the decision.
- Application: the date the decision actually takes effect.
A real example: in 2022 the European Commission proposed a partial suspension of Vanuatu's visa exemption; in December 2024 the Council of the European Union adopted the full end of that exemption. Each stage was a separate piece of news.
3. What is the date?
- Keep the publication date and the date of effect apart.
- An old item circulated again may no longer be true.
- Example: in April 2026 the European Commission wrote that ETIAS was scheduled to start in the last quarter of 2026; as of 24 October 2026 we found no official start date in official sources. News giving a date with certainty should have a fresh official source.
4. Who does it cover?
- Is the change for everyone or only for new applications?
- What happens to people who already hold citizenship?
- Which nationalities or which type of passport?
5. Check the numbers
- Compare amounts with the official page and its date.
- Do not take "from" and "minimum" for "total cost".
The headlines on our site
On the home page, citizenship headlines are shown from news sources, and headlines not in the page's language are labelled "In English". A headline does not replace the official source; before any decision, see the official source or ask in the free consultation.
This article is general information.
Sources
- European Commission, proposal for a partial suspension of Vanuatu's visa exemption (2022) — https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/es/ip_22_264 (checked on 24 October 2026)
- Council of the European Union, "Vanuatu: Council ends visa exemption" (12 December 2024) — https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/press/press-releases/2024/12/12/vanuatu-council-ends-visa-exemption/ (checked on 24 October 2026)
- European Commission, main differences between the EES and ETIAS (28 April 2026) — https://home-affairs.ec.europa.eu/news/main-differences-between-ees-and-etias-what-travellers-need-know-2026-04-28_en (checked on 24 October 2026)