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Earlier this year, an online clip by an Indian travel influencer complaining about India's weak passport went viral on social media.

The influencer stated that while 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 remained a challenge.

This dissatisfaction with India's poor passport strength found confirmation in recent global passport ranking, ranking the country in the 85th spot among nearly two hundred nations, five spots lower compared to the previous year.

The Indian government has not commented on the report yet.

Nations like Rwanda, Ghana and Azerbaijan with much smaller economies compared to India – which is the world's fifth biggest economy – are ranked higher in the ranking in the seventies range, in that order.

Actually, India's rank over the last ten years has hovered in the 80s, falling to the 90th spot two years ago. Such standings are dismal when measured against Asian nations such as Japan, South Korea and Singapore, which have consistently held leading ranks.

What Passport Strength Indicates

Passport strength reflects a nation's soft power and international standing. It also translates into enhanced travel freedom for its citizens, improving commercial and learning opportunities. Limited passport power means additional documentation, higher visa costs, fewer travel privileges and extended processing periods when journeying.

However, even with the drop in position, the number of countries offering visa-free access to Indians has actually increased over the last ten years.

As an instance, eight years ago – the year the current administration's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) assumed office – fifty-two nations provided visa-free access to Indians and its passport ranked 76th on the index.

A year later, it fell to the 85th position, then improved to 80th in 2023 and 2024, dropping again to the 85th position currently. At the same time, countries allowing visa-free travel for Indians grew from 52 in 2015 to 60 in 2023 and 62 in 2024.

The Competitive Global Mobility Landscape

The number of visa-free destinations in 2025 (fifty-seven) is higher than what it was eight years ago (52), yet the country's position during both periods is 85. What explains this situation?

Analysts note that a major reason involves growing competition in international travel – indicating that nations are entering into more travel partnerships for their populations' advantage and economic growth. According to recent analysis, the worldwide mean number of destinations people can visit visa-free has nearly doubled from fifty-eight nineteen years ago to one hundred nine currently.

For example, China has increased its count of visa-free destinations its citizens can travel to from fifty to eighty-two in the past decade. As a result, its rank on the index has enhanced from ninety-fourth to sixtieth in that same duration.

In comparison, The Indian passport – which was ranked at seventy-seventh place in July – fell to the 85th position this autumn after losing access of two nations.

Additional Factors Impacting Passport Power

A former Indian ambassador says multiple elements that affect the strength of a country's passport, including economic and political conditions as well as its openness to welcoming citizens from other countries.

For instance, the American passport has fallen from the top ten currently holding the 12th position – its lowest ever – because of its increasingly insular stance in world politics.

The diplomat mentioned that during the seventies, Indians enjoyed visa-free access to many Western and European countries, though this shifted following Sikh separatist movement in the 1980s. Subsequent political upheavals have further chipped away the country's reputation as a stable, democratic country.

"Numerous nations are growing increasingly wary of immigrants," the diplomat added. "The country possesses a large quantity of citizens emigrating to other countries or overstaying their visas affecting the national image."

Elements such as how secure of a national passport and its immigration procedures also contribute in gaining visa-free access to foreign nations.

Security and Technological Improvements

The Indian passport remains vulnerable to security threats. In 2024, law enforcement detained 203 people for suspected visa and passport fraud. India is also known for complex immigration processes with lengthy timelines of visa processing.

The former ambassador says that new technologies, such as the newly introduced digital passport or e-passport, can improve security and ease the immigration process. This electronic document contains a microchip holding biometric data, increasing difficulty to forge or tamper with the passport.

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