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In recent months, a video from a popular travel content creator complaining about the limited power of the Indian passport went viral on social media.

The influencer stated that while neighbouring countries such as Bhutan and Sri Lanka offered easier access to Indian tourists, securing travel permits to travel to most Western and European countries remained a challenge.

This dissatisfaction regarding the limited global access of Indian passports was reflected in recent global passport ranking, which placed India at position eighty-five out of 199 countries, five spots lower than last year.

The Indian government has not commented on the report so far.

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, respectively.

In fact, the country's position in the past decade has remained in the 80s, even dipping to ninetieth place two years ago. Such standings appear poor compared to Asian nations such as Singapore, Japan and South Korea, all maintaining leading ranks.

What Passport Strength Measures

The power of a passport indicates a nation's soft power and international standing. It also translates into enhanced travel freedom for its citizens, boosting business and educational prospects. A weak passport results in more paperwork, higher visa costs, reduced travel benefits and longer waiting times for travel.

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

For example, in 2014 – when Prime Minister Narendra Modi's ruling party assumed office – 52 countries provided visa-free travel to Indians and its passport ranked 76th on the index.

A year later, it tumbled to the 85th position, then rose to eightieth in 2023 and 2024, declining once more to the 85th position currently. Meanwhile, countries allowing visa-free travel for Indians increased from fifty-two eight years ago to sixty last year and 62 in 2024.

The Competitive Global Mobility Landscape

The number of visa-free destinations in 2025 (fifty-seven) exceeds the number in 2015 (52), but the country's position for both these years remains at eighty-fifth. So, why is that?

Experts say that a primary factor involves growing competition in international travel – meaning nations are forming additional travel agreements for their populations' advantage and their economies. According to recent analysis, the global average count of countries travellers are able to access visa-free has almost doubled from 58 in 2006 to one hundred nine currently.

For example, The Chinese passport has increased the number of visa-free countries available to its citizens from 50 to 82 over the last ten years. As a result, its position in the ranking has improved from ninety-fourth to sixtieth during the same time period.

In comparison, India – previously positioned 77th on the index during summer – fell to the 85th position this autumn following the loss to two countries.

Additional Factors Impacting Passport Power

An ex-diplomat from India notes there are other factors influencing the strength of a country's passport, including economic and political conditions as well as its openness to welcoming citizens from abroad.

For example, the US passport has dropped out of the top 10 currently holding twelfth place – its lowest ever – due to its more inward-looking approach in global affairs.

The former ambassador recalls how in the 1970s, Indians enjoyed visa-free travel to numerous European and Western nations, though this shifted after the Khalistan movement during the eighties. Later political disturbances have further chipped away at India's image as a stable democracy.

"Many countries are also becoming increasingly wary of immigrants," he stated. "The country possesses a large quantity of citizens emigrating overseas or remaining beyond visa limits and that interferes with the country's reputation."

Factors such as the security level of a national passport and immigration processes also play a role to obtaining visa-free entry to foreign nations.

Enhanced Security Measures

India's passport remains vulnerable to security threats. Last year, law enforcement arrested 203 people for suspected visa and passport fraud. The country also has complex immigration processes and a slow pace of visa processing.

The former ambassador indicated that technological advances, such as the newly introduced digital passport or e-passport, may enhance safety and ease the immigration process. This electronic document contains a microchip holding biometric information, increasing difficulty to counterfeit or alter the passport.

But, increased diplomatic efforts and travel partnerships continue essential to boosting international travel freedom of Indians and, by extension, India's passport ranking.