Your Vanuatu trust cost depends mainly on the structure, not a fixed tariff: the assets, the drafting, the trustee's yearly work and, here, the bank step. We publish the set-up fee for a standard trust in Vanuatu on this page; annual administration, event-based work and third-party charges are quoted after we review your case.
The set-up fee for a Vanuatu trust is shown under the key facts. The other groups of cost depend on the structure and are quoted after we review your case.
Set-up
Structure design and onboarding checks
Trust deed drafting by the law firm
Trustee acceptance and account opening
Ongoing
Annual trustee fee
Accounting, minutes and records
Reporting to authorities
Third party
Bank and custodian charges
Tax and legal advice in other countries
Registry or stamp duty where it applies
Key facts
Governing law
No Vanuatu trust statute is listed in the PacLII consolidated Acts index[3]
Trustee requirement
The Trust Companies Act (Cap. 69) is the trust company statute of Vanuatu[1]
Reporting to authorities
Global Forum review (April 2026): Vanuatu rated largely compliant[2]
Numbers in brackets point to the Sources list at the end of this page.
Set-up fee
Standard trust
USD 14,000
Trust set-up in Vanuatu: the fee is fixed for the standard scope listed below.
Includes
Client onboarding, KYC and due diligence
Structure design
Trust deed drafted through a partner law firm
Acceptance of trusteeship by a local partner trustee, coordinated by One Pacific Trust
Filing of any registration the law requires
Excludes
Government fees, initial and annual (passed through at cost)
Stamp duty
Holding or underlying companies
Bank account opening
Tax advice in other countries
Annual trustee, administration and event fees (quoted separately)
VAT or GST where applicable
This fee includes the local partner trustee's acceptance fee as agreed with One Pacific Trust.
Set-up fees shown are One Pacific Trust fees in US dollars for the standard scope described, before government, registry, bank and other third-party charges, which are passed through at cost or billed to you directly.
Annual administration, event-based work and anything outside the standard scope are quoted after we review your case.
A published fee is not an offer and is not tax or legal advice; the terms that apply are those set out in writing when you engage us.
Set-up costs: what they cover
Illustration, not a real client.
Set-up charges pay for the work before the trust holds anything. They are one-off, and the written terms say when each one is due.
Client acceptance and design. Our identity and source-of-funds review, and the work with your lawyer on the shape of the structure.
Legal drafting. A law firm drafts the deed and letter of wishes. Every special clause, extra role or bespoke power adds drafting time.
Trustee acceptance. The trustee reviews the file, runs its own checks and accepts office.
Local advice. Because your lawyer confirms the legal position for your case, expect a line for a written view from a lawyer in Vanuatu.
Holding company. If a company sits under the trust, its formation is a separate item.
Your own lawyer and tax adviser at home charge you directly. Their fees sit outside our estimate, but they are part of what the structure costs you overall.
Ongoing trustee and administration costs
Yearly charges pay for running the trust. The trustee charges for holding office, keeping accounts and records, holding meetings and passing resolutions.
Our administration covers reporting, the annual review of identity papers and the preparation of the requests you send.
Event charges apply when something changes, such as a distribution, a new beneficiary, an amendment to the deed or the end of the trust.
A trust that does little in a year costs less to run than one with frequent distributions or many accounts.
Ask how the trustee reviews its charges over time and what notice it gives before a change. Ask too what it charges if you later move the trust to another trustee.
Those answers belong in the written terms, and we ask for them on your behalf.
When you compare offers from different providers, look at the yearly items as closely as the set-up line. A low start can hide a high annual bill.
Third-party costs
Some charges are set by others, and each appears as its own line in the quote. The main ones are:
Government fees for a trust in Vanuatu. Whether any apply, and what they are, your lawyer confirms.
Fees of the firm that forms and keeps any holding company.
Bank or brokerage account charges in the trustee’s name.
Accounting or audit fees for companies under the trust, where required.
Translation and certification of documents, if your papers are not in English.
These amounts change from time to time, and we confirm them in writing at the date of your estimate.
The extra work a listed place can bring
Vanuatu remains on Annex I of the EU list (source: KPMG, ETF 585), and banks and advisers weigh that when they look at a structure.
In practice that may add time, and time is billed. A bank may ask for more evidence, a longer file or a lawyer’s letter before it opens an account in the trustee’s name. Each round can mean more hours for the trustee and for your lawyer.
Being on Annex I can trigger defensive tax measures in EU member states (same source), so a family with EU ties may also pay for extra tax advice at home.
