What do you think about Vanuatu Citizenship?

[Marc Rich]

The donation is only $100,000. There is⁠ also on top various government fees such as processing, due diligence, local agent fee etc.⁤ + Henley Professional fees (which are A LOT).

About visa-free numbers, you should check which⁣ countries you need to access rather than total number, as those numbers sometimes might not⁢ have the countries you need

 

[Golden Fleece]

Henley is a horrible company, but you do not need to use⁣ them. There are plenty of other licensed agents for the Commonwealth of Dominica's CBI program.⁢ For example, you can use The Nestmann Group, located in the U.S., or anybody else.︀

I am not sure why anyone would choose Vanuatu, even with a price discount. At︁ least, not until they clean up their act. Unfortunately, a history of previous problems is︂ often a harbinger of future problems. So, Vanuatu now has a bad reputation to overcome.︃ This will result in extra scrutiny at border control offices for its passport holders.

 

[lacomaco]

If you think Henley will do it for⁠ you for US$100,000 including all the government fees, costs and their professional fees then you⁤ are hugely mistaken. With the visa problems Vanuatu is not a good choice now I⁣ agree

 

[Golden Fleece]

No one ever said that. Stop putting words into people's mouth. I cited the⁠ cost of the donation, because I am comparing apples and apples here -- not apples⁤ and oranges. So, I am comparing the cost of the Dominica donation ($100k) with the⁣ cost of the Vanuatu donation ($130). But even factoring in the government fees, the Dominican⁢ CBI program is still less, with visa-free access to the EU.

Everyone knows that there︀ are roughly $25k in government fees involved with Dominica's CBI program, but I do not︁ know the cost of the Vanuatu CBI government fees. Moreover, the Dominican CBI commission fees︂ vary widely depending on the licensed agent. So, it is certainly worth shopping around.

In fact, if your join the top tier Sovereign Man membership, it has negotiated huge discounts︃ on five different CBI programs, where you can save between $15,000 to $25,000 in commission︄ fees, depending on the program. It deals directly with the country involved (including Dominica), which︅ cuts out the agent fee. So, any prudent person will do deep research on this︆ topic before committing to any particular program.

 

[lacomaco]

I think clients︆ are interested in the total cost, not just the donation... But I agree: Total Access︇ is a very good place to be. I am a member 😉

 

[Marc Rich]

Vanuatu still holds value, even without EU visa-free. There are⁣ still tons of people who do not wish to hold Caribbean and would opt for⁢ Vanuatu instead. Yes, ok their process can be a bit messy at times, but I︀ have experienced the exact same in the Caribbean. Vanuatu will now sell a huge amount︁ to Russian Citizens, and after they will (hopefully) reduce the price by 20-25% making it︂ still very attractive (as lack of EU visa-free is not the whole world).

My personal︃ advice to Vanautu Authorities was that they should now focus on Russian clientele, and after︄ to revamp their program with the DD to please the higher ups in EU and︅ lower the price to still maintain a good stream of applicants.

Also reminder this is︆ a SUSPENSION not a CANCELLATION, so naturally this leaves the door open for a reinstatement︇ of EU visa-free waiver.

There is also a chance that Vanuatu could successfully address the︈ EU concerns before the suspension takes place in May, having the suspension lifted before taking︉ effect, my fingers are crossed for this also 🙂

 

[captain9]

Is it a donation or an investment normally? Can I invest in an apartment that‌ I rent out later? When can I sell it? Dominica? Vanuatu? Others?

What are the‍ advantages over a residency in Paraguay for example that you can get for $5k in⁠ 90 days? ATM there is no problem getting EU visas for Russian passport holders so⁤ visa free for me is not a priority. I am interested more in protecting my⁣ account in interactivebrokers, Wise and opening more accounts in decent banks. Is it easier to⁢ open accounts with a Dominican passport over Russian passport with Paraguayan residency?

 

[backpacker]

It is called "‍Heimatort" and can be translated to "Place of Origin".
This was always⁠ shown in a Swiss passport.
"Heimatort"/"Place of Origin" = "Geburtsort"/"Place of Birth".
In case anybody⁤ likes to read up the history of this term Home town is where the heart⁣ is

 

[Golden Fleece]

Some potential new developments regarding the Vanuatu CBI program:
https://cronullanews.sydney/feature...or-offering-economic-citizenship-to-russians/
This information seems rather odd. Since when did the EU require any CBI︀ program to require a physical presence or residence in the CBI country? And did the︁ EU ever require a CBI country to have an information exchange with an applicant’s origin︂ country?

