Working in Vanuatu as a French National: Visa, Contract, Taxes and Job Market

Vanuatu’s immigration service links the right to work to the visa category and to the authorisation of the Department of Labour. Holders of an Employment visa or a short-term employment visa must obtain authorisation to begin or continue work under the work permit law (CAP 187); for short jobs outside the list of occupations, the Commissioner of Labour must be satisfied that the candidate has particular skills or experience. The published scale includes:

• Employment: 257,500 VT, validity of 12 months, multiple entries, sponsoring employer for skilled work of more than two months.
• Short-term employment: 51,500 VT, from one to four months according to the table, for work not exceeding six months, with a sponsor.
• Specialist Skill: 30,900 VT, up to two weeks, single entry, with terms of reference and a letter from a company registered in Vanuatu.
• Development Support and Religious Worker: visas of up to five years for development or religious missions, from 10,300 VT for one person.

Holders of an Employment or short-term visa can only change status to become investors, and must remain employed by the sponsor; they report any significant change in personal or financial circumstances. The visitor visa does not allow any paid activity. The guide to living in Vanuatu details entry and safety. Before any decision, ask the employer in writing for the visa processing schedule, the documents to provide and the expected start date, and plan a fallback, with a changeable ticket, if the file is delayed.

With no agreement with France, the employer’s status determines social protection. An employee seconded by a French company remains affiliated to the French scheme during the assignment, under secondment law outside an agreement; duration, contributions and formalities should be checked with the Urssaf (the French social security contributions collector) and the CLEISS before departure. An employee hired locally is an expatriate within the meaning of the Assurance Maladie (the French national health insurance): they no longer fall under the French scheme and depend on the scheme of the country of work. See seconded or expatriate and the glossary entry local contract.

• Before departure: declare the transfer of residence to the CPAM (the primary health insurance fund) within the month following the end of residence in France, return the Carte Vitale and the European Health Insurance Card (Assurance Maladie).
• On site: the Vanuatu National Provident Fund (VNPF), the compulsory savings and pension scheme for formal-sector employees according to the country sheet, does not cover medical costs; its website indicates possible withdrawals in certain circumstances and opens voluntary membership to informal-sector workers. Contribution rates appear on its ‘employers’ and ‘members’ pages (contact: +678 23 808).
• Supplement: the CFE (Caisse des Français de l’étranger, the French social security fund for nationals abroad) makes it possible to remain in the French scheme and to avoid waiting periods and lost pension quarters on return (Assurance Maladie); see CFE contributions.

No official source read publishes, at the date of this check, the minimum wage in force or a pay scale by occupation. The Department of Labour and Employment Services is the contact for the minimum rate and contract rules; the immigration service refers to it for work authorisations. Ask the employer for a written offer stating the gross pay in vatu, the frequency, the VNPF contributions, any housing and return tickets, then compare with your local expenses.

The Statistics Office publishes price and trade indicators. Incomes vary between the capital, Port-Vila, where private and public employers are concentrated, and the islands, where agriculture and fishing dominate. The “Economic benchmarks” block on this page gives updated growth, inflation and exchange rate; they help to place pay in vatu against expenses in euros, and to negotiate a package including housing, air tickets and health insurance.

The tax pages of the Vanuatu administration could not be reached at the time of consultation: no official source read confirms the income tax rules for an employee or a self-employed person, nor the rate of value added tax. Before signing, ask the employer for a sample payslip and ask the Customs and Inland Revenue Department about your situation.

On the French side, a taxpayer moving abroad declares the transfer of their tax domicile; income from French sources remains taxable under the non-resident regime, with withholding tax on salaries and pensions of 0%, 12% or 20% depending on income bands revised each year, after a 10% allowance (impots.gouv.fr). No tax treaty between France and Vanuatu could be confirmed in the sources read; the tax office for non-resident individuals rules on double taxation cases.

A self-employed person wishing to operate locally falls under an investor visa: the ‘Foreign Investor’ category requires approval from the VIPA (the investment promotion authority) and, depending on the activity, a business licence. The ‘self-funded’ residence visa, with 250,000 VT of certified monthly income (500,000 VT for a couple), is aimed at people who live on their own resources, with no dependants included; whether it opens to local activity should be confirmed with immigration. For a remote worker who keeps French clients, the three-month visitor visa is not suited to a lasting settlement; ask immigration about the suitable category. A self-employed person builds their own social protection, with the CFE or international insurance. See digital nomad insurance.

The immigration service warns against fake permanent residence cards and against intermediaries presenting themselves as exclusive agents: use the official channels and check that websites end in ‘.gov.vu’.

The contract specifies the employer, the position, the gross pay and its currency, the duration, the probation period, leave and notice. The offer letter states who sponsors the visa, who bears the 257,500 VT fee and the return tickets, and what happens if the contract ends, since the holder must remain employed by the sponsor. The employer states the VNPF affiliation and what happens to the spouse and children. Housing, transport and health insurance are settled in writing: France Diplomatie reminds us that almost any serious medical procedure requires evacuation to New Caledonia or Australia and that the embassy covers no costs.

Agriculture represents about a quarter of value added, industry about 10% and services more than half (World Bank); tourism accounts for nearly half of exports. The Statistics Office publishes kava and copra exports and the trade balance with the main partners. The currency is the vatu, and a salary converted into euros remains exposed to exchange rate movements.

The outlook depends on tourism, agricultural exports, reconstruction after cyclones and investment. To prepare a project, cross-check these benchmarks with the pages healthcare system and healthcare reimbursement, then with the Vanuatu page.