Skip to content
REPORT (COM(2024)0365 – C100008/2024 – 2024/0128(COD))

On the proposal for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Regulation (EU) 2018/1806 as regards Vanuatu

A-10-2024-0015

Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs · Rapporteur: Paulo Cunha

Official HTML ↗ PDF DOCX
✦ In shortFull textProcedure & committee votes
✦ In short · AI summary of this text, generated 4 Sept 2026

Written by a language model from the full text only; every figure comes from the text. The paragraph links open the paragraph a statement rests on — check the text itself before relying on it.

Parliament's position at first reading on the proposal to amend Regulation (EU) 2018/1806 as regards Vanuatu, taking over the Commission proposal to suspend visa-free access for Vanuatu nationals due to security concerns from its citizenship-by-investment programs.

Committee position. The rapporteur welcomes the Commission proposal and supports its speedy adoption without amendments, as Vanuatu's citizenship program poses a security threat.

Key points

  1. Parliament adopts its position at first reading, taking over the Commission proposal without amendments.
  2. Vanuatu is currently listed in Annex II to Regulation (EU) 2018/1806, granting its nationals visa-free access for stays of no more than 90 days in any 180-day period.
  3. Vanuatu's citizenship-by-investment programs allow foreign investors to obtain citizenship for a minimum investment of $130,000, with no physical presence requirement and processing in as little as three months.
  4. The Commission found serious deficiencies in Vanuatu's citizenship program, including a very low rejection rate, lack of physical presence requirements, and insufficient background checks, leading to fears of security risks.
  5. The EU suspended Vanuatu's visa-free access to the Schengen Area, first partially in 2022, then fully as of February 2023 until now.
  6. The rapporteur states that Vanuatu has been selling its citizenship and abusing the EU's trust, and that the program poses a substantial threat to the EU.
  7. The low rejection rate of applications casts doubt on the thoroughness of security checks, increasing the risk of granting citizenship to individuals on international watch lists.
  8. The absence of physical presence requirements and short processing periods do not allow sufficient time for comprehensive background checks.
  9. Lack of systematic information exchange with applicants' countries of origin or residence exacerbates security risks and can circumvent EU visa procedures.
  10. Vanuatu has shown inadequate cooperation with the European Commission and has continued issuing visas to Russian citizens amid the aggression in Ukraine, undermining EU efforts.
  11. The rapporteur considers the removal of Vanuatu from the visa-free list proportionate and justified, and supports the Commission proposal for speedy adoption.

Who is affected

  • Nationals of Vanuatu: their visa-free access to the EU is suspended, requiring visas for stays.
  • Foreign investors seeking Vanuatu citizenship through investment programs: the program's security flaws lead to suspension of visa-free travel.

Figures and deadlines

  • $130,000 minimum investment required for Vanuatu citizenship.
  • Processing can be completed in as little as three months.
  • Stays of no more than 90 days in any 180-day period are covered by the visa exemption.

Legal basis: Article 77(2), point (a), of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union