CITIZENSHIP
The Henley & Partners - Kochenov Quality of Nationality Index (QNI) 2nd edition 2016
the very high-quality group, changing its neighbours in the ranking from the likes of Switzerland and Germany to the likes of Brazil and Romania. The moral is simple: EU citizenship
is an extremely valuable resource and getting rid of it – crippling citizens’ horizon of opportunities – should not be taken lightly,” notes Professor Kochenov.
A unique measurement tool Dr Christian H. Kälin, a leading specialist on international immigration and citizenship law and policy, and Group Chairman of Henley & Partners, says the QNI is relevant to individuals interested in their own mobility, the possibilities and the limitations of their nationality, and governments focused on improving the local, regional and global opportunities that are inherent in their passports. Dr Kälin says, “The reality that the QNI
describes is in many respects regrettable: in the majority of circumstances, our nationality plays an important role in establishing a highly arbitrary ceiling for our opportunities and aspirations, reflecting the core concept of being a national of just one particular place. The QNI provides an empowering
perspective that serves to help individuals with important decisions they must make regarding where to live and raise a family, do business, and enjoy a satisfying global
lifestyle in order to define their future.” “The QNI is relevant and of interest to
all individuals, and is a vital resource for those who are financially independent and wish to enjoy the benefits of alternative citizenship, as it provides assistance in selecting the most valuable second or third nationality. Over the last decade, there has been a
growing trend among wealthy and talented individuals to build up a citizenship portfolio to ensure greater international opportunity, stability, freedom and security for themselves and their families,” he adds.
Key findings • Generally, the global quality of nationalities went up by 0.75 per cent. All nationalities saw a change in value in 2016, but only 45 lost value. By comparison, 88 nationalities lost value in 2015
• A total of 140 nationalities increased in value in 2016, which is 59 more than in 2015. The global mean in 2016 was 39.32 per cent, with the German nationality again positioned at the top of the QNI General Ranking with a score of 82.7 per cent, and Afghanistan at the bottom of the index on 14.6 per cent
•
In 2016, 28 nationalities were of extremely high quality (75 per cent and above); 17 nationalities were
of very high quality (above 50 per cent); 43 nationalities were of high quality (between 35 per cent and 49.9 per cent); 93 nationalities were in the medium quality tier (between 20 per cent and 34.9 per cent); and 14 nationalities were of low quality (below 20 per cent)
• The shifts in the high-quality tier are most significant. As many as 17 nationalities that previously belonged to the medium quality tier have improved in value, and were classified as high quality in 2016. These primarily include the nationalities of Colombia and Peru, as well as those of five Caribbean states (the Commonwealth of Dominica, Grenada, St Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines, and Trinidad and Tobago), which saw significant improvement in value and in their general ranking positions in 2016, due to the Schengen visa liberalization;
•
In the EU, the Croatian nationality continued to improve and move up the rankings with the removal of settlement restrictions by EU member states, but the remaining nationalities in the EU all fell slightly in value.
Risers and fallers in 2015-2016 The seven nationalities rising furthest in the ranking in 2016 are five Caribbean states, Timor-Leste and Colombia, all of
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