Family in Vanuatu

Vanuatu has no single authority responsible for all family matters. The Department of Civil Registration and Identity Management (CRIM) handles civil records, while courts, the Vanuatu Police Force, the Family Protection Unit (FPU), the Department of Women's Affairs, the Child Desk, the Public Solicitor, the Vanuatu Women's Centre (VWC), chiefs, churches and extended families each perform different functions. Kastom means customary practice, and it continues to shape marriage, care arrangements and dispute responses alongside formal law. Four marriage forms are recognised: civil, virtual, custom and religious marriage. Customary requirements vary by local community. Registration of a custom marriage requires a Kastom Marriage Certificate from the Malvatumauri National Council of Chiefs. Civil and religious registration may require identity documents or birth certificates, witnesses, a Notice of Intended Marriage, a Calling of Banns or notice, and a relevant municipal, provincial or religious certificate. CRIM's current service information gives a 30-day target, while an older civil-registration policy refers to 21 days, so the local office should confirm the current timing. The first citizen registration is free. A registered marriage supports legal recognition, inheritance and family benefits or pension claims, name and identity updates, and the child's family record. Current legal materials list a minimum marriage age of 18 for males and 16 for females, parental consent for people under 21, and a requirement for full and free consent. The Child Protection Bill 2025 is a bill, not treated here as enacted law. Parents, legal guardians, relatives and communities may all contribute to a child's care. The latest reviewed country analysis found no formal foster programme or residential child-care facilities; care therefore relies mainly on informal kinship arrangements. Adoption has historically often been private or informal, which creates documentation and protection risks. CRIM registers Supreme Court adoption orders and overseas orders. A customary adoption may be recognised in practice, but a court order is needed for international recognition, and adoption registration costs 1,000 VT. CRIM registers births through hospitals, provincial centres and sub-registration centres. A birth should be registered as soon as possible. After discharge, the nearest centre should generally receive the registration within 21 days for on-time processing. Evidence may include the Pikinini Helt Buk or medical proof. Without medical proof, two witnesses may be used: one family member and one Area Secretary, Administrator, religious leader or chief. The first birth certificate is free, while reprints and special flag designs may cost money. Birth records and identity documents support school admission, banking, government benefits, travel and disaster accounting. Remote areas may use catch-up registration through schools or hospitals. Domestic violence is a crime under the Family Protection Act 2008. A Family Protection Order can be sought through a Magistrates Court, an Island Court or an authorised person. Police, the FPU network across six provinces, the State Prosecutor, VWC, medical services and courts can provide different forms of protection or assistance. VWC offers free and confidential counselling, legal advice, safehouse support and referrals through its main office and provincial branches. Family pressure, community harmony concerns and kastom settlement can discourage reporting or favour reconciliation over the safety and rights of a survivor or child. Separation may involve divorce, child maintenance, custody, access and property issues. The Public Solicitor may represent people who cannot afford legal help in these matters, including domestic-violence and restraining-order cases. An Island Court can provide a child-maintenance pathway, but there is no uniform national maintenance amount; courts set custody, access and maintenance outcomes case by case. Customary or community settlements may coexist with formal proceedings, but their legal enforceability varies. A formal order or documented agreement is safer when an enforceable right is needed. To enter a divorce in CRIM records, the process requires court notification, a registered marriage and a dissolution form. The listed divorce registration fee is 1,000 VT, and a new identity document costs 500 VT. A family member or relative may notify CRIM of a death. Evidence can include a medical death certificate, a church burial notice or statements from two witnesses, including a chief or church leader. The first death registration and copy are free. A death certificate supports inheritance, land and bank claims, Vanuatu National Provident Fund (VNPF) or family-benefit claims. An older CRVS policy mentions a seven-day declaration rule, but rural burial often occurs before registration, creating a risk of late or missing records. Court, transport and legal-representation costs vary, and outer-island access can delay every formal pathway.