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In recent months, a video by a popular travel content creator expressing frustration over the limited power of the Indian passport gained massive traction on social media.

The influencer stated that while neighbouring countries like Bhutan and Sri Lanka were more welcoming to Indian tourists, securing travel permits for visiting many nations in Europe and the West continued to be difficult.

This dissatisfaction regarding India's poor passport strength found confirmation in recent global passport ranking, ranking India in the 85th spot among nearly two hundred nations, five spots lower compared to the previous year.

The Indian government has not commented regarding these findings so far.

Countries including Ghana, Rwanda and Azerbaijan with much smaller economies compared to India – a nation that is the world's fifth biggest economy – hold better positions in the ranking in the seventies range, respectively.

Actually, India's rank over the last ten years has remained in the 80s, even dipping to the 90th spot two years ago. Such standings appear poor when measured against Asian nations such as Singapore, Japan and South Korea, all maintaining leading ranks.

What Passport Strength Indicates

Passport strength indicates a country's global influence and global influence. It also translates into enhanced travel freedom for passport holders, boosting business and learning opportunities. A weak passport means more paperwork, increased visa expenses, fewer travel privileges and longer waiting times when journeying.

But despite the decline in the rank, the count of nations providing visa-free travel to Indians has actually increased in the past decade or so.

For example, in 2014 – the year the current administration's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) came to power – 52 countries offered visa-free access for Indian passport holders with the passport at seventy-sixth position on the index.

A year later, it tumbled to the 85th position, then rose to eightieth over the past two years, declining once more to the 85th position this year. Meanwhile, countries allowing visa-free travel to Indian citizens grew from 52 in 2015 to 60 in 2023 and sixty-two this year.

The Competitive Global Mobility Landscape

The count of nations allowing visa-free entry in 2025 (fifty-seven) exceeds the number eight years ago (52), but the country's position during both periods is 85. So, why is that?

Experts say that a primary factor is the increasingly competitive landscape in international travel – meaning countries are forming more travel partnerships to benefit their citizens and their economies. According to recent analysis, the worldwide mean count of countries travellers are able to access without visas has nearly doubled from fifty-eight nineteen years ago to one hundred nine currently.

For example, China has expanded its count of visa-free destinations available to its citizens from 50 to 82 in the past decade. Consequently, its position on the index has enhanced from ninety-fourth to sixtieth in that same duration.

In comparison, India – which was ranked at seventy-seventh place during summer – fell to eighty-fifth place in October following the loss of two nations.

Additional Factors Affecting Passport Strength

A former Indian ambassador notes there are other factors that affect a nation's passport power, including economic and political conditions plus its receptiveness to welcoming citizens from other countries.

For example, the American passport has dropped out from the top ten currently holding twelfth place – a historic low – because of its increasingly insular stance in global affairs.

The former ambassador mentioned that during the seventies, Indians enjoyed visa-free travel to numerous European and Western nations, but that changed following Sikh separatist movement in the 1980s. Later political disturbances have further chipped away the country's reputation as a stable democracy.

"Many countries are also becoming more cautious of immigrants," the diplomat added. "India has a large quantity of citizens emigrating overseas or remaining beyond visa limits affecting the national image."

Factors such as the security level a country's passport is and immigration processes also play a role in gaining visa-free access to other countries.

Security and Technological Improvements

The Indian passport faces ongoing security risks. In 2024, authorities detained 203 people for suspected visa and passport fraud. The country also has cumbersome immigration procedures with lengthy timelines of visa processing.

The former ambassador says that new technologies, such as the newly introduced electronic passport or e-passport, may enhance safety and ease the immigration process. This electronic document contains a microchip holding biometric data, increasing difficulty to forge or tamper with the passport.

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