The Vanuatu Government has committed to strengthening financial integrity and its global reputation with the official launch of the Mutual Evaluation Technical Team (METT), a national taskforce mandated to lead the country’s preparations for the Asia/Pacific Group on Money Laundering (APG) Mutual Evaluation in November 2026. This article originally appeared in The Vanuatu Daily Post....
This presentation was given by VFSC officers to a group of financial services industry representatives. Topics covered include the purpose of the Act; different types of VASP licenses; license application and renewal fees; application requirements and process; special clauses for Initial Token Offering and Fintech Sandbox Utility; Manager, Director and CTO profile requirements; AML &...
New opportunities have emerged for fintech investors in Vanuatu since Parliament passed the Virtual Asset Service Provider (VASP) Act on March 26. The law recognized digital assets as “a medium of exchange, a unit of ac count, or a store of value,” and established six types of VASP licences for virtual asset exchanges (D), transfer...
PRESS RELEASE FROM THE PRIME MINISTER’S OFFICE The Right Honourable Prime Minister, Charlot Salwai Tabimasmas SARIBO (MP), announced that Vanuatu has prioritised its efforts to comply with the international anti-money laundering and combating the financing of terrorism (AML/CFT) requirements. PM Salwai reiterated that Vanuatu will remain a strong and committed partner in the global fight...
This presentation was given during the 2nd VFSC Symposium on Virtual Assets by Rick McDonell, the former Executive Secretary of the FATF and APG. Mr. McDonell reviewed the latest developments in global financial regulation and shared some pro tips on how to prepare for the next round of assessments by the FATF, the APG, as...
This presentation on the upcoming “Virtual Assets and Virtual Assets Providers Act” was given during the 2nd VFSC Symposium on Virtual Assets by Joshua Tarinako and Loretta Joseph. Mr. Tarinako is Managing Supervisor at VFSC and Loretta Joseph is an Australian consultant for the VFSC who was instrumental in drafting the Bill. (Both are pictured...
A who’s who of Vanuatu’s financial industry and its regulators converged at Port Vila’s Warwick Le Lagon resort on June 27 to discuss the new licence for virtual asset service providers (VASP) and to review the jurisdiction’s best strategies to avoid global regulatory watch lists. This was the second Symposium organized by the Vanuatu Financial...
Watch the full symposium in three parts:
At a recent symposium, Vanuatu’s budding fintech industry was widely hailed as a strategic sector for the economy. While there are still a few challenges, all participants agreed that the opportunities promise a bright future for the country’s youth. The Symposium “Virtual assets: Navigating the legal framework,” hosted by the Vanuatu Financial Services Commission (VFSC)...
A core group of 60 brokers remain after licensing rules were strengthened. Industry insiders cite Cyprus as an inspiration for Vanuatu’s future. This article first ran on June 22, 2023 on FinanceMagnates.com. Just five years ago, Vanuatu had 600 active Financial Dealer Licenses (FDL). Today, there are only 60, but the jurisdiction has traded quantity...