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Earlier this year, an online clip from a popular travel content creator complaining about the limited power of the Indian passport gained massive traction on social media.

The influencer stated although neighbouring countries such as Sri Lanka and Bhutan were more welcoming of travelers from India, obtaining visas for visiting many nations in Europe and the West continued to be difficult.

Such concerns with India's poor passport strength found confirmation in recent global passport ranking, which placed the country in the 85th spot among nearly two hundred nations, a decline of five positions compared to the previous year.

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

Nations including Rwanda, Ghana and Azerbaijan with much smaller economies compared to India – a nation that is the fifth-largest economy globally – hold better positions in the ranking at the 78th, 74th and 72nd spots, in that order.

Actually, India's rank in the past decade has remained in the 80s, falling 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 leading ranks.

Global Passport Power Indicates

Passport strength reflects a nation's soft power and international standing. This leads to enhanced travel freedom for its citizens, improving commercial and learning opportunities. A weak passport means more paperwork, increased visa expenses, reduced travel benefits and longer waiting times when journeying.

However, even with the drop in position, the number of countries providing visa-free travel to Indians has grown in the past decade or so.

For example, eight years ago – when the current administration's ruling party assumed office – 52 countries offered visa-free travel for Indian passport holders and its passport at seventy-sixth position on the index.

A year later, it fell to the 85th position, then improved to 80th over the past two years, declining once more to the 85th position currently. At the same time, visa-free destinations for Indians grew from 52 in 2015 to 60 in 2023 and sixty-two this year.

Increasing Worldwide Travel Competition

The count of visa-free destinations in 2025 (fifty-seven) is higher than what it was in 2015 (52), yet India's rank during both periods remains at eighty-fifth. So, why is that?

Analysts note that a primary factor is the increasingly competitive landscape in global mobility – meaning nations are forming more travel partnerships for their populations' advantage and economic growth. As per a 2025 report, the worldwide mean number of destinations travellers are able to access without visas has almost doubled from fifty-eight nineteen years ago to one hundred nine currently.

For example, China has increased its count of visa-free countries its citizens can travel to from 50 to 82 over the last ten years. As a result, its rank on the index has improved from 94th to 60th during the same time period.

Meanwhile, India – previously positioned 77th on the index during summer – fell to eighty-fifth place in October after losing access to two countries.

Additional Factors Affecting Passport Strength

An ex-diplomat from India notes there are other factors that affect a nation's passport power, like its economic and political stability plus its receptiveness to accepting travelers from other countries.

For instance, the American passport has dropped out of the top 10 and now occupies the 12th position – its lowest ever – because of its more inward-looking approach in world politics.

The diplomat recalls how in the 1970s, Indians enjoyed visa-free travel to many Western and European countries, though this shifted following Khalistan movement during the eighties. Later political disturbances 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 high number of people migrating overseas or remaining beyond visa limits affecting the national image."

Elements like how secure a country's passport is and immigration processes also contribute in gaining visa-free entry to other countries.

Security and Technological Improvements

India's passport remains vulnerable to security risks. Last year, law enforcement arrested 203 people for suspected visa and passport fraud. The country also has cumbersome immigration procedures with lengthy timelines for visa approvals.

The former ambassador indicated that new technologies, like India's recently-launched digital passport or e-passport, may enhance safety and streamline immigration. This electronic document includes a small chip holding biometric data, making it harder to counterfeit or alter the passport.

However, more diplomatic outreach and travel agreements continue essential to boosting international travel freedom of Indians and, by extension, India's passport ranking.