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

The influencer stated although neighbouring countries like Bhutan and Sri Lanka offered easier access to travelers from India, securing travel permits for visiting most Western and European countries continued to be difficult.

Such concerns regarding the limited global access of Indian passports was reflected in recent global passport ranking, which placed India in the 85th spot out of 199 countries, a decline of five positions compared to the previous year.

Officials in India have not issued a statement regarding these findings so far.

Countries including Ghana, Rwanda and Azerbaijan with much smaller economies compared to India – which is the fifth-largest economy globally – hold better positions on the index in the seventies range, in that order.

In fact, the country's position in the past decade has hovered around the eighties, falling to ninetieth place two years ago. These rankings are dismal when measured against other Asian countries such as Japan, South Korea and Singapore, which have consistently held top positions.

What Passport Strength Measures

Passport strength indicates a country's global influence and global influence. This leads to enhanced travel freedom for passport holders, boosting business and educational prospects. Limited passport power means additional documentation, increased visa expenses, reduced travel benefits 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 grown in the past decade or so.

For example, eight years ago – the year Prime Minister Narendra Modi's ruling party came to power – 52 countries offered visa-free travel for Indian passport holders with the passport at seventy-sixth position in the ranking.

A year later, it tumbled to the 85th position, then rose to 80th over the past two years, declining once more to the 85th position currently. Meanwhile, visa-free destinations to Indian citizens increased from 52 in 2015 to 60 in 2023 and 62 in 2024.

Increasing Worldwide Travel Competition

The count of nations allowing visa-free entry this year (fifty-seven) exceeds what it was in 2015 (52), but the country's position for both these years remains at eighty-fifth. So, why is that?

Experts say that a major reason is the increasingly competitive landscape in international travel – meaning nations are forming more travel partnerships for their populations' advantage and their economies. As per a 2025 report, the global average number of destinations people can visit 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 50 to 82 over the last ten years. Consequently, its rank on the index has improved from ninety-fourth to sixtieth during the same time period.

In comparison, The Indian passport – which was ranked 77th on the index in July – dropped 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 a nation's passport power, including economic and political conditions as well as its receptiveness to accepting travelers from abroad.

For instance, the US passport has dropped out from the top ten and now occupies twelfth place – its lowest ever – due to its more inward-looking approach in world politics.

The former ambassador recalls how in the 1970s, Indian citizens had visa-free travel to many Western and European countries, though this shifted following Sikh separatist movement during the eighties. Subsequent political upheavals have further chipped away the country's reputation as a stable democracy.

"Numerous nations are growing increasingly wary regarding migrants," he stated. "India has a high number of people migrating overseas or overstaying their visas affecting the country's reputation."

Factors like the security level a country's passport is and immigration processes also play a role to obtaining visa-free entry to other countries.

Security and Technological Improvements

The Indian passport remains vulnerable to security risks. In 2024, law enforcement detained over two hundred individuals for suspected passport and visa irregularities. India is also known for cumbersome immigration procedures and a slow pace for visa approvals.

The former ambassador says that new technologies, like India's recently-launched electronic passport or e-passport, can improve security and streamline immigration. This electronic document contains a small chip that stores biometric information, 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 consequently, India's passport ranking.