Compliant Source-of-Funds Pathways for Russian Nationals

Yes. The Vanuatu Financial Intelligence Unit assesses each applicant individually on documented source of funds and clean criminal record. Russian nationals with audited business income, transparent banking history and no OFAC/EU sanctions exposure routinely clear due diligence within fourteen days. We pre-screen every file before submission.

Yes. Vanuatu accepts verified digital-asset wealth when accompanied by full on-chain provenance, custodian or licensed-exchange statements, and an independent know-your-transaction (KYT) report. Bitcoin, Ethereum and major stablecoin holdings held on regulated platforms are routinely accepted for the DSP and CIIP programs.

Yes. From engagement to passport delivery, no travel to Vanuatu is required at any stage. Documents are notarised locally or via apostille, biometrics are captured at our Dubai, Hong Kong or mobile-consul appointments, and the Vanuatu passport is couriered to your nominated address by secure diplomatic-grade carrier.

No. Any applicant with a positive hit on UN, OFAC, EU or UK sanctions lists is automatically refused by the Vanuatu FIU and the Citizenship Commission. We screen every prospective file against all four lists privately before engagement; principals with sanctions exposure are declined at the briefing stage rather than wasting a refused submission.

No. Vanuatu does not require renunciation of any prior nationality. Under Federal Law No. 62-FZ, Russian citizens may hold additional citizenships, subject to a notification obligation to Russian authorities within 60 days of acquisition. We coordinate timing and disclosure with Russian counsel of your choosing where required.

Audited statements from Sberbank, VTB (pre-sanctions tranches), Tinkoff, Raiffeisenbank Russia, and brokerage records from BCS, Finam and licensed crypto venues such as previously-Binance Russia desks are routinely accepted when accompanied by a clean audit trail. Documentation from sanctioned institutions is reviewed case-by-case and may require corroborating evidence from non-sanctioned counterparties.

The FIU requires three layers: on-chain provenance from origin wallet to current custody, licensed-exchange or custodian statements covering the holding period, and an independent KYT report from a recognised provider (Chainalysis, Elliptic or TRM Labs). Holdings on self-custody hardware wallets are acceptable provided the on-chain history is clean and reconcilable.

Vanuatu does not notify the Russian Federation of any application or grant. Russia is not currently exchanging CRS data with Vanuatu in either direction following the 2022 suspension of Russian CRS participation. Visibility to Russian authorities is therefore limited to your own Article 6 notification obligation; the application itself is not externally reported.

Dubai is the primary biometric touchpoint for Russian nationals — direct flights from Moscow, St Petersburg and Yekaterinburg are operating, and UAE entry on a Russian passport is visa-free. Hong Kong, Istanbul and Yerevan are alternative touchpoints available via mobile consul appointment.

Yes. Mixed-nationality families are common — for example, a Russian principal with an Israeli-citizen spouse and Cypriot-citizen children. Each family member is screened independently, but a single consolidated dossier is submitted and a single processing timeline applies. Non-Russian family members benefit from the same fully-remote process.