Oceania and Pacific Investment Options Compared
The region offers citizenship programs, investment residence, and permission to operate a local business. The amount you can invest is only one part of the choice. First establish what the approval gives, whether you must actively run a business, and how much time you must spend in the country.
The Pacific investment guide compares residence and citizenship options. Figures below use the named currency and exclude additional charges unless stated otherwise. A qualifying investment is not necessarily the total budget, and a contribution may be nonrefundable.
Citizenship programs
| Destination | Option | Financial starting point | What needs checking |
|---|---|---|---|
| Naoero, formerly Nauru | Economic and Climate Resilience Citizenship | USD $90,000 principal contribution for applications filed by December 31, 2026; mandatory fees are additional | Applicant must be at least 18; a licensed agent, source-of-funds checks, due diligence, and government approval are required |
| Vanuatu | Citizenship through an approved investment program | DSP starts at USD $130,000 for one applicant, with additional charges; other categories have different terms | Confirm the exact program, current intake, authorized agent, and complete family quote before relying on a price |
Naoero’s ordinary principal contribution is USD $115,000. The current USD $25,000 reduction is a temporary offer, not a permanent new floor. The official contribution schedule separates the contribution from application, due-diligence, banking, and passport fees. A family quote also depends on who is included. Paying the contribution does not remove the review or guarantee approval.
Vanuatu’s Citizenship Commission lists several programs. Its fee page should be checked against the exact current application category. The Development Support Program (DSP), the Real Estate Option (REO), and other listed investment programs should not be priced or described as if they were one product. Under the REO guidance, only a government-approved project can support that category. Buying an ordinary home does not establish citizenship eligibility. A program or project appearing on a government page also does not settle whether it is accepting a particular application today.
For either country, compare the citizenship’s practical value with your actual travel and residence plans. A passport does not itself give permission to settle or work in North America or Europe. Confirm entry rules for the destinations you use, rather than relying on a fixed visa-free-country count or a promised passport delivery date.
New Zealand: investment residence or an operating business
| Route | Capital and commitment | Immigration outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Active Investor Plus — Growth | NZD 5 million in acceptable investments for three years; normally at least 21 days in New Zealand during that period | Resident visa with investment conditions; permanent residence requires a later application |
| Active Investor Plus — Balanced | NZD 10 million for five years; normally 105 days, with reductions available for specified additional investments | Resident visa with investment conditions; permanent residence requires a later application |
| Business Investor Work Visa | NZD 1 million or NZD 2 million in an eligible established business, plus NZD 500,000 reserve funds; active operation required | Temporary work visa first; a residence application may follow after three years or, for the higher investment, 12 months |
The Business Investor route requires business experience, English, an applicant aged 55 or younger, a qualifying ownership share, and a business that meets the trading-history and employment rules. The faster residence application still carries a total three-year operating obligation. It is not a passive fund purchase. See Immigration New Zealand’s Active Investor Plus and Business Investor Work Visa requirements.
Business and investment residence across the Pacific
| Destination | Route | Main distinction |
|---|---|---|
| Fiji | Investor Permit | Registered local company, accessible funds, tax registration, and Reserve Bank share confirmation; the current immigration checklist does not state one universal capital minimum |
| Cook Islands | Resident Investor | Business Trade and Investment Board approval and an eligible local investment activity; a personal home purchase alone is insufficient |
| Samoa | Business residence | Foreign Investment Certificate, business license, registration, and residence approval; working in the business can also require employment authorization |
| Tonga | Business and investor visa | Government support for the actual business or investment, with the required registrations and licenses |
| Papua New Guinea | Business-person and investor visa | Working-resident category supported by a real local business and immigration documents; separate from a short business visit |
| Solomon Islands | Provisional Investor Visa | Registered investment activity and at least five points under the official capital, funds, experience, qualification, and plan schedule; normally two years |
| Solomon Islands | Established Investor Visa | Applicant already holds a provisional or established investor visa and demonstrates the continuing qualifying operation; normally five years |
| Vanuatu | Investor residence categories | Provisional, business, direct, and permanent categories have different capital, history, duration, and activity rules |
These are approvals for particular activities. A company certificate by itself does not authorize residence, employment, a regulated profession, or land ownership. Obtain confirmation that the proposed sector and ownership structure are allowed before committing capital.
Solomon Islands’ provisional investor form begins its capital bands at SBD 1 million, but that is not a standalone approval threshold. The application needs at least five points and must satisfy the separate investment and immigration requirements. Higher capital earns more points, and qualifying liquid funds, experience, qualifications, or a plan may add points. Confirm how the authority treats an amount exactly on a band boundary. The established category is a progression for an existing investor visa holder, not a second shortcut for a new applicant. The official provisional and established forms set out these distinctions.
Vanuatu’s published investor categories include a 12-month provisional visa requiring at least VUV 10 million in funds, a three-year business category, an eight-year direct-investor category requiring more than VUV 20 million in local assets, and an indefinite permanent-investor category with ten years of qualifying history and more than VUV 50 million in assets. Additional operating and compliance conditions apply. Provisional status does not permit employment, and progression is not automatic. None of these investor residence categories grants citizenship.
Samoa’s investment-to-citizenship law needs a separate availability check
Samoa has a Citizenship Investment Act 2015. It establishes a framework using at least WST 4 million in qualifying investment and WST 2.5 million in net assets, with an approved investment plan, financial safeguards, and official review. Customary land is excluded from the qualifying land category.
The process includes a three-year permit, called a “permanent resident permit” in the Act, and at least 15 days in Samoa in each of those years before the citizenship application stage. The permit’s statutory name should not be read as an unconditional lifetime grant. The Act also imposes deposit and investment-maintenance requirements. Citizenship requires a further decision; it is not issued immediately in exchange for the investment.
The legal framework is documented, but a currently usable application process and open intake have not been verified with the responsible ministry. Confirm current intake, forms, amounts, permitted investments, and handling with Samoa’s Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Labour before relying on this framework. The ordinary business residence route above remains a separate option.
Australia’s closed investor program should not appear as a new option
Australia’s Business Innovation and Investment subclass 188 program closed to new applications on July 31, 2024. Existing applicants and holders may have different continuing arrangements. Its National Innovation Visa can cover exceptional innovative investors, but it requires the relevant achievements and invitation. Having a specified sum to invest is not sufficient.
Kiribati and Tuvalu: active businesses, not citizenship purchases
Kiribati’s investor visa requires an approved Foreign Investment Certificate and a qualifying enterprise. Its published procedure allows up to two years initially and a further two, to a four-year total. Tuvalu’s business residence permit requires a business description, financial capacity, and the applicable approvals; permits last up to one year and extensions are restricted. Neither route establishes citizenship by investment or a guaranteed permanent-residence outcome. See the Kiribati forms and procedures and Tuvalu regulations.