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

He mentioned although neighbouring countries such as Bhutan and Sri Lanka offered easier access to Indian tourists, obtaining visas to travel to most Western and European countries remained a challenge.

This dissatisfaction with the limited global access of Indian passports found confirmation in the latest Henley Passport Index, which placed the country at position eighty-five out of nearly two hundred nations, five spots lower compared to the previous year.

Officials in India has not commented regarding these findings so far.

Nations like Ghana, Rwanda and Azerbaijan despite smaller economic size than India – which is the fifth-largest economy globally – are ranked higher in the ranking in the seventies range, in that order.

In fact, India's rank over the last ten years has hovered in the 80s, even dipping to the 90th spot two years ago. Such standings appear poor compared to Asian nations such as Singapore, Japan and South Korea, all maintaining top positions.

Global Passport Power Indicates

Passport strength reflects a country's global influence and international standing. It also translates into enhanced travel freedom for its citizens, boosting business and educational prospects. A weak passport results in more paperwork, increased visa expenses, fewer travel privileges and longer waiting times when journeying.

However, even with the decline in the rank, the number of countries providing visa-free travel for Indian citizens has grown in the past decade or so.

For example, in 2014 – when Prime Minister Narendra Modi'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 fell to eighty-fifth place, then improved to 80th over the past two years, declining once more to the 85th position currently. At the same time, visa-free destinations to Indian citizens grew from fifty-two eight years ago to 60 in 2023 and sixty-two this year.

The Competitive Global Mobility Landscape

The number of visa-free destinations this year (57) is higher than what it was eight years ago (52), but the country's position for both these years remains at eighty-fifth. So, why is that?

Analysts note that a major reason is the increasingly competitive landscape in global mobility – indicating that countries are entering into more travel partnerships to benefit their citizens and their economies. As per a 2025 report, the global average 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 improved from 94th to 60th in that same duration.

In comparison, The Indian passport – previously positioned at seventy-seventh place during summer – dropped to eighty-fifth place this autumn after losing access of two nations.

Other Influences Affecting Passport Strength

An ex-diplomat from India says multiple elements that affect a nation's passport power, including economic and political conditions plus its openness to welcoming citizens from other countries.

For instance, the American passport has dropped out of the top 10 and now occupies the 12th position – its lowest ever – due to its increasingly insular stance in world politics.

The diplomat recalls that during the seventies, Indians enjoyed visa-free travel to numerous European and Western nations, though this shifted following Sikh separatist movement during the eighties. Later political disturbances have continued to damage the country's reputation as a stable, democratic country.

"Numerous nations are also becoming increasingly wary of immigrants," the diplomat added. "India has a large quantity of people migrating to other countries or overstaying their visas affecting the national image."

Elements such as the security level a country's passport is and its immigration procedures also play a role to obtaining visa-free entry to foreign nations.

Security and Technological Improvements

The Indian passport remains vulnerable to security threats. In 2024, law enforcement detained 203 people for alleged passport and visa irregularities. India is also known for complex immigration processes with lengthy timelines of visa processing.

The diplomat 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 small chip that stores biometric data, making it harder to forge or tamper with the passport.

But, increased diplomatic efforts and travel agreements continue essential for enhancing the global mobility for Indian citizens and, by extension, India's passport ranking.