Many people who look at Vanuatu citizenship or residence want to know what it takes to start a business in Vanuatu itself. This guide explains the official path step by step. Its information comes from the "Vanuatu Trade Portal", the Government's official portal for business procedures, and from the website of the Vanuatu Financial Services Commission, checked on 24 October 2026.
Overview: three offices, three steps
For a foreign investor, the usual path runs through three government offices:
| Step | Office in charge | Result | Estimated fee | Estimated time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Business registration | Vanuatu Financial Services Commission (VFSC) | Registration certificate | VT 30,000 | half a day to one day to the next step |
| Foreign investment approval | Vanuatu Foreign Investment Promotion Agency | FIAC | VT 120,000 | 10 to 16 days |
| Business licence | Department of Customs and Inland Revenue, Taxpayer Service Section | Business licence certificate | VT 18,000 per activity | 5 to 8 days |
The order matters: the portal lists the business registration certificate among the documents for the foreign investment certificate, and that certificate among the documents for the business licence.
Step one: registration with the Vanuatu Financial Services Commission
Companies in Vanuatu are registered under the "Companies Act, 2012" and the "Companies Regulations Order, 2015", and the office in charge is the Vanuatu Financial Services Commission.
On its page "Registering a Company", the Commission suggests these steps:
- learning the general information about companies;
- choosing a company name;
- deciding how the company will be run, with standard rules or its own rules;
- understanding the legal duties of directors and shareholders;
- registering online through the Registry Services tab, or at a kiosk computer in a Commission office; a paper form exists for anyone without a computer.
According to the Commission, online registration costs less than paper registration. The trade portal gives VT 30,000 for the "business online registration fee", valid for 12 months. Payment by cash, cheque or bank transfer is accepted.
Business names
The Commission registers business names separately from companies. A proposed business name can be held for six months before applying to register it. After that, the name must be given up or reserved again. A name can only be reserved twice in a five-year period. Reserving and registering a name each have their own fee.
Annual duties
- Companies must file an annual return to keep their details up to date.
- A business name must be renewed every year, and the renewal has a fee.
- Changes between two returns can be filed online, at a kiosk or on a paper form.
Address and opening hours
The Commission's registration department is at Companies House on Rue Bougainville, Port Vila. The portal gives its opening hours as Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday 8:00 to 11:30 and 13:30 to 16:30, and Wednesday 8:00 to 11:30 and 13:30 to 15:00.
Step two: the Foreign Investment Approval Certificate (FIAC)
Foreign investment in Vanuatu falls under the "Foreign Investment Act No. 25 of 2019". The trade portal describes obtaining a "Foreign Investment Approval Certificate" in four stages:
- pre-check of the application;
- payment of the fee for a new application;
- submission of the application;
- collection of the certificate.
Documents
| Document | Copies |
|---|---|
| FIAC application form | 2 |
| Business plan, on the agency's own template | 2 |
| Passport copy | 2 |
| Police clearance | 2 |
| Business name certificate | 2 |
| Payment receipt | 1 |
The fee for a new application is VT 120,000 by the portal's estimate, and the total time is 10 to 16 days.
The "reserved" and "restricted" lists
The 2019 Act sorts activities into lists. According to the Vanuatu Foreign Investment Promotion Agency:
- the "Reserved Investment List" keeps certain activities for Vanuatu citizens only; it has 15 activities;
- the "Restricted Investment List" allows foreign investment under specific conditions; it has 26 activities.
The same agency announced a review of these lists, which was to be completed by mid-2025. Before choosing an activity, ask the agency for the current lists.
Step three: the business licence
The business licence is issued by the Taxpayer Service Section of the Department of Customs and Inland Revenue. The documents the trade portal lists:
- business registration certificate;
- business licence application form;
- Foreign Investment Approval Certificate;
- the Taxpayer Service Section's invoice and then its payment receipt.
The estimated fee is VT 18,000 for each new business activity. According to the portal, if turnover exceeds VT 4 million, the renewal fee changes. The total time given is 5 to 8 days.
Value added tax
The Department of Customs and Inland Revenue says the value added tax rate has been 15 percent since 2018. A business whose taxable sales in any 12-month period exceed, or are expected to exceed, VT 4 million must register. More detail is in the article "Taxes in Vanuatu".
Investor residence and business visas
Registering a company does not by itself give the right to live in Vanuatu. The Department of Immigration and Passport Services describes two related visas on the trade portal:
| Visa | For whom | Estimated fee | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Residence Visa | including "foreign investor" and "land owner" | VT 57,600 for a one-year visa, for an adult aged 18 or over | a medical examination, police clearance and a security deposit are needed |
| Business Visa | someone travelling on behalf of an employer or organisation | VT 20,000, single entry | 3 to 6 days |
Both rest on the "Immigration Act, 2010" and the "Immigration Visa Regulation Order No. 180 of 2011". Vanuatu citizens do not need these visas.
A simple example
Suppose a foreign investor wants to open a small service office in Port Vila. By the portal's estimates, the government fees for the three steps are:
| Item | Estimated amount |
|---|---|
| Online business registration | VT 30,000 |
| FIAC application | VT 120,000 |
| Business licence for one activity | VT 18,000 |
| Total government fees for the three steps | VT 168,000 |
If the documents are complete, the total time is about three to four weeks. This total does not include advisers, translation, document legalisation, office rent or visas. If the activity is on the reserved list, it is not open to foreigners at all.
Practical points
- Before paying anything, ask which list your activity falls under.
- Reserve your business name early; a reservation lasts only six months.
- Foreign documents, such as a police clearance, usually need translation and legalisation; see the article "What an apostille is and where it is needed".
- Check company and tax rules in your own country of residence separately.
This article is general information and not legal, tax or investment advice. Decisions on every application rest with the Vanuatu authorities.
Sources
- Vanuatu Trade Portal, register a business, step "pay business registration fee" — https://tradeportal.gov.vu/procedure/84/step/222?l=en (checked on 24 October 2026)
- Vanuatu Trade Portal, obtain a foreign investment approval certificate — https://tradeportal.gov.vu/procedure/229?l=en (checked on 24 October 2026)
- Vanuatu Trade Portal, obtain a business licence certificate — https://tradeportal.gov.vu/procedure/230?l=en (checked on 24 October 2026)
- Vanuatu Trade Portal, residence visa — https://tradeportal.gov.vu/procedure/302?l=en (checked on 24 October 2026)
- Vanuatu Trade Portal, business visa — https://tradeportal.gov.vu/procedure/262?l=en (checked on 24 October 2026)
- Vanuatu Financial Services Commission, Registering a Company — https://www.vfsc.vu/registering/ (checked on 24 October 2026)
- Vanuatu Foreign Investment Promotion Agency, review of the restricted and reserved lists — https://investvanuatu.vu/media-and-resources/review-of-restricted-and-reserved-lists/ (checked on 24 October 2026)
- Vanuatu Department of Customs and Inland Revenue, introduction to value added tax — https://customsinlandrevenue.gov.vu/taxes-and-licensing/taxes/value-added-tax-vat/introduction.html (via the search index; checked on 24 October 2026)