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In recent months, an online clip from an Indian travel influencer complaining about the limited power of the Indian passport went viral across digital platforms.

He mentioned although neighbouring countries like Bhutan and Sri Lanka offered easier access of travelers from India, securing travel permits to travel to most Western and European countries continued to be difficult.

This dissatisfaction with India's poor passport strength was reflected in recent global passport ranking, ranking India at position eighty-five out of 199 countries, five spots lower than last year.

The Indian government have not issued a statement on the report yet.

Countries like Ghana, Rwanda and Azerbaijan despite smaller economic size than India – which is the fifth-largest economy globally – are ranked higher in the ranking at the 78th, 74th and 72nd spots, in that order.

Actually, India's rank in the past decade has hovered around the eighties, even dipping to ninetieth place in 2021. Such standings appear poor compared to other Asian countries such as Singapore, Japan and South Korea, which have consistently held leading ranks.

Global Passport Power Measures

Passport strength reflects a nation's soft power and international standing. This leads to better mobility for its citizens, boosting business and learning opportunities. A weak passport results in more paperwork, higher visa costs, reduced travel benefits and extended processing periods for travel.

But despite the drop in position, the count of nations providing visa-free travel for Indian citizens has actually increased over the last ten years.

For example, in 2014 – the year the current administration's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) came to power – 52 countries offered visa-free access for Indian passport holders with the passport ranked 76th in the ranking.

A year later, it tumbled to eighty-fifth place, then rose to 80th over the past two years, declining once more to the 85th position this year. Meanwhile, visa-free destinations to Indian citizens grew from 52 in 2015 to sixty last year and sixty-two this year.

The Competitive Global Mobility Landscape

The count of nations allowing visa-free entry in 2025 (57) exceeds what it was in 2015 (fifty-two), but the country's position for both these years remains at eighty-fifth. So, why is that?

Experts say that a primary factor involves growing competition in international travel – meaning countries are entering into more travel partnerships for their populations' advantage and their economies. According to recent analysis, the worldwide mean number of destinations people can visit visa-free has almost doubled from 58 in 2006 to one hundred nine currently.

For example, The Chinese passport has increased its count of visa-free destinations available to its citizens from fifty to eighty-two over the last ten years. As a result, its position on the index has improved from 94th to 60th during the same time period.

In comparison, The Indian passport – previously positioned 77th on the index in July – dropped to eighty-fifth place in October following the loss of two nations.

Additional Factors Affecting Passport Strength

A former Indian ambassador notes multiple elements influencing a nation's passport power, like its economic and political stability plus its receptiveness to welcoming citizens from abroad.

For example, the US passport has dropped out of the top 10 and now occupies twelfth place – a historic low – because of its increasingly insular stance in world politics.

The former ambassador recalls how in the 1970s, Indian citizens had visa-free access to many Western and European countries, though this shifted following Khalistan movement in the 1980s. Later political disturbances have further chipped away the country's reputation as a stable, democratic country.

"Numerous nations are also becoming increasingly wary regarding migrants," the diplomat added. "India has a high number of citizens emigrating overseas or remaining beyond visa limits and that interferes with the country's reputation."

Factors such as how secure a country's passport is and immigration processes also play a role in gaining visa-free entry to foreign nations.

Security and Technological Improvements

India's passport faces ongoing security threats. In 2024, law enforcement arrested over two hundred individuals for suspected visa and passport fraud. India is also known for complex immigration processes and a slow pace of visa processing.

The diplomat indicated that technological advances, like India's recently-launched digital passport or e-passport, can improve security and ease the immigration process. The e-passport includes a microchip that stores biometric information, increasing difficulty to forge or tamper with the document.

However, increased diplomatic efforts and travel agreements remain key for enhancing international travel freedom of Indians and consequently, the Indian passport's global position.