EU revokes Vanuatu’s visa-free travel for its ‘golden passport’ scheme
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The end of the agreement with Vanuatu marks the first time the bloc has withdrawn a country's visa exemption for operating "golden passport" schemes.
PHOTO: REUTERS
BRUSSELS – The European Union (EU) revoked a visa-free travel agreement with a country over its “golden passport” programme for the first time on Dec 12, ending the deal with the Pacific archipelago of Vanuatu due to concerns over its scheme.
The programme enabled foreigners to acquire Vanuatu citizenship and a passport by making a minimum investment of US$130,000 (S$175,000). This granted them visa-free access to the EU under the visa waiver agreement the country had with the 27-nation bloc.
The EU had already suspended Vanuatu’s visa exemption in 2022. An EU official said the end of the agreement with Vanuatu, announced in a statement, marked the first time the bloc has withdrawn the visa exemption of a country for operating “golden passport” schemes.
The European Commission has repeatedly expressed concern that such programmes could create security vulnerabilities and facilitate money laundering.
Vanuatu’s Brussels embassy was not immediately available for comment.
In a report released in December 2024, the EU said it was monitoring other visa-free countries, including Eastern European and Eastern Caribbean states, offering a similar scheme. REUTERS
