17/06/2026
For many high net worth individuals, acquiring residence and citizenship abroad offers a sense of stability in a world that has grown harder to predict. Geopolitical tension drive more people to seek new options. What used to be a simple precaution, a single spare passport set aside for emergencies, has become a deliberate discipline.
The demand for residency and citizenship by investment has never been higher. But what are the best destinations for travelers looking to build their wealth outside their home country?
A new report from residence planning firm Henley & Partners highlights an unprecedented surge in wealthy Americans building sovereign portfolios—layering multiple citizenships and residencies to hedge against political tension. The report heavily emphasizes elite, multi-million dollar hubs like Singapore and New Zealand's refreshed Active Investor Plus program
But this data carries a glaring blind spot: it frames global mobility as an exclusive playground for the ultra-wealthy. You do not need to buy your way into New Zealand for NZD $5 million+ (approx. $3 million USD) to protect your capital and your family.
While the headline-grabbing leaders score highly on structural stability, a deeper look at the index reveals highly competitive, lower-threshold alternatives. If you do not have multimillions, the strategy changes from buying access via massive private equity investments to allocating capital smartly in nations actively competing for mid-tier high-net-worth individuals.
Global Wealth Mobility Leaders 2026
1. Singapore: 79.5
2. New Zealand: 75.8
3. Cayman Islands: 74.3
4. Cyprus: 73.5
5. Netherlands: 72.8
6. Portugal: 72.5
7. Italy: 72.3
8. Bermuda: 72.0
9. Uruguay: 71.8
10. Latvia: 71.7
11. Panama: 71.5
12. Hong Kong: 71.2
13. Switzerland: 70.8
14. Greece: 70.5
15. Costa Rica: 70.2
16. Monaco: 70.0
Source: To identify the top nations for wealth mobility, Henley & Partners launched a new analysis that calculates a Wealth Mobility score of up to 100 for each country. The overall score is based on a nation’s performance across 38 indicators in 12 categories, including tax treatment, rule of law, quality of life, investor and high-net-worth migration pathways, family inclusion, geopolitical stability, and capital mobility.
Image: Conde Nest via Getty
