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Earlier this year, an online clip by an Indian travel influencer expressing frustration over India's weak passport gained massive traction on social media.

He mentioned that while neighbouring countries like Bhutan and Sri Lanka were more welcoming of travelers from India, obtaining visas for visiting many nations in Europe and the West continued to be difficult.

Such concerns regarding the limited global access of Indian passports found confirmation in recent global passport ranking, ranking the country at position eighty-five out of nearly two hundred nations, a decline of five positions compared to the previous year.

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

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

Actually, India's rank in the past decade has hovered in the 80s, falling to the 90th spot in 2021. These rankings appear poor compared to other Asian countries like Singapore, Japan and South Korea, all maintaining leading ranks.

What Passport Strength Measures

The power of a passport indicates a country's global influence and international standing. This leads to enhanced travel freedom for passport holders, improving commercial and educational prospects. A weak passport results in additional documentation, increased visa expenses, reduced travel benefits and extended processing periods for travel.

However, even with the drop in position, the count of nations providing visa-free travel for Indian citizens has actually increased in the past decade or so.

As an instance, in 2014 – when the current administration's ruling party assumed office – 52 countries offered visa-free access to Indians with the passport ranked 76th on the index.

The following year, it fell to eighty-fifth place, then rose to eightieth in 2023 and 2024, dropping again to the 85th position this year. Meanwhile, visa-free destinations for Indians grew from 52 in 2015 to sixty last year and sixty-two this year.

Increasing Worldwide Travel Competition

The number of visa-free destinations this year (fifty-seven) is higher than what it was eight years ago (52), but the country's position during both periods remains at eighty-fifth. What explains this situation?

Analysts note that a major reason involves growing competition in international travel – meaning nations are entering into additional travel agreements for their populations' advantage and economic growth. As per recent analysis, the global average count of countries travellers are able to access visa-free has almost doubled from 58 in 2006 to 109 in 2025.

As an illustration, The Chinese passport has expanded its count of visa-free countries its citizens can travel to from fifty to eighty-two in the past decade. Consequently, its position on the index has enhanced from ninety-fourth to sixtieth during the same time period.

In comparison, India – previously positioned 77th on the index in July – fell to the 85th position in October after losing access of two nations.

Additional Factors Affecting Passport Strength

A former Indian ambassador says multiple elements influencing the strength of a country's passport, like its economic and political stability plus its openness to welcoming citizens from other countries.

For instance, the American passport has fallen of the top 10 currently holding twelfth place – a historic low – because of its increasingly insular stance in world politics.

The former ambassador recalls that during the seventies, Indian citizens had visa-free travel to many Western and European countries, though this shifted following Khalistan movement in the 1980s. Later political disturbances have continued to damage the country's reputation as a stable democracy.

"Many countries are growing increasingly wary regarding migrants," he stated. "The country possesses a high number of people migrating overseas or overstaying their visas affecting the national image."

Elements like how secure of a national passport and immigration processes also contribute to obtaining visa-free access to other countries.

Security and Technological Improvements

India's passport remains vulnerable to security risks. In 2024, authorities arrested over two hundred individuals for suspected visa and passport fraud. India is also known for cumbersome immigration procedures with lengthy timelines for visa approvals.

The diplomat says that new technologies, such as the newly introduced digital passport or e-passport, may enhance safety and ease the immigration process. The e-passport includes a small chip holding biometric information, making it harder to counterfeit or alter the passport.

However, increased diplomatic efforts and travel partnerships remain key for enhancing the global mobility for Indian citizens and, by extension, the Indian passport's global position.