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Earlier this year, a video by a popular travel content creator expressing frustration over the limited power of the Indian passport went viral across digital platforms.

He mentioned that while nearby nations like Sri Lanka and Bhutan offered easier access of travelers from India, securing travel permits to travel to many nations in Europe and the West remained a challenge.

This dissatisfaction with India's poor passport strength was reflected in recent global passport ranking, ranking India at position eighty-five among 199 countries, a decline of five positions compared to the previous year.

The Indian government have not issued a statement regarding these findings yet.

Nations including Rwanda, Ghana and Azerbaijan despite smaller economic size compared to India – which is the fifth-largest economy globally – hold better positions on the index in the seventies range, respectively.

In fact, the country's position over the last ten years has remained around the eighties, falling to the 90th spot in 2021. These rankings appear poor when measured against Asian nations such as Singapore, Japan and South Korea, which have consistently held leading ranks.

What Passport Strength Measures

Passport strength reflects a country's global influence and international standing. This leads to enhanced travel freedom for its citizens, boosting business and educational prospects. A weak passport means additional documentation, higher visa costs, fewer travel privileges and extended processing periods when journeying.

But despite the drop in position, the number of countries offering visa-free access to Indians has actually increased over the last ten years.

For example, in 2014 – when the current administration's ruling party assumed office – fifty-two nations offered visa-free access for Indian passport holders and its passport at seventy-sixth position in the ranking.

A year later, it fell to eighty-fifth place, then rose to eightieth in 2023 and 2024, declining once more to the 85th position currently. At the same time, visa-free destinations to Indian citizens increased from 52 in 2015 to sixty last year and 62 in 2024.

Increasing Worldwide Travel Competition

The number of visa-free destinations this year (57) exceeds the number eight years ago (fifty-two), but India's rank during both periods is 85. So, why is that?

Analysts note that a major reason involves growing competition in international travel – indicating that countries are entering into more travel partnerships for their populations' advantage and economic growth. According to a 2025 report, the worldwide mean count of countries travellers are able to access visa-free has almost doubled from fifty-eight nineteen years ago to one hundred nine currently.

For example, The Chinese passport has expanded the number of visa-free countries available to its citizens from fifty to eighty-two in the past decade. As a result, its rank on the index 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 eighty-fifth place this autumn following the loss of two nations.

Additional Factors Impacting Passport Power

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

For instance, the US passport has dropped out from the top ten and now occupies the 12th position – its lowest ever – because of its more inward-looking approach in world politics.

The diplomat mentioned that during the seventies, Indians enjoyed visa-free access to many Western and European countries, though this shifted following Sikh separatist movement during the eighties. Later political disturbances have further chipped away the country's reputation as a stable democracy.

"Many countries are growing more cautious of immigrants," he stated. "The country possesses a large quantity of people migrating to other countries or overstaying their visas and that interferes with the country's reputation."

Factors like how secure of a national passport and immigration processes also play a role to obtaining visa-free access to foreign nations.

Security and Technological Improvements

India's passport faces ongoing security threats. Last year, law enforcement detained 203 people for suspected passport and visa irregularities. The country also has complex immigration processes and a slow pace for visa approvals.

The former ambassador says that new technologies, such as the newly introduced digital passport or e-passport, can improve security and streamline immigration. The e-passport contains a microchip that stores biometric data, increasing difficulty to forge or tamper with the passport.

However, more diplomatic outreach and travel agreements continue essential for enhancing international travel freedom for Indian citizens and consequently, the Indian passport's global position.