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Earlier this year, an online clip by an Indian travel influencer complaining about India's weak passport gained massive traction across digital platforms.

He mentioned although neighbouring countries like Bhutan and Sri Lanka were more welcoming to travelers from India, securing travel permits 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 the latest global passport ranking, which placed India at position eighty-five among nearly two hundred nations, five spots lower compared to the previous year.

Officials in India have not issued a statement on the report so far.

Countries including Ghana, Rwanda and Azerbaijan despite smaller economic size compared to India – a nation that is the world's fifth biggest economy – are ranked higher in the ranking at the 78th, 74th and 72nd spots, respectively.

Actually, India's rank over the last ten years has remained around the eighties, falling to ninetieth place two years ago. Such standings appear poor compared to Asian nations such as Japan, South Korea and Singapore, all maintaining leading ranks.

What Passport Strength Measures

The power of a passport indicates a country's global influence and international standing. It also translates into better mobility for its citizens, boosting business and learning opportunities. A weak passport results in more paperwork, higher visa costs, fewer travel privileges and extended processing periods for travel.

But despite the decline in the rank, the number of countries offering visa-free access to Indians has grown over the last ten years.

As an instance, in 2014 – the year the current administration's ruling party assumed office – 52 countries provided visa-free access for Indian passport holders and its passport at seventy-sixth position in the ranking.

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. At the same time, countries allowing visa-free travel to Indian citizens increased from fifty-two eight years ago to sixty last year and 62 in 2024.

The Competitive Global Mobility Landscape

The count of nations allowing visa-free entry this year (fifty-seven) exceeds the number eight years ago (fifty-two), 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 global mobility – indicating that countries are forming additional travel agreements to benefit their citizens and economic growth. According to a 2025 report, the worldwide mean number of destinations travellers are able to access without visas has nearly doubled from 58 in 2006 to one hundred nine currently.

For example, The Chinese passport has increased the number of visa-free destinations available to its citizens from 50 to 82 over the last ten years. Consequently, its position in the ranking has improved from ninety-fourth to sixtieth in that same duration.

In comparison, India – previously positioned at seventy-seventh place during summer – dropped to the 85th position this autumn after losing access of two nations.

Other Influences Impacting Passport Power

An ex-diplomat from India notes there are other factors influencing a nation's passport power, like economic and political conditions plus its receptiveness to accepting travelers from other countries.

For example, the US passport has fallen from the top ten and now occupies twelfth place – its lowest ever – due to its increasingly insular stance in global affairs.

The former ambassador mentioned how in the 1970s, Indian citizens had visa-free access to numerous European and Western nations, but that changed after the Khalistan movement during the eighties. Later political disturbances have continued to damage the country's reputation as a stable democracy.

"Numerous nations are also becoming increasingly wary of immigrants," the diplomat added. "The country possesses a large quantity of citizens emigrating to other countries or remaining beyond visa limits and that interferes with the country's reputation."

Elements like the security level a country's passport is and immigration processes also play a role to obtaining visa-free access to foreign nations.

Security and Technological Improvements

The Indian passport faces ongoing security risks. Last year, law enforcement arrested 203 people for alleged passport and visa irregularities. The country also has complex immigration processes with lengthy timelines of visa processing.

The diplomat indicated that new technologies, like India's recently-launched electronic passport or e-passport, can improve security and ease the immigration process. This electronic document includes a microchip that stores biometric information, making it harder to forge or tamper with the document.

But, increased diplomatic efforts and travel partnerships continue essential to boosting international travel freedom of Indians and, by extension, the Indian passport's global position.