Identity verification in Vanuatu
Executive summary. Vanuatu is a Pacific Island nation of approximately 320,000 people with an economy driven by agriculture, tourism, and a notable offshore financial services sector. The AML/CFT framework is governed by the Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorism Financing Act 2014 (as amended) and supervised by the Reserve Bank of Vanuatu (RBV) and the Vanuatu Financial Intelligence Unit (VF
Documents supported
(Government IDs from 220+ countries)
Average verification time
Countries covered
(Government-issued IDs validated)
Market overview
Vanuatu has a population of approximately 320,000 across 83 islands and a GDP of roughly USD 1 billion. The economy is anchored by agriculture (copra, cocoa, kava), tourism, and financial services. KYC-relevant verticals:
Supported documents
Didit templates cover national IDs, passports, residence permits and regional documents — plus 14,000+ documents globally for cross-border flows.
Regulators
oversees the DSP and mandates due diligence on CBI applicants through approved agents
Civil Registry Department — Ministry of Internal Affairs
regulated
National ID card system introduced. Civil registry maintains birth, death, marriage records. Coverage improving but rural/outer island gaps persist. Citizenship by Investment (CBI) program adds comple
Government & regulated databases
Compliance framework
AML framework
Supervised by Citizenship Commission
- Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorism Financing Act 2014 (AML/CTF Act, as amended 2023) — defines obliged entities ("reporting entities"), CDD requirements, suspicious-transaction reporting, cash-transaction reporting (threshold VUV 1,000,000 / approximately USD 8,400), and beneficial ownership obligations. - International Banking Act 2002 — governs international (offshore) bank licensing, including AML requirements. - International Companies Act 1992 — governs IBC registration with regi
Data protection
Supervised by National DPA
Vanuatu has no data protection legislation. There are no data localisation requirements. In practice:
Use cases
Neobanks, EMIs, payment institutions, lenders, brokerages.
Digital financial services are emerging in Vanuatu, primarily through mobile money (Digicel's mobile money service has the widest reach). The KYC flow:
Exchanges, custodians, wallets, on/off-ramps.
Vanuatu has begun regulating virtual-asset services through amendments to the AML/CTF Act and VFSC guidance. The emerging VASP KYC framework requires:
Sports betting, online casinos, age-gated platforms.
Online gambling regulation in Vanuatu is minimal. The Interactive Gaming Act 2000 established a licensing framework, but few operators have obtained licences and enforcement is limited. Licensed operators are required to conduct CDD under the AML/CTF Act, but the sector is not a significant KYC dema
Gig platforms, delivery, creator economy, e-commerce.
E-commerce in Vanuatu is limited by internet access (approximately 35% penetration) and small market size. No marketplace-specific KYC regulations exist. General AML obligations under the AML/CTF Act apply to payment service providers facilitating online transactions.
Biometric liveness
Biometric verification is important for multiple Vanuatu use cases: - CBI applicants. DSP applicants apply through authorised agents internationally and require remote biometric verification. The incentive for identity fraud in CBI applications is high, making liveness detection critical. - Offshore banking. Non-resident clients of Vanuatu international banks require remote identity verification. - Seasonal worker remittances. Vanuatu nationals working in Australia and New Zealand under PALM (Pa
CERTIFICATIONS
Our platform meets the highest international standards for information security, data privacy, and biometric accuracy.
Full EU data protection compliance
Information security management
PAD (liveness + face match)
TRUSTED WORLDWIDE
Join thousands of companies that trust Didit for their verification needs
Didit’s NFC + active biometrics technology blocks the most advanced fraud scenarios, offering a level of security equivalent to or superior to in-person verification.
Spanish Financial Sandbox
CNMV, SEPBLAC & Spanish Treasury — Conclusions Report
Didit is an exceptionally valuable partner, delivering a stable and highly adaptable solution”.
Vuk Adžić
Head of the E-Business Department at Crnogorski Telekom
Didit offered us a robust technology with a simple implementation and adaptability to different markets”.
Fernando Pinto
CEO & CoFounder at TucanPay
Thanks to Didit we have been able to reduce manual processes and improve data extraction accuracy”.
Diana Garcia
Trust & Safety Executive at Shiply
Didit’s integration slashed verification times and costs, freeing resources for other projects”.
Guillem Medina
COO at GBTC Finance
Didit removed KYC costs, enabling faster scaling with high verification standards and less fraud.”
Paul Martin
VP Marketing & Growth at Bondex
Didit’s secure, user-friendly verification boosts customer trust and optimizes our process.”
Cristofer Montenegro
Executive assistant to the CEO at Adelantos
Didit ensures a precise, secure digital onboarding without slowing negotiations or client time.”
Ernesto Betancourth
Gerente de riesgos at CrediDemo
FAQ
Yes. Vanuatu permits remote KYC onboarding under its national AML framework, including document verification, biometric liveness and video identification where required by regulation.
Didit verifies all major national IDs, passports and residence permits issued in Vanuatu, plus 14,000+ document types globally for cross-border flows.
Didit charges $0.30 per verification with 500 free checks per month. No contracts, no minimums. Competitors typically charge $1.00–$2.50+ per verification.
Yes. Didit screens against 1,000+ global watchlists including PEP databases, sanctions lists (EU, UN, OFAC, OFSI), and adverse media — covering all AML obligations in Vanuatu.
Most regulated sectors in Vanuatu require or strongly recommend biometric liveness detection for remote onboarding. Didit provides ISO 30107-3 PAD Level 2 certified liveness.
Yes. Didit supports document verification, liveness, AML screening and ongoing monitoring aligned with Vanuatu’s crypto regulatory framework, including EU Travel Rule compliance where applicable.
Yes. Didit provides document-based age verification and identity confirmation suitable for Vanuatu’s iGaming regulatory requirements.
500 free verifications per month. No contracts, no minimums. $0.30 per verification after the free tier.
