Home / Citizenship by Investment / Vanuatu / Citizenship renunciation
A Vanuatu citizen aged 18 or over who already holds another nationality, or is renouncing in order to obtain one, may renounce by a sworn Declaration of Renunciation of Vanuatu Citizenship lodged with the Citizenship Office in Port Vila.
Requirements and processMCP
The short answer
Yes. Under section 17 of Vanuatu's Citizenship Act [CAP. 112], a citizen aged 18 or over and of full capacity may renounce Vanuatu citizenship, provided he or she already holds another nationality or is renouncing in order to obtain one. You complete the Declaration of Renunciation of Vanuatu Citizenship published by the Vanuatu Citizenship Office, declare it before a Commissioner for Oaths, a Notary Public or a person authorised to witness statutory declarations, and lodge it with the Citizenship Office in Port Vila. The Citizenship Commission records renunciations in its register. No government fee and no official processing time are published for renunciation.
Information, not legal or tax advice. Statute text verified against the Consolidated Edition 2021 of the Citizenship Act [CAP. 112] published by the Vanuatu Citizenship Office. The Citizenship Office and Parliament websites were checked on 11 November 2026 and show no later amendment to section 17.
Eligibility and pre-checks
The legal test in section 17 is short. The practical checks decide how smoothly a file runs, so Mirabello Consultancy completes them before anything is signed.
Documents
Process
Renouncing Vanuatu citizenship takes three official steps: completing the declaration, making it under oath before an authorised witness, and lodging it with the Citizenship Office in Port Vila. One dedicated Mirabello contact manages the file around those steps, from first call to written confirmation.
Fees
No government fee for renouncing Vanuatu citizenship is published. Section 24 of the Citizenship Act lets the Prime Minister prescribe fees by order, and the fee orders and fee table published by the Vanuatu Citizenship Office list no item for renunciation. That is not confirmation that nothing is charged, so we confirm the position with the Citizenship Office before filing and pass any government charge through at cost.
| Fee | Amount | Notes | Source | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Government fee for the declaration of renunciation | None published | The published fee orders and the Citizenship Office fee table list no renunciation fee; confirmed with the office at filing. | vancitizenship.gov.vu · 11 November 2026 vancitizenship.gov.vu · 11 November 2026 vancitizenship.gov.vu · 11 November 2026 |
# |
| Mirabello professional fee | Fixed fee, quoted in writing | Agreed before you engage us; separate from government fees, which are passed through at cost. | Mirabello Consultancy | # |
Government vs professional fees. Government fees are set by the authorities and can change without notice. Our fee covers pre-checks, drafting, witnessing coordination, filing, follow-up and notifications. Courier and notary charges are at cost.
Timeline
No official processing time is published for renouncing Vanuatu citizenship, in the Citizenship Act or by the Vanuatu Citizenship Office. We do not estimate one. Mirabello confirms the current practice with the Citizenship Office for each file and tells you what to expect before you sign.
| Stage | Indicative duration | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-check and preparation of the declaration | Not published | A Mirabello service stage; we agree the schedule with you at the start. |
| Lodging to entry in the register | Not published | No official processing time exists; Mirabello confirms the current practice for each file. |
| Written confirmation | Not published | The official sources describe no certificate or confirmation step; Mirabello confirms the current practice for each file. |
We update you at every stage. Official processing is outside our control and cannot be expedited by any agent.
Remote or in person
The official sources do not say whether a declaration of renunciation can be lodged from abroad, by post or through a Vanuatu mission. What they do set out is that the declaration is made before a Commissioner for Oaths, a Notary Public or a person authorised to witness statutory declarations, and that the Citizenship Office is in Port Vila. Before you sign, we confirm with the Citizenship Office how it accepts a declaration made outside Vanuatu, then arrange the witnessing and the delivery of the originals to match.
After renunciation
Data protection
Your documents travel through secure channels and are shared only with the Vanuatu Citizenship Office, notaries and couriers, as each step requires. We keep records only as long as regulation and our engagement terms require.
Questions
You need to hold another nationality or citizenship already, or to be renouncing for the purpose of obtaining one (section 17(2) of the Citizenship Act). The official declaration asks for the country and date of your other citizenship. How the Citizenship Office treats a declaration made before the other citizenship is granted is not published, so we confirm it for each file.
No government fee for renunciation is published. The fee orders and the fee table of the Vanuatu Citizenship Office list no item for it, which is not confirmation that nothing is charged. We confirm the position at filing; our professional fee is fixed and quoted in writing.
No official processing time is published, in the Act or by the Citizenship Office, and we do not estimate one. Mirabello confirms the current practice with the office for each file before you sign.
You complete the Declaration of Renunciation of Vanuatu Citizenship and make it before a Commissioner for Oaths, a Notary Public or a person authorised to witness statutory declarations. It is lodged with the Citizenship Office in Port Vila. The official sources do not say whether it can be sent by post or through a Vanuatu mission, so we confirm the accepted route with the office first.
Yes, you may apply. Under section 18 of the Citizenship Act, a person who has renounced may apply to the Citizenship Commission to regain citizenship, using Form C (b), and the Commission decides whether to grant it. The form's checklist includes your passports, your present foreign citizenship certificate, your previous Vanuatu citizenship certificate and police clearances.
The official sources are silent. The investment programme provisions of the Citizenship Act contain no separate renunciation rule, and neither the Act nor the Citizenship Office states that any contribution or fee is recoverable after renunciation.
No. Section 17 applies only to a citizen who is 18 or over and of full capacity, so each adult makes his or her own declaration. The Act contains no provision on the effect of a parent's renunciation on a minor child and no procedure for renouncing on a child's behalf.
The official sources do not state whether the passport and citizenship certificate are surrendered with the declaration. We confirm this with the Citizenship Office before lodging. After renunciation you travel on your other passport, so we check that it is valid before the file goes in.
A confidential, no-obligation conversation with a Mirabello specialist, in your language.
Book a free consultation WhatsApp usMirabello Consultancy provides information and support services on citizenship and residency matters. This page is information, not legal or tax advice. Statute references are to the Citizenship Act [CAP. 112], Consolidated Edition 2021, and the Constitution of the Republic of Vanuatu, as published by the Vanuatu Citizenship Office. Government fees and procedures are set by the authorities and may change; we confirm them before filing.