Vanuatu Relocation
Things to consider if you plan relocating to
Vanuatu
If you're planning to relocate to another country and enjoy
island lifestyle and tropical climate, then Vanuatu could be the right choice for you. Being only a couple of hours
flight away from Australia's east coast and New Zealand, Vanuatu is a popular relocation choice with Australian and
New Zealand expats. Many of them have chosen Vanuatu as their second
home.
Relocating to another country shouldn't be a rush decision. One has
to weigh pros and cons of such a move and consider advantages and disadvantages of the chosen location. Before you
consider such a move, visit Vanuatu first and experience the local life first hand. Many of Vanuatu resorts and other accommodation places will be happy to direct
you to the right places to investigate your Vanuatu relocation
options.
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If you enjoy a warm and tropical climate, with a laidback lifestyle, relocating
to Vanuatu
and settling in Port Vila could be a great option, where you can connect with other
expats.
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Expat services
Apart from good climate and relaxed lifestyle, Vanuatu is well known
in expat community by the absence of any personal or income taxes. The only taxation that is applied is VAT - Value
Added Tax or consumption tax of 12.5%, charged on goods and services.
Banks, internet and mobile network are available on the main islands
and readily accessible, even if things sometime can be a bit slow in line with relaxed island lifestyle. But like
other expats, you get used to it and learn how to deal with it. It's not for everyone, but if you're fond of island
living, then you know how things move at slower pace on islands.
Expat community is well
established in Vanuatu and the local banks know how to cater for expat needs. There's a number of offshore
services' providers in Port Vila, who can help you with setting up in Vanuatu, in particular if you plan to run an
international business from there. In this age of growing online business, you will find that Vanuatu offers many
advantages of running an online business.
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Thoe who choose to relocate to Vanuatu will find it a friendly town with many
conveniences
and a typical South Pacific and Melanesian laidback lifestyle.
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Vanuatu citizenshipObtaining Vanuatu citizenship is not an easy process and takes time and commitment. There are
many things to consider before you decide to sell your home in your country and relocate to Vanuatu. While there are various forms of rental
accommodation available, your ability to lease or purchase property in Vanuatu depends on your citizenship and
residence status.
Buying land in Vanuatu or a private house sale is only possible for
citizens. To become a citizen of Vanuatu there are all sorts of criteria including 10 years residence and various
Government approvals.
The Republic of Vanuatu doesn’t recognise dual citizenship, so to
take Vanuatu citizenship, you’d
automatically lose your home country citizenship. Even in this case, you’d only be allowed to buy urban land, as
the rest of the land belongs to the customary or traditional owners, as established in the 1980
Constitution.
Houses available for rental are not cheap, especially if you’re
looking for a Western-style property of a decent size. There are real estate agents in Port Villa, although it’s
recommended that you shop around as estate agents fees vary and you’re not guaranteed to get the same level of
service from all.
Republic of
Vanuatu
Location: Oceania, group of
islands in the South Pacific Ocean, about three-quarters of the way from Hawaii to
Australia
Geographic
Coordinates: 16 00 S, 167 00
E
Area: 12,200 sq km (includes
more than 80 islands, about 65 of which are inhabited)
Coastline: 2,528
km
Climate: tropical; moderated
by southeast trade winds from May to October; moderate rainfall from November to April; may be
affected by cyclones from December to April
Highest
Point: Tabwemasana 1,877
m
Population: 215,446 (July 2008
est.)
Languages: local languages
(more than 100) 72.6%, pidgin (known as Bislama or Bichelama) 23.1%, English 1.9%, French 1.4%,
other 0.3%, unspecified 0.7% (1999 Census)
Information
courtesy of the CIA World
Factbook
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