On Thursday, May 28, 2015, the European Union and the Republic of Vanuatu signed an agreement on the short-stay visa waiver. This meant that Vanuatu citizens could spend up to 90 days in a 180-day period in the Schengen area. This agreement was temporarily suspended in May 2022 and the Vanuatu passport ranking looks set to suffer further with the EU looking to make that suspension permanent in 2024.

European Commission Proposes to Permanently Withdraw Visa-Free Travel From Vanuatu

The European Union’s European Commission released a Friday, May 31, 2024 press release. This reiterates EU’s concerns over security issues relating to Vanuatu Citizenship by Investment. In its eyes, Vanuatu has not done enough to address scrutiny over the due diligence they employ in dealing with Citizenship by Investment applications.

“Visa-free travel between the EU and its partner countries has many positive effects but if not well governed it can present risks. To address these, we constantly monitor our visa-free regimes. Today we make use of the Visa Suspension Mechanism to ensure compliance and respond to security threats effectively.

– Ylva Johansson, Commissioner for Home Affairs

The EU Effect on the Vanuatu Passport Ranking

Currently, our Passport Index ranks the Vanuatu passport 45th. It allows you to enjoy visa-free access to 113 travel destinations. With the European Commission’s announcement, we expect the Vanuatu passport ranking to deteriorate more.

The other main Citizenship by Investment countries offer stronger passports than Vanuatu. The Antigua and Barbuda passport is 21st in the rankings, facilitating travel to 157 countries without having to apply for a supplementary visa. Meanwhile, we rate the Dominica passport as 24th best in the world thanks to the 154 visa-free destinations it permits you to visit.

Moving on to another Eastern Caribbean Citizenship by Investment nation, the Grenada passport is 22nd in the rankings with 155 visa-free countries available for holders to travel to. The only European passport available through Citizenship by Investment is the Malta passport, 7th leading travel document in the world with visa-free access to 175 destinations.

Then there’s the St Kitts and Nevis passport, 18th strongest passport in the world with 161 countries visitable without securing a visa in advance. The St Lucia passport qualifies you to travel to 154 destinations, making it 23rd in our Passport Index. Finally, with 133 countries that you can go to free of a visa comes the Türkiye passport in 38th position.

How to Enhance Your Global Mobility in 2024

Citizenship by Investment is a route to a life of greater travel freedom. But to decide on the right programme for you and your family, you need to talk to an investment migration expert such as Latitude Group. So, don’t delay and contact us today.