Vanuatu’s visa-free travel is officially discontinued by the EU
Vanuatu’s visa-free travel is officially discontinued by the EU
The European Union Council has formally decided to take Vnuatu off the list of nations whose citizens will no longer be able to enter the bloc without a visa.
In 2022, the visa-free travel arrangement with Vanuatu was put on hold for a while. However, the EU body chose to permanently terminate the agreement because the country did not comply with the EU’s requirements regarding its investor citizenship program, which has led to security and migration risks.
As a result of the EU’s decision to remove Vanuatu’s visa exemption, all of its citizens will now have to apply for and receive a Schengen visa in order to enter the EU.
Foreigners who have invested to become citizens of Vanuatu will also be subject to the same regulations. They will no longer be able to enter the bloc without a visa and will need to have a current Schengen visa in order to enter for any reason.
Vanuatu has misused the trusts of the EU. Rapporteur Cunha Said Vanuatu has been awarding citizenship to foreign nationals through investor citizenship programs since May 25, 2015, and on May 28, 2015, the country was added to the list of nations whose citizens are allowed entry into the EU without a visa.
In order to address its concerns regarding Vanuatu’s investor citizenship program, the EU initiated a dialogue with the nation. But in spite of the EU’s efforts, the issues surrounding Vanuatu’s investor citizenship program persisted, and as a result, the visa exemption was permanently terminated.
The vote by the EU Parliament earlier in November was followed by the Council’s decision.
He also emphasized that it is now evident that this third country’s citizenship program enables people to get citizenship in return for monetary contributions and gives them entry to the Schengen Area without a visa.
Cunha added that Vanuatu’s requirements for individuals seeking citizenship through investment are extremely worrisome, and that the short processing times the nation has been using are also an issue because they do not allow for adequate background checks.
