A Vanuatu passport gives you visa-free, visa-on-arrival or e-visa access to 100+ countries and territories, with the strongest coverage across Asia, the Pacific, the Caribbean and Africa. It does not give you visa-free access to the Schengen Area, the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada or Australia.
That second sentence is the one most agent websites leave out. We are Vanuatu’s government-appointed Master Agent and we would rather you knew exactly what the passport does and does not do before you spend $135,000. This article gives you the full picture: the regional lists, the headline numbers from the independent indices, what changed and why, and how Vanuatu compares with the alternatives.
The headline numbers
Different indices count differently. Henley counts only visa-free and visa-on-arrival. Others add e-visa and electronic travel authorisation destinations. All are legitimate; the important thing is to compare like with like.
- Henley Passport Index 2026:** 88 destinations, ranked 50th
- CitizenX (July 2026): 90 destinations, passport power 55, 41% world access
- Including e-visa and eTA destinations: 100+ countries and territories
For context, Nauru’s passport scores 87 on CitizenX’s count and São Tomé and Príncipe’s scores 61. The Caribbean programmes score around 140–155 because they retain Schengen access.
What you can’t do: the honest part first
Schengen Area. Vanuatu’s visa waiver with the EU was suspended in 2022 and formally terminated on 12 December 2024. A Schengen visa is now required for all 29 Schengen states.
United Kingdom. The UK withdrew visa-free access in July 2023. A Standard Visitor Visa is required.
United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand. A visa or electronic travel authorisation is required, as it is for most passports outside the visa-waiver programmes. Australia’s eVisitor and New Zealand’s NZeTA are quick online processes.
China, Japan, South Korea, India. Visa required, though Hong Kong and Macao are visa-free and India offers an e-visa.
If European travel is your main reason for a second passport, a Caribbean programme will serve you better and we will say so in a consultation. Vanuatu’s case rests on speed, cost, tax, hereditary citizenship, the Impact Fund and Asia-Pacific mobility, not on Europe.
Full list by region
The lists below are the major destinations as at September 2026. Entry conditions change; check the destination’s embassy before you travel.
Asia and the Middle East
Pacific and Oceania
Caribbean and the Americas
Africa
Europe (non-Schengen) and other
Passport ranking and what it means
On Henley’s count, the Vanuatu passport ranks 50th of 199. That places it in the same band as a number of mid-ranked national passports, above most of Africa and South Asia, and below the Caribbean programmes. Before 2023 it ranked around 42nd with approximately 138 destinations; the loss of the UK and then Schengen accounts for the difference.
Ranking is a blunt instrument. What matters is whether the passport covers the places you go. If your life runs through Singapore, Hong Kong, Dubai, Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok, Bali, Fiji and the Caribbean, the Vanuatu passport covers it. If it runs through Paris, London and New York, it does not, and no honest adviser will tell you otherwise.
Why the passport lost EU and UK access
The European Commission raised concerns about Vanuatu’s citizenship programmes from 2017, citing the speed of grants, the absence of a residency requirement and the share of national revenue derived from the programme. The visa waiver was partially suspended in 2022 and terminated in December 2024. The UK acted earlier, withdrawing its waiver in 2023.
Vanuatu has responded with mandatory biometric capture, ICAO-compliant e-passports issued from December 2024, tightened FIU due diligence and a government audit of the CIIP fund in 2025. Restoring EU or UK access would require sustained compliance over several years and an active diplomatic process. It is not something anyone should promise you, and we do not.
How Vanuatu compares
Source: Henley Passport Index 2026; CitizenX programme pages, July 2026; SKP Programme Guide 2026. Caribbean pricing is CitizenX’s all-in figure including agent fees; Vanuatu’s is the complete government cost with no agent fees.
The Caribbean passports are stronger on mobility at roughly double the price and three to four times the processing time. Nauru is close on mobility and cheaper on headline price, but slower, interview-based and a paper passport. São Tomé is the cheapest and the weakest. Read our detailed [Vanuatu vs Nauru](#) and [Vanuatu vs São Tomé](#) comparisons for the full picture.
The passport itself
Vanuatu issues an ICAO-compliant biometric e-passport, valid for ten years. Biometric data is captured in person at Port Vila or at Vanuatu consulates in Hong Kong, Dubai and Nouméa; the rest of the application is remote. The document is accepted for international travel worldwide and for KYC at banks and exchanges, subject to the institution’s own policy on economic citizens.
Frequently asked questions
How many countries can I visit visa-free with a Vanuatu passport?
Around 88 visa-free or visa-on-arrival on Henley’s count, and 100+ countries and territories once e-visa and eTA destinations are included.
Can I travel to Europe with a Vanuatu passport?
Not visa-free. Schengen access ended in December 2024. You can apply for a Schengen visa in the normal way.
Can I travel to the UK?
Not visa-free since 2023. A Standard Visitor Visa is required.
Is Singapore visa-free?
Yes, 30 days. Hong Kong is 90 days and Macao 30 days.
Is Russia visa-free?
Yes, 90 days under a bilateral agreement in force since 2016.
Will Vanuatu get Schengen access back?
Not soon, and nobody can promise it. Decide on the basis of the passport as it is today.
Is the passport biometric?
Yes. ICAO-compliant e-passport, ten-year validity.
Next step
If the destinations above match the way you travel, Vanuatu is the fastest and lowest-cost way to get there. Use the cost calculator for a figure for your family, or book a consultation and we will tell you plainly whether Vanuatu or another programme is the right fit.
