Until a few years ago, the Vanuatu passport gave visa-free access to the Schengen area and the United Kingdom. That has changed. This article explains the changes with official sources of the European Union and the UK Government. The sources were checked on 24 October 2026.
The European Union: from a partial suspension to a full visa requirement
- March 2022: with Decision (EU) 2022/366, the Council of the European Union partially suspended the visa waiver agreement with Vanuatu. It targeted passports issued through the citizenship by investment programme.
- 12 December 2024: the Council of the European Union announced that it had removed Vanuatu from the list of visa-exempt countries. The official reason was continuing concern about Vanuatu's citizenship by investment programme, despite the Commission's dialogue with the country.
- 19 December 2024: Regulation (EU) 2025/11 was adopted, moving Vanuatu from Annex II (visa-exempt) to Annex I (visa required) of Regulation (EU) 2018/1806. It was published in the Official Journal of the European Union on 14 January 2025.
The recitals of the regulation state that Vanuatu's citizenship programmes have no requirement of residence or physical presence in Vanuatu and that applicants are not interviewed in the application process.
The United Kingdom
The UK Government announced that from 19 July 2023 Vanuatu nationals need a visa to travel to the United Kingdom. Ireland also requires a visa from Vanuatu nationals.
What it means for a Vanuatu passport holder
- To travel to any Schengen country on a Vanuatu passport, a Schengen visa is needed.
- A visa is also needed for the United Kingdom and Ireland.
- The Vanuatu passport still gives access to many countries visa-free, with a visa on arrival or with an e-visa. See the full table in the article "Travelling on a Vanuatu passport" and in the site's Vanuatu guide.
- If you hold another passport that gives visa-free access to Schengen, weigh the entry rule on that passport. Always enter and leave on one passport.
Before deciding
If visa-free travel to Europe or the United Kingdom is your main reason for a second citizenship, Vanuatu, as things stand, does not meet that need. In that case consider other programmes, such as Dominica. According to our sources in October 2026, Dominica needs no visa for a short stay in Schengen. Both positions may change. Before deciding, check the current position with the official source.
This article is general information and not legal or immigration advice.
Sources
- 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)
- Regulation (EU) 2025/11 of 19 December 2024 — https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2025/11/oj/eng (checked on 24 October 2026)
- European Commission, proposal for a partial suspension of the visa waiver agreement with Vanuatu (2022) — https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/es/ip_22_264 (checked on 24 October 2026)
- UK Government, visa requirement for Vanuatu nationals (19 July 2023) — https://www.gov.uk/government/news/visa-requirement-for-ni-vanuatu-nationals-visiting-uk (checked on 18 October 2026)