On December 12, 2024, the Council of the European Union announced the decision to remove Vanuatu from the list of countries whose citizens are exempt from needing a visa to travel to the EU. This follows concerns over Vanuatu’s investor citizenship scheme, which has raised security and migration risks for the EU.
Since 2015, Vanuatu has operated schemes allowing third-country nationals to gain citizenship in exchange for investment, which also grants them visa-free access to the EU. Despite efforts by the European Commission to address the issue, concerns over the scheme persisted.
As a result, the Council has amended the EU’s visa regulation, requiring Vanuatu nationals to obtain a visa before entering the EU. This decision had already been put on hold in 2022.
For more details, read the full press release here. Alternatively, we are happy to speak with you on a free one on one consultation and discuss how we can assist you with your investment immigration planning.
Image credit: Vanuatu Daily Post