And banning persons from CBI programs because an applicant's origin country requires a visa︃ to travel to the EU? Indeed, visa-free travel is one of the major selling points︄ for CBI programs.

Are these really new potential EU requirements for CBI programs that offer︅ visa-free travel to the EU? Or is this just an erroneous news article? I find︆ this a bit hard to believe. Unless banning Russian citizens from CBI programs is now︇ a ruse to also prevent a large number of other people from obtaining CBI passports.︈ Such restrictions would ban CBI programs for those who need a second passport the most.︉

 

[KDX]

I'm 90% sure this is the case.

 

[Marc Rich]

It is a donation to a social wellfare fund, so not really an‍ investment. In Dominica you can purchase real estate, but I would not recommend this for⁠ many reasons.
It is for sure easier to bank anywhere︂ with 2nd passport. Paraguayan residency with Russian passport will not help much outside of Paraguay.︃ You can get UAE residency in 1-2 days and bank in the UAE just as︄ easily. Many Russians who were not before interested in any 2nd passport, are now getting︅ them in order to continue using services like the ones you have mentioned.

Even those︉ that have publicly stated that they have banned Russians - are still doing some Russian︊ files, and those that will in the near future ban Russians - will also keep︋ doing those files.

 

[crypto7figs]

I've read a few times that citizenship by purchasing real estate is not recommended.
Why though? What makes it's not advisable.

I would rather prefer to buy a real estate‌ of $500k than giving away $100k

 

[Sols]

I'd say it depends‍ on what citizenship you're acquiring vs what citizenship(s) you were born with.

It is sometimes⁠ considered suspicious by banks and immigration, which is typically when you need a passport the⁤ most. Banks will still ask to see your other passport and you'll be assessed based⁣ on the riskiest (least reputable) of the two, plus the added suspicion that you got⁢ a new passport to evade the problems associated with your first.

There is also a︀ personal reputational risk if your new citizenship is made public knowledge (Malta publishes, and data︁ leaks are all too common in the industry), especially if your original citizenship does not︂ allow dual citizenship.

However, all that extra headache can still be worth it in order︃ to obtain a passport which opens up new possibilities for business, banking, travel, and living.︄

 

[crypto7figs]

Hey @Sols thank you for the answer. I understand that the doors been shutting down‌ for CBI programs.
The question was more of that: why choosing donation over the real‍ estate program.

Ik that, sometimes the prices are overinflated, but I was looking for good⁠ options of $220k, and still, you will have both citizenship and real estate. Even if⁤ it's a bit overinflated, you can still recover the investment when you decide to sell⁣ for the same price or even a bit lower.

 

[lacomaco]

Hi, There are two different versions of a property component solution: you need to buy from⁢ the approved properties or you can buy any residential/commercial property. With approved projects you should︀ expect: 1. Fractional ownership for the minimum USD200,000-220,000, with either 1 or 2 co-owner with︁ you. A Caribbean reliable (in a sense that the project will materialize) developer is selling︂ 26 sqm student flats to three owners for USD 220,000 each - so the sale︃ is at 25,000 USD per square meter. Do you really want to own such a︄ property? 2. No secondary market exist for selling the overpriced propeerties at all. If you︅ nthink you can recover your funds, then good luck! Another very big problem is the︆ fraudulent use of "financing solution", where the property will not be finished at all. Just︇ as a reminder of how Caribbean citizenship property fraud is going on, please read this︈ article: US $2.2 Billion - Biggest Fraud In Caribbean History - Daily Research Editor . Some amounts are not correct, but the contents are definitely.

As a sideline, more and︉ more agents are refusing to process the property based citizenship applications of applicants in several︊ countries as they are aware of the financial and legal risks and would not want︋ to be part of it.

 

[Henn and Rich]

It is less of⁠ a headache to give away $100k than to spend $500k and own property in a⁤ very far away banana land for the sake of a not-so-great passport

 

[lacomaco]

In general terms I fully agree (see⁠ reasoning above), if you meant Vanuatu then the property-based citizenship never materialized

 

[Henn and Rich]

yes it not. They are also‍ planning to issue a bond-based investment route ( I would avoid that like the plague⁠ as well )

 

[crypto7figs]

It's pretty much answered.︈ Thank you for taking the time and for the info.
Do you know if it's︉ all the same? Every jurisdiction in the Caribbean?

 

[Henn and Rich]

there's 5 jurisdictions in the Caribbean that have active cash for passport schemes‍ - all 5 have property investment schemes, and maybe 3-4 jurisdictions have some sort of⁠ 'financing' scheme. Some are outright illegal while some are more or less accepted by the⁤ governing body of said jurisdiction and you still get your banana country passport for less⁣ than the official amount.