The 2018 Henley Passport Index has been released, with New Zealand ranking seventh on the list, currently enjoying visa-free access to 182 countries and regions.
The UK-based consultancy Henley & Partners updates this index based on the number of visa-free countries and regions for each passport, with information derived from the exclusive data of the International Air Transport Association (IATA). Here, "visa-free" refers to passport holders not needing to apply for a visa in advance, including visa-free entry and visa-on-arrival.
Germany, which had led the Henley Passport Index for several consecutive years since 2013, is now in second place, having ceded the top spot to Japan and Singapore. Earlier this year, holders of both Japanese and Singaporean passports were granted entry to Uzbekistan.
New Zealand is tied for seventh place with the Czech Republic and Malta, with the number of countries/regions offering visa-free entry increasing from 172 last year to 182 now.
It is worth mentioning that the value of the Chinese passport has also increased significantly year-on-year, from 51 visa-free countries/regions in 2017 to 72 at present. The ranking of the Chinese passport on the list has also jumped from 85th in 2017 to 69th currently. Even more convenient is the passport of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, which currently ranks 19th on the list, enjoying visa-free access to 169 countries and regions.
The so-called hermit kingdom, North Korea, ranks 94th, with visa-free access to 43 countries/regions, up from 40 last year.
From 2017 to the present, the countries with the largest increases in ranking are Ukraine (up 20 places), Georgia (up 20 places), and the United Arab Emirates (up 17 places).
As an immigrant, what conditions must be met to apply for New Zealand citizenship?
You must hold New Zealand permanent residence, which includes a New Zealand PR, Australian permanent residence, or Australian citizenship.
You have lived in New Zealand for more than 5 years, and you have held New Zealand permanent resident status throughout these 5 years.
During the 5 years of living in New Zealand, you have resided for a total of more than 1,350 days, and you have spent more than 240 days (8 months) in New Zealand each year.
You intend to continue living in this beautiful country of New Zealand.
You are able to use English, with a level at least sufficient to see a doctor, call emergency services, and go grocery shopping, etc.
You are of good character and have no criminal record.
The fee for an adult to apply for New Zealand citizenship is 470.20 NZD, and the fee for those under 16 is 235.10 NZD (half price).
Typically, it takes about 4 months from the time you apply to the time you are officially notified to attend a citizenship ceremony.
To prove that you will continue to live in New Zealand after becoming a citizen, you may be required to demonstrate that even if you go abroad, you are working for the New Zealand government, participating in international organizations on behalf of New Zealand (such as the United Nations, World Health Organization, etc.), or working for an overseas branch of a company headquartered in New Zealand.
You may also be required to provide a travel plan for the next 12 months, as well as your work and study status in New Zealand, whether you own property or real estate in New Zealand, and whether you possess other assets in New Zealand (such as cars, valuables, etc.).
Requirements regarding character include having no criminal behavior within 3 years prior to the citizenship application, no imprisonment within 7 years, and never having been sentenced to more than 5 years of imprisonment; in practice, the standards are much stricter than this, and it is basically safe to say that if you have a criminal record, it is very difficult to apply for New Zealand citizenship. If you have lived outside of New Zealand for more than 4 months in the past three years, or have lived abroad for more than 1 year in the past 12 years, you will be required to provide a police clearance certificate from the local authorities where you resided abroad.