People who look at Vanuatu citizenship or residence often ask whether they can buy land or a house in Vanuatu. The answer differs from most countries: in Vanuatu, land belongs by custom to the indigenous owners, and the usual route for others is a registered lease. This article is based on the Constitution brochure of Vanuatu's Custom Land Management Office and on the procedures of the Department of Lands, Survey and Registry on the "Vanuatu Trade Portal", checked on 24 October 2026.
The constitutional articles
The Custom Land Management Office's official brochure sets out these articles:
| Article | Content |
|---|---|
| 73 | All land in the Republic of Vanuatu belongs to the indigenous custom owners and their descendants. |
| 74 | Custom rules form the basis of ownership and use of land. |
| 75 | Perpetual ownership of land is only for indigenous citizens who acquired it in accordance with a recognised system of land tenure. |
| 76 | Parliament, after consulting the National Council of Chiefs (Malvatumauri), passes a national land law to give effect to Articles 73 to 75. |
The practical result: someone who is not an indigenous citizen usually holds land through a "registered lease". The law for leases, according to the trade portal, is the "Land Leases Act, CAP 163".
The official steps to obtain a new lease
The trade portal sets out the path to "obtain a new lease" as a series of procedures:
| Step | Result | Office | Estimated fee | Estimated time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Negotiator Certificate | Department of Lands, Survey and Registry; Ministry of Lands and Natural Resources | VT 20,445 | 15 to 31 days |
| 2 | Approved survey plan | Department of Lands, Survey and Registry | VT 10,000 | 8 to 21 days |
| 3 | Land valuation certificate | Department of Lands, Survey and Registry | VT 2,590 | 8 to 26 days |
| 4 | Approved lease | Department of Lands, Survey and Registry | VT 17,250, plus the premium and annual rent | 1 day |
| 5 | Registered lease | Department of Lands, Survey and Registry | by the portal's formula, below | 5 to 21 days |
Step 1: the negotiator certificate
The portal calls the fee for this step the "application for new lease fee". Documents: the completed application form and a Lands receipt. Its legal basis, according to the portal, is the Land Application Fees Order No. 169 of 2014, the Land Leases Act and the "Land Reform (Amendment) Act No. 31 of 2013".
Step 2: the approved survey plan
The portal describes this procedure separately:
| Topic | What the portal says |
|---|---|
| Stages | survey administration payment, submission of the plan, collection of the approved plan |
| Documents | negotiator certificate, proposed land survey plan, Lands receipt |
| Estimated fee | VT 10,000, the "survey administration fee" |
| Time | 8 to 21 days |
| Legal basis | the "Land Surveyors Act No. 11 of 1984" |
If the land is subdivided, the portal also names the subdivision application form, the proposed subdivision plan and the Land Registry's "advice of registration".
Step 3: the valuation certificate
Documents:
- a valid negotiator certificate;
- the approved survey plan;
- the land valuation request form;
- a Lands receipt.
Legal basis: the "Valuation of Land Act".
Step 4: the lease
Documents:
- the signed and approved valuation certificate;
- the completed lease agreement;
- the land premium;
- the annual rent.
Step 5: registering the lease
For registration, the approved lease must be duty stamped. Land Records form 1 and a Lands receipt are also needed. The portal gives the fee for this step as a formula: "5% premium + 5% annual land rent × term of lease".
An example with the portal's formula
Suppose a lease has a premium of VT 2,000,000, an annual rent of VT 100,000 and a term of 50 years. Applying the portal's formula as written:
| Part of the formula | Calculation | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| 5 percent of the premium | 5 percent × 2,000,000 | VT 100,000 |
| 5 percent of the annual rent × term | 5 percent × 100,000 × 50 | VT 250,000 |
| Total for the registration step | VT 350,000 |
The estimated fees for steps 1 to 4 add up to VT 50,285. These are only the administrative fees; you agree the premium and annual rent with the owner or the other party. The portal does not say whether the registration formula is stamp duty or a registration fee; ask the Department of Lands. The example only shows the structure, and its figures are hypothetical.
Land and residence
Vanuatu's Department of Immigration names "land owner" and "foreign investor" among the "residence visa" categories. The trade portal estimates the one-year residence visa at VT 57,600 for an adult. A lease does not by itself give the right to live in Vanuatu; a separate visa is needed.
Before signing any contract
- Make sure the other party really is a recognised custom owner or the lawful holder of the lease.
- An unregistered lease does not have the legal protection of a registered one; follow registration through to the end.
- If you have become a Vanuatu citizen, your position on land is not the same as an indigenous citizen's; Article 75 speaks of "indigenous citizens". Ask a lawyer about this.
- Prepare foreign documents with the necessary translation and legalisation.
This article is general information and not legal or investment advice. Decisions on every lease and registration rest with the Vanuatu authorities.
Sources
- Vanuatu Custom Land Management Office, Constitution articles brochure — https://clmo.gov.vu/images/documentation/brochures/Article%20of%20Constitution.pdf (via the search index; checked on 24 October 2026)
- Vanuatu Trade Portal, obtain a negotiator certificate — https://tradeportal.gov.vu/procedure/761?l=en (checked on 24 October 2026)
- Vanuatu Trade Portal, obtain an approved survey plan — https://tradeportal.gov.vu/procedure/762?l=en (checked on 24 October 2026)
- Vanuatu Trade Portal, obtain valuation certificates — https://tradeportal.gov.vu/procedure/763?l=en (checked on 24 October 2026)
- Vanuatu Trade Portal, obtain a lease agreement — https://tradeportal.gov.vu/procedure/764?l=en (checked on 24 October 2026)
- Vanuatu Trade Portal, obtain a registered lease — https://tradeportal.gov.vu/procedure/765?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)