Andrew Tate Got 'Golden Passport' From Vanuatu During Criminal Probe: Report

Controversial influencer Andrew Tate allegedly secured a 'golden passport' from Vanuatu in December 2022, the same month as he was arrested in Romania on charges including rape, human trafficking, and forming an organised crime group.

The Pacific island nation's 'golden passport' scheme allows foreign nationals to acquire citizenship through investment.

According to a joint investigation by the Organised Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP) and Intelligence Online, Tate acquired the passport through Vanuatu's citizenship-by-investment programme, which grants foreign nationals citizenship in exchange for a minimum investment of $130,000 (around Rs 1.1 crore).

Tate's Vanuatu passport was reportedly issued in January 2023 while he remained in pre-trial detention in Romania. It is unclear exactly when the application was submitted. Vanuatu does not have a formal extradition agreement with Romania.

The Guardian, in a 2021 investigation, raised red flags about Vanuatu's investor citizenship scheme, revealing the programme had issued passports to individuals facing serious allegations, international sanctions, or even arrest warrants.

In response to mounting international concerns, the European Union formally revoked Vanuatu's visa-free travel privileges in December 2024. This marked the first time the EU terminated such an agreement over the misuse of an investment-based citizenship scheme.

The UK also withdrew visa-free access for Vanuatu passport holders in 2023, citing "clear and evident abuse of the scheme," including the issuance of passports to individuals deemed a risk to national security, Reuters reported.

Tate, 38, and his brother Tristan, 36, raised in Luton, UK, have been under investigation in Romania since April 2022. Following their arrest in December 2022, a Romanian appeals court sent the human trafficking case back to prosecutors, citing legal and procedural irregularities. In August 2023, new allegations, including charges of trafficking minors, having sexual relations with a minor, and money laundering, surfaced. Both brothers have denied all charges.

The brothers are expected to be extradited to the UK once legal proceedings conclude in Romania. British prosecutors recently confirmed that 10 charges have been authorised against Andrew Tate, including rape, actual bodily harm, human trafficking, and controlling prostitution for gain, linked to three alleged victims. Tristan Tate faces 11 charges connected to one alleged victim. Their UK lawyer has said that they intend to return to Britain to defend themselves.

The Vanuatu government has faced growing pressure to tighten its citizenship-by-investment programme. Another high-profile case involved Lalit Modi, Indian Premier League founder, who acquired a Vanuatu passport and applied to renounce his Indian citizenship. Following diplomatic pressure from India, Prime Minister Jotham Napat ordered the cancellation of Modi's passport, along with those of three Chinese nationals accused of obtaining theirs fraudulently.