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Earlier this year, a video by an Indian travel influencer complaining about the limited power of the Indian passport gained massive traction on social media.

The influencer stated although neighbouring countries such as Sri Lanka and Bhutan were more welcoming of travelers from India, obtaining visas to travel to 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 out of 199 countries, five spots lower compared to the previous year.

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

Countries like Ghana, Rwanda and Azerbaijan with much smaller economies compared to India – a nation that is the fifth-largest economy globally – hold better positions in the ranking in the seventies range, respectively.

In fact, India's rank in the past decade has hovered around the eighties, even dipping to ninetieth place in 2021. Such standings are dismal when measured against Asian nations like Singapore, Japan and South Korea, which have consistently held top positions.

What Passport Strength Indicates

Passport strength indicates a nation's soft power and global influence. This leads to better mobility for passport holders, improving commercial and learning opportunities. A weak passport means more paperwork, increased visa expenses, reduced travel benefits and extended processing periods when journeying.

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

As an instance, in 2014 – the year the current administration's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) assumed office – fifty-two nations offered visa-free travel for Indian passport holders and its passport ranked 76th on the index.

The following year, it tumbled to eighty-fifth place, then improved to eightieth over the past two years, declining once more to the eighty-fifth spot currently. Meanwhile, visa-free destinations to Indian citizens grew from 52 in 2015 to 60 in 2023 and 62 in 2024.

The Competitive Global Mobility Landscape

The number of nations allowing visa-free entry in 2025 (fifty-seven) exceeds what it was eight years ago (fifty-two), yet the country's position during both periods remains at eighty-fifth. What explains this situation?

Experts say that a major reason is the increasingly competitive landscape in global mobility – meaning countries are entering into more travel partnerships to benefit their citizens and economic growth. According to a 2025 report, the global average count of countries travellers are able to access without visas has almost doubled from 58 in 2006 to 109 in 2025.

As an illustration, China has increased the number of visa-free destinations available to its citizens from 50 to 82 over the last ten years. As a result, its position on the index has enhanced from 94th to 60th during the same time period.

In comparison, The Indian passport – previously positioned 77th on the index in July – fell to the 85th position this autumn after losing access of two nations.

Additional Factors Impacting Passport Power

An ex-diplomat from India notes multiple elements that affect the strength of a country's passport, including economic and political conditions plus its openness to accepting travelers from other countries.

For instance, the US passport has fallen from the top ten currently holding twelfth place – a historic low – due to its more inward-looking approach in global affairs.

The diplomat recalls how in the 1970s, Indians enjoyed visa-free access to numerous European and Western nations, though this shifted 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 growing more cautious regarding migrants," he stated. "The country possesses a large quantity of citizens emigrating to other countries or remaining beyond visa limits and that interferes with the national image."

Factors like how secure of a national passport and immigration processes also play a role in gaining visa-free access to other countries.

Enhanced Security Measures

The Indian passport remains vulnerable to security risks. Last year, authorities detained over two hundred individuals for suspected visa and passport fraud. The country also has complex immigration processes and a slow pace of visa processing.

The diplomat indicated that new technologies, like India's recently-launched digital passport or e-passport, can improve security and ease the immigration process. This electronic document contains a small chip holding biometric data, making it harder to counterfeit or alter the passport.

However, more diplomatic outreach and travel agreements remain key to boosting international travel freedom for Indian citizens and consequently, India's passport ranking.