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In recent months, a video from an Indian travel influencer expressing frustration over India's weak passport went viral on social media.

The influencer stated that while neighbouring countries such as Bhutan and Sri Lanka offered easier access to travelers from India, securing travel permits to travel to many nations in Europe and the West continued to be difficult.

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

The Indian government has not commented on the report yet.

Countries including Ghana, Rwanda and Azerbaijan despite smaller economic size than India – which is the fifth-largest economy globally – are ranked higher on the index in the seventies range, respectively.

Actually, India's rank over the last ten years has hovered around the eighties, even dipping to ninetieth place two years ago. These rankings appear poor compared to Asian nations such as Japan, South Korea and Singapore, which have consistently held top positions.

What Passport Strength Indicates

The power of a passport reflects a country's global influence and international standing. It also translates into better mobility for its citizens, improving commercial and educational prospects. Limited passport power results in more paperwork, higher visa costs, reduced travel benefits and extended processing periods when journeying.

But despite the drop in position, the count of nations offering visa-free access for Indian citizens has actually increased in the past decade or so.

For example, eight years ago – the year the current administration's ruling party came to power – fifty-two nations provided visa-free access to Indians and its passport ranked 76th on the index.

The following year, it fell to eighty-fifth place, then improved to eightieth over the past two years, dropping again to the 85th position this year. Meanwhile, countries allowing visa-free travel to Indian citizens grew from 52 in 2015 to sixty last year and sixty-two this year.

Increasing Worldwide Travel Competition

The count of visa-free destinations in 2025 (57) is higher than what it was in 2015 (52), yet India's rank during both periods remains at eighty-fifth. What explains this situation?

Analysts note that a major reason is the increasingly competitive landscape in international travel – indicating that countries are entering into more travel partnerships to benefit their citizens and their economies. According to a 2025 report, the worldwide mean count of countries people can visit without visas has almost doubled from fifty-eight nineteen years ago to 109 in 2025.

As an illustration, China has increased its count of visa-free destinations its citizens can travel to from fifty to eighty-two over the last ten years. Consequently, its position on the index has enhanced from 94th to 60th during the same time period.

Meanwhile, India – which was ranked at seventy-seventh place during summer – fell to eighty-fifth place this autumn after losing access to two countries.

Additional Factors Affecting Passport Strength

A former Indian ambassador notes there are other factors influencing a nation's passport power, including economic and political conditions as well as its openness to accepting travelers from other countries.

For example, the American passport has fallen of the top 10 and now occupies twelfth place – its lowest ever – due to its more inward-looking approach in global affairs.

The former ambassador mentioned how in the 1970s, Indian citizens had visa-free travel to many Western and European countries, but that changed after the Sikh separatist movement in the 1980s. Subsequent political upheavals have further chipped away at India's image as a stable democracy.

"Numerous nations are growing increasingly wary of immigrants," he stated. "The country possesses a large quantity of citizens emigrating overseas or overstaying their visas affecting the national image."

Elements like how secure of a national passport and its immigration procedures also contribute to obtaining visa-free entry to foreign nations.

Security and Technological Improvements

The Indian passport faces ongoing security risks. In 2024, law enforcement arrested 203 people for suspected passport and visa irregularities. The country also has cumbersome immigration procedures and a slow pace for visa approvals.

The former ambassador indicated that technological advances, such as the newly introduced digital passport or e-passport, can improve security and ease the immigration process. The e-passport includes a microchip holding biometric information, making it harder to forge or tamper with the document.

However, increased diplomatic efforts and travel agreements continue essential to boosting international travel freedom for Indian citizens and, by extension, the Indian passport's global position.