Shipping and Medical Insurance - soon to be expat

@mgw2407

Hi Mate

Thought I would jump in cant help you advice wise, We are looking at doing the same but we have around a a 3year plan... we have a couple of cafes in Gladstone CQ, and are thinking of the big move im 54 my wife 33 and we have a 4 year old...we are considering opening a cafe/kiosk with the possibility of opening another one down the track. I'm sorry to Hijack your initial post however I think our interests are slightly aligned? I was thinking of a shipping container for coffee machines and hospitality equipment ? we don't  even know what type of Visa yet so I have a lot of work to do.. Again sorry for hijacking your post however I think "like minded " people with the same goals should interact. I would think a shipping container which includes a car would be smart?

If you have been there many times do you think there would be a market for a cafe/kiosk type venture aimed at tourists and working professionals ? my plan is to have a smart joint but small offering Coffee and Iced Drinks with Doughnuts/Bagels ?

I don't know how you feel as a family but as a small business owner I feel everybody including the government has their hand out ! We are chasing a more community feel and a simpler life !

Again sorry I don't have answers for your initial post but hopefully you feel the same as me regarding helping each other out going forward>

Regards

Gary

hi Thank you for replying.I live in Townsville and feel same as yourself.I am going to Vanuatu in March for a holiday with my family to view. They also have had enough of the rat race and want a more simple lifestyle.It would be nice to keep in contact and cross reference.regardsVivien

Absolutely be in touch

Hi,

Have an opportunity for a job in Vanuatu and looking to make the move but just myself for now and the family later down the track to make sure we're all ok with it becoming permanent...

If anyone has suggestions on areas to rent and agents to use would be great and also health insurance suggestions as i was going to ask our current provider and if they could cover us while im overseas still although i think the costs will be crazy!

Cheers,

G

@thecottonmillgladstone

Hi Gary,

sorry for the late reply, I hadn't been watching this forum and only just found an email saying there have been responses to my post.

We made the move in early January after a mountain of planning. We sold almost everything we owned in Australia and packed what was left into a dozen tea chests/ moving boxes and three push bike boxes and loaded them onto a pallet, into a container, and onto a ship. Depending on the age and intended use (work/ personal) of your belongings, you will be liable for customs duties. There a other things to consider from Vanuatu's perspective before your items are onboard a ship, like Import Permits, Biosecurity Certificates. Note that you cannot import right hand drive cars into Vanuatu - there are a handful here - but it's left hand drive cars, right hand side of the road. In Australia, I used Warren Global Logistics, based on the Gold Coast, to arrange my freight out of Oz. For the in country work, there are a couple of companies worth contacting: FR8.vu, or A21 Logistics).

Oh, and we also imported our cat.....

Thankfully for our family, our Visas were arranged by the school here. We are on a special category visa, which allows my wife to work, however I cannot seek employment within the country. I am in the process of changing the visa status to a Residency Visa, which has allowed me to register a local company with the VFSC & VIPA. My advice would be to seek advice from companies within the Vanuatu. I suggest you contact Troy, the director of Vilapass, or one of the many other companies (Barrett & Partners, AJC... long list) who specialize in the field.

You SHOULD seek guidance from a professional for both freight and visas.

Regarding your idea of a cafe/kiosk aimed at tourists, professionals, expats etc, have a look for Gaston Chocolat, Jills Cafe, Nambawan Cafe, The Boat House Cafe. These are all based in the "city of Port Vila, and would be your competition. Where, I think, cafes can differentiate themselves and standout here is in the food offered, and a lot of it doesn't come cheaply. Local produce, like fruit, veges, some fish, is magnificent, and mostly bought at markets and are at the cheaper end of the price scale. Beef, chicken, cheese, ham, bacon, and other smallgoods, are a mix of local and imported and relatively similar to Aussie prices. Prices of imported items are through the roof. Obviously this is retail purchasing, not as a bulk order.

For health / travel insurance, we used Fast Cover. They offer 12-month policies and reasonably priced. Our main concern is if something terrible happens and we need a medivac, we're covered and dont need to risk relying on the medical system here.

A Facebook group i recommend joining: Vanuatu Expats... almost everyone who has made the move is on the group and can offer advice.

All the best.

Mark