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Earlier this year, a video by a popular travel content creator expressing frustration over India's weak passport went viral across digital platforms.

The influencer stated that while nearby nations such as Bhutan and Sri Lanka were more welcoming to travelers from India, obtaining visas to travel to most Western and European countries remained a challenge.

This dissatisfaction with India's poor passport strength was reflected in the latest global passport ranking, ranking India in the 85th spot among 199 countries, a decline of five positions than last year.

Officials in India has not commented on the report so far.

Nations including Ghana, Rwanda and Azerbaijan with much smaller economies than India – which is the world's fifth biggest economy – hold better positions in the ranking at the 78th, 74th and 72nd spots, respectively.

In fact, the country's position over the last ten years has hovered in the 80s, even dipping to ninetieth place two years ago. These rankings appear poor compared to other Asian countries such as Singapore, Japan and South Korea, which have consistently held top positions.

Global Passport Power Indicates

Passport strength indicates a country's global influence and international standing. This leads to better mobility for passport holders, boosting business and learning opportunities. Limited passport power results in more paperwork, increased visa expenses, fewer travel privileges and extended processing periods when journeying.

However, even with the decline in the rank, the count of nations providing visa-free travel for Indian citizens has actually increased over the last ten years.

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

A year later, it tumbled to the 85th position, then improved to eightieth in 2023 and 2024, dropping again to the eighty-fifth spot currently. At the same time, visa-free destinations to Indian citizens 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 in 2025 (fifty-seven) exceeds what it was in 2015 (52), yet India's rank during both periods is 85. What explains this situation?

Analysts note that a major reason is the increasingly competitive landscape in global mobility – indicating that countries are forming additional travel agreements for their populations' advantage and their economies. According to recent analysis, the global average number of destinations travellers are able to access without visas has almost doubled from 58 in 2006 to 109 in 2025.

For example, The Chinese passport has increased the number of visa-free countries its citizens can travel to from fifty to eighty-two over the last ten years. Consequently, its position on the index has improved from ninety-fourth to sixtieth during the same time period.

In comparison, India – which was ranked 77th on the index in July – fell to eighty-fifth place in October following the loss of two nations.

Additional Factors Impacting Passport Power

A former Indian ambassador says multiple elements that affect the strength of a country's passport, like economic and political conditions plus its receptiveness to welcoming citizens from abroad.

For instance, the American passport has dropped out from the top ten currently holding the 12th position – a historic low – because of its more inward-looking approach in global affairs.

The diplomat recalls how in the 1970s, Indians enjoyed visa-free access to numerous European and Western nations, but that changed after the Sikh separatist movement during the eighties. Subsequent political upheavals have continued to damage at India's image as a stable, democratic country.

"Numerous nations are also becoming increasingly wary of immigrants," the diplomat added. "The country possesses a large quantity of people migrating overseas or remaining beyond visa limits and that interferes with the country's reputation."

Factors like the security level a country's passport is and immigration processes also play a role in gaining visa-free access to foreign nations.

Enhanced Security Measures

India's passport remains vulnerable to security risks. 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 of visa processing.

The diplomat indicated that new technologies, like India's recently-launched electronic passport or e-passport, may enhance safety and ease the immigration process. This electronic document contains a small chip holding biometric information, increasing difficulty to counterfeit or alter the passport.

But, more diplomatic outreach and travel agreements continue essential for enhancing international travel freedom for Indian citizens and, by extension, the Indian passport's global position.