Private investigator licensing in Vanuatu
No. Vanuatu has no specific private investigator licence.
Vanuatu has no licence for private investigators. Since 1 January 2008 anyone operating a 'security firm' must apply for a business licence under the Business Licence Act [Cap. 249], and the Director may issue or renew it only on a report from the Commissioner of the Vanuatu Police Force recommending the applicant (ss. 5A-5B, inserted by Act No. 19 of 2007); 'security firm' is not defined and investigation is not mentioned. The Foreign Investment Act No. 25 of 2019 puts 'private security services including security guards' on the Reserved List (Schedule, Part 2, item 10), and a foreign investor must not carry out a reserved activity (s. 16(2)). A plain investigation business would need only an ordinary business licence, unless it also offers security services.1
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How to qualify
- Citizenship
- Foreign investors may not carry out private security services, including security guarding (Foreign Investment Act 2019, s. 16(2) and Reserved List item 10); investigation as such is not listed2
Sources
Reference information, not legal advice. Confirm with the regulator before taking on work. Out of date? Tell us.
Questions about PI licensing in Vanuatu
Do you need a licence to be a private investigator in Vanuatu?+
No. Vanuatu has no specific private investigator licence. Vanuatu has no licence for private investigators. Since 1 January 2008 anyone operating a 'security firm' must apply for a business licence under the Business Licence Act [Cap. 249], and the Director may issue or renew it only on a report from the Commissioner of the Vanuatu Police Force recommending the applicant (ss. 5A-5B, inserted by Act No. 19 of 2007); 'security firm' is not defined and investigation is not mentioned. The Foreign Investment Act No. 25 of 2019 puts 'private security services including security guards' on the Reserved List (Schedule, Part 2, item 10), and a foreign investor must not carry out a reserved activity (s. 16(2)). A plain investigation business would need only an ordinary business licence, unless it also offers security services.
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