As promised, here are the “negatives” of Vanuatu, in no particular order…
No personal income tax
No corporate income tax
No death duty (estate tax)
No gift tax
No heavy-handed government “Big Brother”
No “nanny state” attitude
No winter as you know it.
No plastic shopping bags
No pollution
No Genetically Modified food
Yes I am kidding a little, these are not reasons to avoid Vanuatu, quite the reverse.
As for real negatives, the main things you need to be aware of are…
It's a developing country. Although in the capital Port Vila there are shops filled with imported goods, and supermarkets, banks, good internet, fine houses… in the outer islands these things are not so common.
Imported goods are expensive compared to developed nations. There are not the economies of scale. And because we rely on sea freight for a lot of it, and Covid protocols have made each port stop take about a week longer, sea freight can struggle to keep up with demand. For example in the supermarket you be greeted with an empty space on a shelf and a sign like “butter will be in store on ____” and a date up to two weeks in the future. Learn to stock up on the things you regard as essential
On the other hand, local produce is cheap compared to developed nations, and it's fresh and organically grown. But get used to the fact that fruit and veggies are not treated to make them last longer, so you will buy your fresh stuff in a shorter cycle.
Although it's catching up fast, some services you may be used to are almost non existent. Like paying over the phone with a credit card.
If an appliance or vehicle breaks, it can take a long time to get the part needed to fix it if it is not available locally.
And vehicles are expensive compared to developed nations. There's a high import duty. Hey, there's no income tax so the government has to get it's money from somewhere! Same with VAT at 15%.
Great medical and dental treatment is available, but it costs more than you are probably used to, and there's no “free” hospitals for expats.
Really, for people on a low to middle income, the savings in taxes are pretty much balanced by the higher cost of things that people from developed nations want. Alternatively, thosee on higher incomes are way better off.
Be ready for a lot of public holidays that can be frustrating if you run a business. It's a laid back style here.
So there you have it. For expats it's a life that has a bit more planning in it than you were used to in your home country.
For most of us three of the “negatives” at the start more than make up for that…
No heavy-handed government “Big Brother”
No “nanny state” attitude
No winter as you know it.
Lance (you can breathe) in Vanuatu
