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Earlier this year, a video by an Indian travel influencer expressing frustration over the limited power of the Indian passport gained massive traction across digital platforms.

The influencer stated that while nearby nations such as Sri Lanka and Bhutan offered easier access to Indian tourists, obtaining visas to travel to many nations in Europe and the West remained a challenge.

This dissatisfaction with the limited global access of Indian passports was reflected in the latest global passport ranking, which placed India in the 85th spot out of nearly two hundred nations, five spots lower than last year.

Officials in India has not commented on the report yet.

Countries like Rwanda, Ghana and Azerbaijan with much smaller economies than India – a nation that is the fifth-largest economy globally – hold better positions on the index at the 78th, 74th and 72nd spots, respectively.

Actually, the country's position in the past decade has hovered around the eighties, even dipping to the 90th spot two years ago. Such standings appear poor compared to other Asian countries such as Singapore, Japan and South Korea, 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 passport holders, boosting business and learning opportunities. A weak passport means additional documentation, increased visa expenses, fewer travel privileges and longer waiting times for travel.

But despite 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, in 2014 – when Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) assumed office – fifty-two nations offered visa-free access to Indians and its passport ranked 76th on the index.

The following year, it tumbled to the 85th position, then rose to 80th over the past two years, declining once more to the eighty-fifth spot currently. At the same time, visa-free destinations for Indians grew from 52 in 2015 to 60 in 2023 and sixty-two this year.

The Competitive Global Mobility Landscape

The count of visa-free destinations this year (57) is higher than what it was eight years ago (52), yet India's rank for both these years is 85. So, why is that?

Experts say that a major reason is the increasingly competitive landscape in global mobility – meaning countries are entering into more travel partnerships to benefit their citizens and economic growth. As per a 2025 report, the worldwide mean count of countries people can visit without visas has nearly doubled from 58 in 2006 to one hundred nine currently.

As an illustration, China has increased the number of visa-free destinations available to its citizens from 50 to 82 over the last ten years. Consequently, its position on the index has enhanced from ninety-fourth to sixtieth during the same time period.

In comparison, The Indian passport – previously positioned at seventy-seventh place in July – fell to the 85th position this autumn following the loss to two countries.

Additional Factors Affecting Passport Strength

A former Indian ambassador says there are other factors influencing a nation's passport power, like economic and political conditions as well as its receptiveness to accepting travelers from abroad.

For example, the American passport has dropped out from the top ten and now occupies the 12th position – a historic low – due to its more inward-looking approach in world politics.

The former ambassador recalls how in the 1970s, Indians enjoyed visa-free access to many Western and European countries, though this shifted after the Sikh separatist movement in the 1980s. Subsequent political upheavals have continued to damage at India's image as a stable democracy.

"Numerous nations are also becoming increasingly wary of immigrants," he stated. "India has a large quantity of citizens emigrating overseas or overstaying their visas and that interferes with the country's reputation."

Elements such as the security level a country's passport is and its immigration procedures also contribute to obtaining visa-free entry to foreign nations.

Enhanced Security Measures

India's passport remains vulnerable to security risks. In 2024, authorities detained 203 people for alleged passport and visa irregularities. India is also known for cumbersome immigration procedures with lengthy timelines for visa approvals.

The diplomat indicated that new technologies, such as the newly introduced electronic passport or e-passport, can improve security and streamline immigration. This electronic document contains a microchip holding biometric data, increasing difficulty to counterfeit or alter the passport.

But, increased diplomatic efforts and travel agreements continue essential to boosting the global mobility of Indians and consequently, India's passport ranking.