The right to emigrate is a more fundamental right than the right to vote.
- Balaji Srinvasan
February 21, 2022
The Exit Index - known inside GlobalPassport™ as the Balaji Index — was inspired by Balaji Srinivasan's framing of the 'right to exit' as the ultimate test of freedom.
It ranks countries based on how difficult they make it for citizens to renounce their passports and move on. By analyzing exit taxes, dual citizenship rules, re-acquisition policies, and bureaucratic delays, the Index exposes the hidden barriers to global mobility.
In short: it makes freedom measurable.
Not all citizenships are created equal. Some nations trap their citizens with golden handcuffs - others with iron bars. The Exit Index (Balji Index) sheds light on where governments respoct the right to exit and where they restrict it through high costs, delays, and legal barriers.
By quantifying these constraints, we reveal how much freedom citizens really have — not just to enter, but to leave.
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
Egypt
52.00%
Egypt's position indicates an exceptionally restrictive approach to citizenship renunciation, combining extensive bureaucratic requirements, lengthy processing times (18-24+ months), and multiple layers of approval including military service clearance and security checks, reflecting its conservative stance on national identity and emphasis on maintaining strong governmental control in a region with complex geopolitical dynamics.
4
India
57.00%
The exceptionally low score reflects its complex approach to citizenship renunciation, combining substantial fees, lengthy processing times (12-18+ months), and multiple bureaucratic requirements including tax clearance certificates, reflecting its traditional view of citizenship as a deep-rooted connection in a country with a large diaspora.
5
Vietnam
58.00%
The low performance stems from Vietnam's highly restrictive stance on citizenship changes, combining moderate fees, extensive waiting periods (12-24+ months), and multiple layers of government approval, reflecting its conservative approach to nationality matters in a rapidly developing economy.
6
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.
7
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.
8
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.
9
Saudi Arabia
60.00%
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.
10
Argentina
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.
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”.
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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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