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Earlier this year, a video from an Indian travel influencer expressing frustration over India's weak passport gained massive traction on social media.

The influencer stated although nearby nations like Bhutan and Sri Lanka offered easier access of travelers from India, securing travel permits for visiting many nations in Europe and the West continued to be difficult.

Such concerns regarding India's poor passport strength was reflected in the latest global passport ranking, which placed India at position eighty-five out of nearly two hundred nations, five spots lower compared to the previous year.

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

Nations like Rwanda, Ghana and Azerbaijan despite smaller economic size than India – which is the fifth-largest economy globally – are ranked higher on the index at the 78th, 74th and 72nd spots, respectively.

In fact, the country's position over the last ten years has remained around the eighties, even dipping to the 90th spot in 2021. These rankings appear poor compared to Asian nations such as Singapore, Japan and South Korea, which have consistently held top positions.

What Passport Strength Indicates

The power of a passport indicates a nation's soft power and international standing. This leads to better mobility for passport holders, improving commercial and learning opportunities. Limited passport power means more paperwork, higher visa costs, reduced travel benefits and extended processing periods for travel.

But despite the drop in position, the number of countries providing visa-free travel for Indian citizens has grown over the last ten years.

As an instance, in 2014 – the year the current administration's ruling party assumed office – fifty-two nations offered visa-free travel for Indian passport holders with the passport at seventy-sixth position on the index.

The following year, it tumbled to eighty-fifth place, then improved to 80th in 2023 and 2024, dropping again to the 85th position currently. Meanwhile, countries allowing visa-free travel to Indian citizens grew from 52 in 2015 to 60 in 2023 and 62 in 2024.

Increasing Worldwide Travel Competition

The number of visa-free destinations in 2025 (fifty-seven) is higher than what it was eight years ago (52), yet India's rank during both periods remains at eighty-fifth. What explains this situation?

Experts say that a primary factor is the increasingly competitive landscape in global mobility – meaning countries are entering into more travel partnerships to benefit their citizens and their economies. According to recent analysis, the global average number of destinations travellers are able to access without visas has nearly doubled from 58 in 2006 to 109 in 2025.

As an illustration, China has increased its count of visa-free destinations available to its citizens from fifty to eighty-two in the past decade. As a result, its rank on the index has enhanced from ninety-fourth to sixtieth during the same time period.

Meanwhile, The Indian passport – previously positioned at seventy-seventh place in July – fell to eighty-fifth place this autumn 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 economic and political conditions as well as its receptiveness to welcoming citizens from other countries.

For instance, the American passport has fallen of the top 10 currently holding twelfth place – its lowest ever – due to its more inward-looking approach in world politics.

The former ambassador recalls how in the 1970s, Indians enjoyed visa-free travel to many Western and European countries, though this shifted following Sikh separatist movement during the eighties. Later political disturbances have further chipped away at India's image 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 overseas or overstaying their visas affecting the national image."

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

Enhanced Security Measures

India's passport faces ongoing security threats. In 2024, law enforcement detained over two hundred individuals for alleged visa and passport fraud. The country also has complex immigration processes and a slow pace for visa approvals.

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 contains a small chip holding biometric information, increasing difficulty to forge or tamper with the document.

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.