Bank Account Opening in Vanuatu

Non-residents can open a bank account in Vanuatu, and banks there have published rules for them. A Vanuatu bank account opening is an application, not a purchase: the bank runs its own anti-money-laundering checks and can decline without giving every reason. We prepare the pack the bank asks for and stay on the application until the bank opens the account or declines it.

Banks in Vanuatu

The main banks include BRED Bank Vanuatu, the National Bank of Vanuatu, and branches of regional banks. Each sets its own acceptance policy for non-residents, and the National Bank of Vanuatu publishes its identification requirements and customer forms online.

Documents banks commonly ask for

BRED Bank Vanuatu asks personal customers for an account application, an individual onboarding form, and due-diligence information, and checks identity with a points-based system: you provide enough identity documents to reach the required score. Non-residents have different identification requirements from residents. In practice, banks ask non-residents for:

• A valid passport, and often a second ID document
• Proof of your residential address abroad
• Information on your occupation, income, and source of funds
• A tax-compliance declaration

The tax compliance certificate

BRED asks non-resident customers to complete a certificate of compliance and authority, which confirms that they meet their tax obligations in their country of residence. For business accounts, non-resident signatories and shareholders also give a valid passport and their latest tax return.

Currencies

Accounts are held in Vanuatu vatu (VUV), and banks also offer foreign-currency accounts, commonly in Australian or US dollars, under their own conditions.

Company accounts

BRED's business account checklist asks for the business licence, certificate of incorporation, the Vanuatu Investment Promotion Authority (VIPA) certificate where it applies, financial statements, a board resolution, and the articles, together with the tax certificate, passports, and latest tax returns of non-resident signatories and shareholders. See our company incorporation service in Vanuatu.

Do you need to visit?

It depends on the bank. Some can identify you remotely with certified documents; others want to see you at a branch in Port Vila. We confirm the process before you travel.

Why applications get delayed or refused

• Missing local documents the bank needs, such as a tax number or proof of local presence
• Proof of address or income the bank does not accept
• A source of funds that is not documented
• A purpose for the account that is vague
• Foreign documents that are not certified, apostilled, or translated

Most of these are fixed before submission. That is the main reason to prepare the pack before the bank sees it.

Related to your application

A local account is often opened alongside other paperwork. If you hold or are applying for Vanuatu citizenship by investment, the bank can ask for your certificate of registration or passport as part of its checks. You can browse every Vanuatu service, including company incorporation, passport renewal, and the national ID card.

• A check of which bank in Vanuatu will consider your nationality, residence, and planned use of the account
• A document checklist built from that bank's current rules for non-residents
• Review of your passport, second ID, proof of address, references, and source-of-funds papers before anything is sent
• Help arranging notarised or certified copies, apostilles, and translations when the bank asks for them
• Preparation of the bank's application, signature, and tax-residence (FATCA/CRS) forms
• Submission and follow-up with the bank, including answers to its compliance questions
• A clear note in advance if the bank wants a branch visit, a video call, or more documents
• For companies: preparation of the corporate pack (incorporation documents, registers, good standing, ownership chart, board resolution)

1. Brief. Tell us who the account is for (you, your family, or your company), where you live, the currencies you need, and what the account will be used for.
2. Bank match. We identify a bank in Vanuatu that accepts your profile and confirm its document list, whether it needs a visit, and its opening deposit and fees. You then receive our quote.
3. Document pack. You send scans; we check them, arrange notarised copies, references, or translations if needed, and fill in the bank's forms with you.
4. Submission. The signed forms and certified documents go to the bank, by courier where originals are required.
5. Compliance review. The bank runs its due-diligence checks and may ask follow-up questions about your income, assets, or planned transactions. We help you answer them.
6. Account opened. The bank confirms the account number and you fund the opening deposit. Cards and online-banking access follow on the bank's own timeline.
7. After opening. Keep your details up to date: banks ask account holders to refresh identification and address documents from time to time.

You receive a quote before any filing starts. It separates the CitizenX fee from the bank's opening deposit and charges, notarisation, apostille, translation, and courier costs. Those extras are added only when they apply, and only after you approve them.

Minimum opening deposits and monthly fees are set by each bank and differ by account type, so we confirm them with the chosen bank before you apply.