exit Index
The GlobalPassport™ Exit Index (also known as the Balaji Index) is a benchmarking tool that quantifies how difficult it is to emigrate from a country.
The GlobalPassport™ Exit Index (or the Balaji Index, as it’s known at GlobalPassport™) is a benchmarking tool that quantifies how difficult it is to emigrate from a country. The Exit Index is crucial for anyone who has or who aims to obtain citizenship in another country, particularly if they are considering or must consider renouncing their own citizenship.
The Exit Index offers a clear comparison of passports around the globe and the consequences of renouncing their citizenship against five key indicators that empower our members to make the choices that are right for them.
The right to emigrate is a more fundamental right than the right to vote.
- Balaji Srinvasan
February 21, 2022
The GlobalPassport™ Exit Index (also known as the Balaji Index) covers 7 key indicators that empower our members to make the choices that are right for them.
Evaluates the country's stance on dual citizenship, ranging from full prohibition to unrestricted allowance.Key data sources include: Global Citizenship Observatory (GLOBALCIT) and Country-specific immigration departments.
Assesses whether citizenship renunciation is legally possible and under what conditions.Key data sources include: U.S. Department of State's Country Reports and national citizenship laws, offering a thorough understanding of the legal landscape for citizenship renunciation in different countries.
Measures the complexity of the renunciation process, including paperwork, interviews, and other requirements.Key data sources include: Law firms specializing in immigration (e.g., Henley & Partners and Expat forums and resources (e.g., InterNations).
Also known as waiting period, evaluates the efficiency of the renunciation process, from application to official approval.Key data sources include: Official government immigration websites and International immigration law databases (e.g., EUDO Citizenship Observatory.
This indicator analyzes the financial burden of renouncing citizenship, including all associated fees. It provides a comprehensive overview of the monetary investment required to complete the renunciation process. The assessment draws from official government fee schedules and insights from international tax advisory firms such as KPMG and Deloitte, offering a detailed and accurate picture of the costs involved in different jurisdictions.
This factor assesses any tax implications or financial obligations imposed on individuals renouncing their citizenship. It examines whether countries require departing citizens to settle tax liabilities or pay specific exit taxes before allowing renunciation. The analysis relies on authoritative sources such as PwC's Worldwide Tax Summaries and the OECD tax database, providing a thorough understanding of the potential financial consequences of citizenship renunciation.
This indicator examines the possibility and ease of regaining citizenship after renunciation. It explores whether countries offer pathways for former citizens to reclaim their nationality and, if so, what conditions apply. The assessment is based on careful analysis of national citizenship laws, offering insight into the long-term implications of renunciation and the flexibility of different countries in welcoming back former citizens.
exit index
RENUNCIATION POSSIBLE - 25%
DIFFICULTY LEVEL - 15%
COST TO RENOUNCE CITIZENSHIP - 15%
EXIT TAX - 15%
PROCESSING TIME - 10%
RE-ACQUISITION POLICY - 10%
DUAL CITIZENSHIP ALLOWED - 10%
BALAJI INDEX
Rank order
COUNTRY
EXIT INDEX SCORE
ANALYSIS
1
USA
46.00%
The exceptionally low score reflects its unique approach to citizenship renunciation, combining high fees, lengthy processing times, and a potentially significant exit tax, effectively creating financial and bureaucratic barriers for those seeking to leave.
2
UAE
50.00%
The restrictive policies on citizenship renunciation, including limited dual citizenship options and a complex process, reflect its focus on maintaining a stable national identity in a country with a large expatriate population.
3
Austria
59.00%
The low score stems from its stringent approach to citizenship, including limited dual citizenship recognition and a difficult renunciation process, mirroring its conservative stance on national identity and integration.
4
Japan
59.00%
The position indicates a reluctance to allow easy citizenship changes, with restrictions on dual nationality and a complex renunciation process, possibly to maintain control over its population in a region with fluid borders.
5
Thailand
59.00%
The low score reflects its traditional view of citizenship as an exclusive relationship, with no dual citizenship allowed and a challenging renunciation process, underscoring its emphasis on national homogeneity.
6
Argentina
63.00%
The position suggests a cautious approach to citizenship changes, with limited dual citizenship options and a difficult renunciation process, possibly influenced by its geopolitical situation and historical concerns about national security.
7
Costa Rica
63.00%
The score indicates a protective stance towards citizenship, with no dual citizenship allowed and a complex renunciation process, likely reflecting its multiethnic society and desire to maintain a balanced national composition.
8
South Korea
65.00%
The surprisingly low score, given its generally progressive policies, suggests a more conservative approach to citizenship, with restricted dual citizenship and a challenging renunciation process, possibly to maintain social cohesion in a diverse society.
9
Netherlands
66.00%
The position reflects its traditionally restrictive citizenship policies, including limited dual citizenship recognition and a complex renunciation process, though recent changes suggest a gradual shift towards more liberal policies.
10
Malaysia
66.00%
The score indicates its careful management of citizenship, with no dual citizenship allowed and a moderately difficult renunciation process, reflecting its approach to maintaining a delicate ethnic balance and national identity in a small, diverse city-state.
Americans renouncing citizenship
Source: The Treasury Department: The Expat List names US citizens who have renounced their citizenships as well as long-term US resident aliens who have relinquished their Green Cards and who have either a minimum net worth of US$2m or a five-year average of US tax paid greater than US$178,000.
History is running in reverse the U.S. is becoming more like India of the 1950’s, it is America that will soon give birth to an impressive international diaspora fleeing economic craziness, ethnic conflict and potentially geographical partition.”
Balaji Srinvasan
October 15th, 2013
“We’re not just a nation of immigrants, we’re a nation of emigrants. We’re shaped by both voice and exit.”
DECEMBER 5TH, 2020
“Vote with your feet.”
DECEMBER 12TH, 2021
“The number one thing for a Web 3.0 founder is global mobility”.
JULY 17TH, 2022
“The right to exit is the most important right”.
NOVEMBER 5TH, 2022
“Cash is king, but passport is queen”.
NOVEMBER 5TH, 2022
“Mobility is liquidity”.
MAY 4TH, 2023
“Location is more important than allocation”.
If you want to think about things that are next, build technologies for what the next society looks like. Apps that allow people to travel and relocate better because it's a huge pain to move from city to city.
Anything you can think of that reduces the barrier to exit, that reduces lock-in. If we work together we might be able to build something like this.
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Balaji Srinvasan
YC Startup School,
October 25, 2013
Tools for international relocation are still early. If anybody wants to build Teleport 2.0 or Nomadlist 2.0, DM me...with a demo and I'II definitely take a look…b/c I think we're still very early in that space.
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- Balaji Srinvasan
My First Million
May 5, 2021
"If you want to live in the future, live in the freest place around. Because eventually, all of the innovators and creators will show up there."
Naval Ravikant
Angelist
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"Should one be a slave to the coincidence of being born in one place for the rest of their life?"
Silver Keskkula
Teleport
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"Mobility should be the cardinal human right of the 21st century. Yet this aspiration increasingly rubs against the inertia of sovereignty in a world with more borders than ever before."
Parag Khanna
Climate Alpha
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