Overview

The Basics

Nearly 2,000 kilometers east of Australia in the Coral Sea, which is part of the Pacific Ocean, lies Vanuatu, a Y-shaped island group. Vanuatu’s landmass is roughly 15,000 square kilometers and the island chain itself spans just over 6oo kilometers from north to south.

The majority of the islands was formed by volcanic eruptions and is covered in mountains. There are still a number of active volcanoes, both on land and underwater, in Vanuatu and volcanic activity is a common event. The last major eruption was in over fifty years ago; nevertheless, the islands are continually under the threat of another major eruption.

The island grouping is made up of 12 main islands and 65 or so smaller islands. The capital, Vila, is located on located on the island of Efate. The other main town in Vanuatu is Luganville, which is also called Santo, and is located on the island of Espirito Snato.

The nation’s two largest airports are at Bauerfield, near Port Vila, and Pekoa on Espiritu Santo. It is possible to take advantage of daily connections to Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, the Solomon Islands and New Caledonia at these airports. In addition, many islands have airports for island-to-island service. There are also sea ferries that link the islands and shipping services to Australia, New Zealand, Europe and New Caledonia.

Although Europeans didn’t land on the islands of Vanuatu until 1606, the islands have been inhabited for thousands of years. The Spaniard, Pedro Fernandez de Quiros, was the first European to discover the islands. Later, Captain Cook of Great Britain charted the islands. From the mid-1800s the islands were exploited commercially and in 1906 France and Britain created a condominium over the islands. The islands remained under the joint control of the British and French until 1980.

The national language is an English-based Melanesian pidgin called Bislama or Bichelama. Both French and English are also official languages.

As of July 2006, over 200,000 people live Vanuatu and the annual growth rate is estimated at nearly 1.5%. The indigenous population, called Ni-Vanuatu, is almost all Melanesian with only a small percentage of Europeans, Vietnamese, Chinese, Micronesians, and Chinese.

In 1980 Vanuatu gained its independence from France and Britain who had ruled it jointly for most of the 20th Century.

Government and Economy

Vanuatu has a democratically elected unicameral Parliament whose members serve four-year terms. As with other parliamentary governments, the parliament elects a Prime Minister who is one of its members. The Prime Minister in turn appoints a Council of Ministers to assist him. The President is elected an electoral college that is created from the Parliament and the presidents of regional councils. The President serves a five-year term. In addition to these posts, the constitution makes provision for the National Council of Chiefs that offers advice on matters relating to custom and land.

Four judges, one of whom acts as the chief justice, sit on the Supreme Court. The President has the authority to appoint the chief justice but he/she must consult with the Prime Minister and the opposition leader before making the appointment. Also, the President is responsible for appointing the other three justices but he must seek the advice of the Judicial Service Commission when carrying out this tax. Vanuatu’s legal system is largely based on English Common Law and to a lesser extent the French Civil System. British and French laws pre-dating the constitution are still upheld unless they are specifically revoked or somehow incompatible with Vanuatu’s constitution.

Vanuatu’s developing free market economy is largely based on fishing and small-scale or subsistence agriculture. Thanks to the warm temperatures, rainfall, and favorable soil, the growing conditions on the island are good and the land supports the growth of coconuts, coffee, bananas, and yams among other things. Cattle are also raised on coconut plantations and large ranches.

In recent years tourism has become another important economic sector and is supported by attractive international hotels and restaurants in the major cities. These hotels are able to accommodate large cruise liners and this has lead to an influx in tourists.

The offshore financial sector market has been a target of development since the 1970s. Vanuatu has created schemes for banking, insurance, trust management, and shipping.

Vanuatu’s economic health has been rather unsteady in the past decade suffering from a recession and a drop in tourism following several particularly bad cyclone seasons, which also harmed the agriculture sector. The economy appears to have bounced back, though, and the number of tourists has increased since 2005 and inflation has fallen.

Foreign Affairs

Vanuatu is a member of the Commonwealth of Nations and La Francophonie.

Non-Vanuatu citizens wishing to work and reside in Vanuatu must obtain permits to do so. Generally speaking, these permits are only given to skilled workers or people who wish to invest substantial funds into the nations. It is customary to apply for residency and work permits concurrently. Anyone staying in Vanuatu for more than four months per year must apply for a residency permit, usually issued for a one-year period and subject to annual renewal.

Potential investors hoping to establish businesses in the country may also apply for and receive residence permits. In this case, potential investors need to receive approval for their business from the Vanuatu Investment Promotion Authority Board (VIPA) before starting the residence permit application process. Again, these residence permits are generally issued for a one-year period and are subject to annual renewal provided the conditions under which they were originally issued haven’t changed.

Anyone who would like to visit Vanuatu for pleasure, to visit family members, to investigate possible business opportunities in the nation, or for the furtherance of businesses carried about abroad can obtain visitors permits upon arrival as long as they posses a confirmed onward or return ticket to which entry is authorized, a valid passport, and sufficient funds to support themselves during their stay.

With the following certification: police clearance from country of origin (Statutory declaration); birth certificate; number of dependents, gender & birth certificate; certificate of incorporation from VFSC; divorce certificate if relevant; medical certificate; Marriage certificate if any; copy of passport; VIPA certificate; passport photos and proof of monthly revenue transfer to Vanuatu from a local commercial bank, it is possible to obtain a retirement residency permit.

Long-Term Residency Permit applicants must promise to invest a minimum amount in Vanuatu, depending on the length of permit.

Only citizens of Vanuatu are eligible for permanent residence in Vanuatu. It is possible for non-citizens who have resided in Vanuatu continuously for 10 years to apply for citizenship by naturalization.

Visa for stays shorter than 30 days are not required for residents of the following countries: all EU countries, all Commonwealth countries, Austria, Bermuda, Cameroon, China, Dependencies of United Kingdom, Dependencies of France, Brazil, Mexico, Tunisia, Peru, Finland, Japan, South Korea, Maldives, Marshall Island, Federated States of Micronesia, Norway, Chile, Morocco, Russian Federation, United Arab Emirates, Palau, Philippines, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, Unites States of America, Kuwait, Poland, South Africa, and the Vatican.