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In recent months, an online clip from an Indian travel influencer complaining about India's weak passport went viral on social media.

The influencer stated although neighbouring countries such as Sri Lanka and Bhutan were more welcoming to travelers from India, obtaining visas for visiting many nations in Europe and the West remained a challenge.

This dissatisfaction with India's poor passport strength found confirmation in recent global passport ranking, ranking India in the 85th spot out of nearly two hundred nations, a decline of five positions than last year.

Officials in India have not issued a statement regarding these findings yet.

Nations like Rwanda, Ghana and Azerbaijan with much smaller economies than India – a nation that is the world's fifth biggest economy – hold better positions on the index in the seventies range, in that order.

In fact, India's rank in the past decade has remained around the eighties, falling to the 90th spot two years ago. These rankings appear poor when measured against other Asian countries like Singapore, Japan and South Korea, which have consistently held leading ranks.

What Passport Strength Indicates

The power of a passport reflects a nation's soft power and international standing. This leads to better mobility for its citizens, boosting business and educational prospects. Limited passport power results in additional documentation, increased visa expenses, reduced travel benefits and extended processing periods for travel.

But despite the decline in the rank, the count of nations offering visa-free access for Indian citizens has actually increased in the past decade or so.

For example, in 2014 – when the current administration's ruling party came to power – fifty-two nations offered visa-free access to Indians and its passport at seventy-sixth position on the index.

A year later, it fell to the 85th position, then rose to 80th in 2023 and 2024, declining once more to the eighty-fifth spot currently. Meanwhile, countries allowing visa-free travel for Indians increased from fifty-two eight years ago to 60 in 2023 and sixty-two this year.

Increasing Worldwide Travel Competition

The number of nations allowing visa-free entry this year (fifty-seven) is higher than the number eight years ago (fifty-two), but the country's position for both these years remains at eighty-fifth. So, why is that?

Experts say that a major reason is the increasingly competitive landscape in global mobility – indicating that nations are forming more travel partnerships for their populations' advantage and economic growth. According to recent analysis, the global average count of countries people can visit without visas has almost doubled from fifty-eight nineteen years ago to 109 in 2025.

As an illustration, China has expanded the number of visa-free destinations its citizens can travel to from fifty to eighty-two in the past decade. Consequently, its position on the index has improved from ninety-fourth to sixtieth in that same duration.

In comparison, India – which was ranked at seventy-seventh place in July – fell to eighty-fifth place in October after losing access to two countries.

Other Influences Impacting Passport Power

A former Indian ambassador notes multiple elements influencing the strength of a country's passport, including its economic and political stability as well as its receptiveness to accepting travelers from other countries.

For example, the American passport has dropped out from the top ten currently holding twelfth place – its lowest ever – because of its more inward-looking approach in global affairs.

The former ambassador mentioned that during the seventies, Indians enjoyed visa-free travel to many Western and European countries, though this shifted after the Khalistan movement in the 1980s. Subsequent political upheavals have continued to damage the country's reputation as a stable democracy.

"Many countries are growing more cautious of immigrants," the diplomat added. "The country possesses a high number of people migrating to other countries or remaining beyond visa limits and that interferes with the national image."

Factors like the security level of a national passport and immigration processes also contribute in gaining visa-free entry to other countries.

Security and Technological Improvements

The Indian passport faces ongoing security threats. In 2024, authorities arrested over two hundred individuals for suspected visa and passport fraud. India is also known for complex immigration processes with lengthy timelines for visa approvals.

The diplomat says that technological advances, such as the newly introduced digital passport or e-passport, may enhance safety and ease the immigration process. The e-passport contains a microchip holding biometric data, increasing difficulty to counterfeit or alter the document.

But, increased diplomatic efforts and travel partnerships continue essential for enhancing international travel freedom of Indians and consequently, the Indian passport's global position.