None of this is a reason to avoid the place. It is a reason to ask for the bank step to be shown as its own line in the estimate, and to ask your bank first.
What changes the total
Six answers move the estimate more than anything else. Knowing them before you ask saves a round of questions.
Factor
Why it matters
Kinds of assets
Shares in private companies and property need more work than cash
Holding companies
Each company adds formation, agent and accounting charges
Number of accounts
Each bank or brokerage relationship adds checks and reporting
Bank view of the place
A slow or refused account step adds hours or forces a redesign
Roles in the deed
A protector or adviser adds drafting and notices
Activity each year
Distributions and changes bring event charges
Basis: our pricing approach for this service, 2026-11-05. The set-up fee shown on this page is for a standard trust; any estimate for other lines follows the written terms of the trustee and the law firm.
A thin deed or a trustee that keeps poor records can cost far more later. A quote from us shows every line rather than one total.
The law page explains why the legal side needs local advice.
How to get an estimate
Ask us with your plans in plain words, and we turn them into a quote. The estimate is not an offer. The written terms of the trustee and the law firm come before you commit, and they prevail.
In your message, list the kinds of assets you plan to transfer, whether a company is involved, how many beneficiaries there are and which bank you use now.
Any estimate is confirmed once the written terms are agreed.
The structure decides, more than the place. Assets, drafting, the trustee's yearly work and the bank step set most of the total. Government charges may add to it; whether any apply is a point your lawyer confirms for your case. We publish the set-up fee for a standard trust; ongoing administration, event work and third-party charges are quoted after we review your case.
What do I pay for when I set up a trust in Vanuatu?
At set-up you pay for client acceptance and design, drafting of the deed and letter of wishes, trustee acceptance and any holding company. Yearly administration, bank fees and any government charges follow. Each item is listed in the written terms before you commit.
Are there ongoing costs for a trust in Vanuatu?
Yes. The trustee charges for holding office, accounts, records and meetings, and for events such as a distribution or a change of beneficiary. Bank charges and any company under the trust add to it. Over a trust's life these yearly items can exceed the set-up, so ask for them first.
How do I get a quote for a trust in Vanuatu?
Tell us the family, the assets and the aim through the quote form, and we turn them into a quote. It lists each part separately and states its assumptions. It is not an offer, and the written terms come before you commit.
Pick a question for a short answer from our FAQ. Nothing you choose here is sent anywhere. This is a scripted guide from our FAQ, not live chat and not advice.
Setting up, the law and tax
What happens, step by step, when you set up an offshore trust?
First agree the purpose and who should benefit. Your lawyer drafts the deed under the chosen law while the trustee checks identity and the source of the assets. After signing, the assets move into the trustee’s name and are recorded. The guide shows each stage in more detail.
Usually the owner transfers the shares or membership interest to the trustee under the deed, after checking the company’s own documents and any consent a lender or partner must give. The trustee then holds the interest and the company carries on. Company, tax and local law checks come first, so involve your lawyer.
Yes, in the places whose law provides for them. A trust needs a lawful purpose, a valid deed under its governing law, and taxes and reporting dealt with where the people involved live. It cannot be used to hide assets, defeat existing creditors or evade tax. A trustee will refuse a trust whose purpose or funding it cannot confirm.
It depends on where the settlor, the beneficiaries, the trustee and the assets are, and on the law that governs the trust. Many countries tax trust income or distributions in the hands of the people they treat as owners or recipients, and exchange account data under international reporting rules. We do not give tax advice, so ask your own adviser before you sign.
How long does it take to appoint a Hong Kong trustee?
Time depends mostly on how quickly documents arrive and on checks by banks and registries outside our control, so we do not promise a date. Once you apply, the client portal shows each step and what is outstanding, and a 30-minute call sets out what to prepare first.
The cost depends on the structure, the places and assets involved, how many parties the trustee must check, and how much work the trust needs each year. We publish the set-up fee for each place; annual administration and event-based work are quoted after we review your case. Banking, legal and registry charges outside our control can add to it.
A trustee can borrow only if the deed and the governing law allow it. A lender will usually ask to see the deed, the trustee’s authority and the purpose of the loan. Some deeds limit borrowing or need a protector’s consent. Ask a lawyer before approaching a lender.
What is asset management, and is it what a trustee does?
Asset management means running investments for a client, usually under a licence. A trustee does something different: it holds the assets, checks instructions against the deed, approves distributions and keeps the record. A bank or licensed manager that the deed allows for can run the investments.
Hong Kong
Singapore
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