In 2015, a visa waiver agreement has applied between the EU and Vanuatu. This agreement allows citizens of Vanuatu to travel to the EU without a visa for stays of up to 90 days in any 180-day period.
The Council today decided to partially suspend the visa waiver agreement with Vanuatu due to the risks posed by its investor citizenship schemes (‘golden passport’ schemes). The suspension concerns only citizens of Vanuatu holding ordinary passports issued since 25 May 2015, when these Vanuatu investment citizenship schemes entered into force. At the end of this process, holders of such passports will need a visa to travel to the EU (Schengen area).
The partial suspension will come effective from 4 May 2022 as regards citizens of Vanuatu holding an ordinary passport issued by Vanuatu as of 25 May 2015.
The Commission considered that the investor schemes in place in Vanuatu went against the objectives of the EU visa policy, and on 12 January 2022 proposed the partial suspension of the visa waiver agreement with Vanuatu.
The decision will now be published in the Official Journal and will enter into force two months after publication. Under the visa waiver agreement, the decision on suspension is to be notified to the other party no later than two months before its entry into force.
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