Investment property: Vanuatu

Updated 5 October 2026

Investment property in Vanuatu: shortlisting, legal due diligence and deal support for you.

You cannot buy property in Vanuatu in the usual sense: under the constitution all land belongs to its indigenous custom owners, and there is no freehold land for foreigners or for most locals. A foreigner obtains a registered land lease of up to 75 years and owns the house on it. Such a lease is a full asset: it can be sold, inherited and mortgaged. The market is small, and most deals are on Efate, home to the capital Port Vila, and Espiritu Santo.

How the long lease works

• Term: up to 75 years. A property's price depends heavily on the years left on the lease. The term can be extended only by agreement with the owners; there is no automatic right.
• Registration with the Department of Lands; only a registered lease protects the buyer.
• Owners' consent. Since the land reform, a new lease can be granted only with the consent of the whole custom owner group. Disputes among them are the main source of land problems.
• Lease rent is paid annually under the contract, which sets how it is reviewed.

Transaction costs

Stamp duty and the fee for registering a lease transfer together come to about 7% of the lease value, according to several independent sources. The split between the two differs between descriptions, so we calculate the exact sum from the documents of each deal. Title checks, surveying where needed and legal support are paid separately.

Owner's taxes

Vanuatu has no personal income tax, capital gains tax or inheritance tax. If you let the property as a business, a foreign investor needs approval from the Vanuatu Investment Promotion Authority, and business rules then apply.

Does property give citizenship

The main route to a Vanuatu passport is a contribution to a government fund, not a property purchase. An approved real estate option was launched in 2021, but there are no fresh official data on such applications being accepted in 2026. Also important: since 3 February 2025 Vanuatu citizens need a visa for the Schengen area. Details, timelines and amounts are on our Vanuatu citizenship page.

How the purchase works

1. Goal. A home for yourself, a resort property to let, or part of a citizenship plan: this drives the choice.
2. Title check at the Department of Lands: who the lessee is, years remaining, mortgages and disputes with owners.
3. Property check: building permits, condition, water and power access.
4. Contract for the lease transfer, and owners' approval if the lease requires it.
5. Registration of the transfer with the Department of Lands and payment of fees.

Risks

• Disputes among custom owners can block a renewal or a new lease.
• Unregistered lease agreements do not protect the buyer.
• Low liquidity: buyers are few and a sale can take a long time.
• Cyclones and earthquakes: in December 2024 a strong earthquake damaged buildings in Port Vila, so construction quality and insurance matter.

What we do

We shortlist a property, check the title and lease history at the Department of Lands, establish the owners' position, inspect the building, and support the contract and registration with locally licensed partners. If your goal is a passport, we first check whether Vanuatu still meets it after losing Schengen access.

What we do

• Property shortlist for your investment goal
• Legal due diligence on the property
• End-to-end transaction support
• Ownership structuring (company, trust)
• Property management and letting

See also

Company formation · Business account · Personal account · All country programs

FAQ