Moving to Vanuatu from Timor-Leste
What to Expect
A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Timor-Leste to Vanuatu — from daily expenses to quality of life.
If you moved from Timor-Leste to Vanuatu, and you’d need to navigate life in Bislama, English and French. You’ll also switch from driving on the left to the right.
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Key Indicator Comparison
How Timor-Leste and Vanuatu stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.
Is it safe?
per 100,000 people per year
per 100,000 people per year
Timor-Leste generally does better on safety, though Vanuatu leads in homicide rate.
How's the healthcare?
annual government + private spending per person
affects wait times and access to care
WHO index from 0–100 measuring essential service access
share of adults with obesity
per 100,000 people — a proxy for mental health support
Timor-Leste generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Vanuatu leads in healthcare spending per person.
What about the environment?
deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people
tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year
Timor-Leste generally does better on environment, though Vanuatu leads in air pollution deaths.
Will I have good infrastructure?
fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work
share of households with internet
Vanuatu performs significantly better than Timor-Leste across all infrastructure metrics.
What are the job prospects?
percentage of the labour force without work
a broad measure of economic output per person
share of people below the poverty line
Vanuatu generally does better on employment & economy, though Timor-Leste leads in unemployment rate.
Is it good for families?
average years of life at birth
deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better
government spending on education as % of GDP
percentage of adults who can read and write
Vanuatu performs significantly better than Timor-Leste across all family life metrics.
Sources: World Bank (2015–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2022), World Health Organization (2024), The World Factbook (2014–2020). How we calculate this
Visitor Visa Requirements
Short-stay tourist visa rules between Timor-Leste and Vanuatu. To live, work, or study long-term in Vanuatu, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Vanuatu's immigration authority.
Timor-Leste passport holder visiting Vanuatu
Visa Required
Vanuatu passport holder visiting Timor-Leste
Visa on ArrivalData: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I work remotely from Vanuatu?
With 1.2 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Vanuatu can support video calls in major cities. The hard part is paperwork — visa category, employer policy on overseas staff, and tax residency in Timor-Leste and Vanuatu.
Is Vanuatu safe for expats?
Timor-Leste generally does better on safety, though Vanuatu leads in homicide rate. The homicide rate in Vanuatu is 0.3 per 100,000 people, compared to 4.1 in Timor-Leste.
How is healthcare in Vanuatu compared to Timor-Leste?
Timor-Leste generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Vanuatu leads in healthcare spending per person. There are 1.6 doctors per 10,000 people in Vanuatu, compared to 7.5 in Timor-Leste. Vanuatu scores 47 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Timor-Leste: 52).
What language do they speak in Vanuatu?
The official languages in Vanuatu are Bislama, English and French. In Timor-Leste, the official languages are Portuguese and Tetum.
