Technical article
Living on Your Own Income in Fiji and Vanuatu: What the Official Pages Ask
They want to know what each government asks before a person may live there without working.
Picture a couple named Walter and June. Both are 61. They have a pension and savings. They like warm water and slow mornings, and they have narrowed the search to Fiji and Vanuatu. They want to know what each government asks before a person may live there without working.
I read the official pages. Some figures are clear. Some are missing, and I say so.
Side by side
| Fiji | Vanuatu | |
|---|---|---|
| Name of route | Residence Permit on Assured Income | Self-funded Resident |
| Age | Principal applicant at least 45, with health insurance | Not stated on the pages I read |
| Money test | Deposit of FJD 100,000 in a resident account at a local bank on approval (the page writes "$100,000.00") | Certified monthly income from a Vanuatu bank: 250,000 VUV, or 500,000 VUV with a spouse or partner |
| Property | Deposit "may be waived" with proof of a property purchase and its value | Not part of this route. A separate Leasehold Holder route asks for a leasehold of 10 million VUV or more |
| Extra money | "An additional F$30,000.00 for a family of two (2) or F$40,000.00 for a family of up to five (5)" | Not stated |
| Work | Applicant "should not seek employment" | Not stated |
| Application fee | FJD 477.00 on one page, FJD 650.05 on another (see below) | "Applicable visa application charge in Vatu", amount not stated |
| Length of permit | Not stated | Not stated |
Fiji: two pages, two fees
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs policy page says "The present application fee is F$477.00." The Immigration Ministry fee table lists "Permit to Reside | FJ$650.05" and the same for an extension. The fee table does not say it is the same permit, and I do not pick one. The policy page shows no date.
The policy page also says the person needs Immigration clearance before money can be sent out of the country through the Reserve Bank. Medical and police reports are part of the file. The reader summary I got did not make clear whether the extra F$30,000 or F$40,000 is paid once or every year. I leave it open.
Vanuatu: income, not a deposit
The Department of Immigration lists the Self-funded Resident ground on its Residence Visa page. The income must be "certified monthly income from a Vanuatu bank." Anyone who held a permit as a self-funded retiree before 7 February 2011 faces "different income criteria," which the page does not state. The Self Funded Checklist is a separate PDF that is not among the sources.
What is left open
- Length of either permit.
- Fiji's income test, if any, beyond the deposit.
- Vanuatu's age limit and fee.
- Whether the Fiji policy page is the current rule. Its date is not shown.
You could…
- Write to each immigration office with the questions above.
- Ask an accountant or lawyer who works with Americans abroad how a local bank deposit or income would be reported at home.
If one country asks for a lump sum and the other a monthly income, which fits the way your money arrives?
Figures are estimates for planning, based on public data. Date read: 10 October 2026.
Sources
- Fiji Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Policy on Residence Permit on Assured Income, foreignaffairs.gov.fj/?p=38695
- Fiji Immigration, Forms, Publications and Fees, immigration.gov.fj/application-forms-publications-fees
- Fiji Immigration FAQ, immigration.gov.fj/frequently-asked-questions
- Vanuatu Department of Immigration, Residence Visa, immigration.gov.vu/residence-visa/ and immigration.gov.vu/information-immigration-services
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