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Earlier this year, an online clip from an Indian travel influencer expressing frustration over India's weak passport gained massive traction across digital platforms.

He mentioned although neighbouring countries like Sri Lanka and Bhutan were more welcoming to Indian tourists, obtaining visas for visiting most Western and European countries continued to be difficult.

This dissatisfaction with the limited global access of Indian passports found confirmation in the latest global passport ranking, which placed India in the 85th spot among nearly two hundred nations, five spots lower than last year.

Officials in India has not commented on the report so far.

Nations including Ghana, Rwanda and Azerbaijan with much smaller economies compared to India – a nation that is the world's fifth biggest economy – are ranked higher on the index at the 78th, 74th and 72nd spots, in that order.

In fact, India's rank over the last ten years has hovered in the 80s, falling to ninetieth place in 2021. Such standings are dismal when measured against other Asian countries like Japan, South Korea and Singapore, all maintaining top positions.

Global Passport Power Measures

Passport strength indicates a nation's soft power and global influence. This leads to better mobility for passport holders, improving commercial and educational prospects. A weak passport means additional documentation, higher visa costs, fewer travel privileges and extended processing periods for travel.

But despite the decline in the rank, the count of nations providing visa-free travel to Indians has actually increased over the last ten years.

For example, eight years ago – when Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) assumed office – 52 countries offered visa-free access to Indians and its passport at seventy-sixth position on the index.

The following year, it fell to eighty-fifth place, then rose to 80th in 2023 and 2024, declining once more to the 85th position this year. Meanwhile, visa-free destinations to Indian citizens grew from fifty-two eight years ago to 60 in 2023 and sixty-two this year.

Increasing Worldwide Travel Competition

The number of visa-free destinations this year (fifty-seven) exceeds the number in 2015 (fifty-two), but the country's position during both periods is 85. So, why is that?

Analysts note that a major reason is the increasingly competitive landscape in international travel – indicating that nations are forming additional travel agreements to benefit their citizens and economic growth. According to a 2025 report, the worldwide mean number of destinations people can visit without visas has almost doubled from 58 in 2006 to one hundred nine currently.

As an illustration, The Chinese passport has expanded its count 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 enhanced from 94th to 60th during the same time period.

Meanwhile, The Indian passport – previously positioned 77th on the index during summer – fell to the 85th position this autumn following the loss of two nations.

Other Influences Impacting Passport Power

An ex-diplomat from India says multiple elements influencing the strength of a country's passport, like its economic and political stability as well as its receptiveness to accepting travelers from other countries.

For instance, the US passport has dropped out of the top 10 currently holding twelfth place – a historic low – because of its increasingly insular stance in world politics.

The diplomat recalls that during the seventies, Indians enjoyed visa-free access to many Western and European countries, but that changed following Khalistan movement in the 1980s. Later political disturbances have further chipped away the country's reputation as a stable, democratic country.

"Many countries are also becoming increasingly wary regarding migrants," the diplomat added. "India has a high number of people migrating overseas or overstaying their visas and that interferes with the country's reputation."

Factors like the security level a country's passport is and its immigration procedures also contribute to obtaining visa-free entry to foreign nations.

Security and Technological Improvements

The Indian passport faces ongoing security threats. In 2024, authorities detained over two hundred individuals for suspected passport and visa irregularities. The country also has cumbersome immigration procedures and a slow pace for visa approvals.

The diplomat says that new technologies, like India's recently-launched digital passport or e-passport, may enhance safety and ease the immigration process. The e-passport includes a microchip that stores biometric data, increasing difficulty to forge or tamper with the passport.

However, more diplomatic outreach and travel agreements remain key to boosting the global mobility for Indian citizens and consequently, the Indian passport's global position.