On Friday 31 May, the European Commission proposed the permanent reintroduction of the visa requirement for Vanuatu citizens, it said in a press release.
The proposal is in line with the Commission’s efforts to tackle irregular migration and security threats linked to the visa waiver regime, in particular when they result from citizenship-by-investment schemes implemented by countries whose nationals are exempt from the visa requirement. The risks include infiltration by organised crime, money laundering, tax evasion and corruption. An in-depth dialogue with the Vanuatu authorities was launched in May 2022.
Vanuatu has adopted several amendments to its legislation, but the Commission considers that these measures have not been sufficient to mitigate the security risks posed by the citizenship-by-investment schemes still in force in this country. Nationals of Vanuatu will therefore be permanently subject to a visa requirement when travelling to the EU for short stays (of up to 90 days in any 180-day period). (Original version in French by Solenn Paulic)