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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 on social media.

The influencer stated although neighbouring countries such as Bhutan and Sri Lanka offered easier access of travelers from India, securing travel permits to travel to many nations in Europe and the West remained a challenge.

Such concerns with the limited global access of Indian passports found confirmation in the latest global passport ranking, which placed India at position eighty-five among 199 countries, five spots lower compared to the previous year.

The Indian government has not commented regarding these findings so far.

Nations including Rwanda, Ghana and Azerbaijan despite smaller economic size compared to India – a nation that is the world's fifth biggest economy – hold better positions on the index at the 78th, 74th and 72nd spots, in that order.

Actually, India's rank over the last ten years has remained in the 80s, even dipping to the 90th spot in 2021. These rankings appear poor when measured against Asian nations such as Japan, South Korea and Singapore, which have consistently held leading ranks.

What Passport Strength Indicates

Passport strength reflects a nation's soft power and international standing. It also translates into enhanced travel freedom for its citizens, boosting business and educational prospects. A weak passport results in additional documentation, higher visa costs, reduced travel benefits and extended processing periods for travel.

But despite the drop in position, the number of countries providing visa-free travel to Indians has actually increased in the past decade or so.

For example, eight years ago – the year the current administration's ruling party came to power – 52 countries provided visa-free access to Indians with the passport at seventy-sixth position on the index.

The following year, it fell to the 85th position, then rose to eightieth over the past two years, declining once more to the eighty-fifth spot this year. At the same time, countries allowing visa-free travel for Indians grew from 52 in 2015 to sixty last year and 62 in 2024.

The Competitive Global Mobility Landscape

The count of visa-free destinations in 2025 (fifty-seven) is higher than what it was in 2015 (52), 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 global mobility – indicating that nations are forming more travel partnerships for their populations' advantage and their economies. According to recent analysis, the global average count of countries people can visit without visas has nearly doubled from 58 in 2006 to one hundred nine currently.

As an illustration, The Chinese passport has increased its count of visa-free destinations its citizens can travel to from 50 to 82 in the past decade. As a result, its position in the ranking has enhanced from ninety-fourth to sixtieth during the same time period.

Meanwhile, India – which was ranked at seventy-seventh place in July – fell to the 85th position in October following the loss of two nations.

Additional Factors Affecting Passport Strength

An ex-diplomat from India says there are other factors that affect a nation's passport power, like its economic and political stability plus its openness to accepting travelers from abroad.

For instance, the American passport has fallen from the top ten currently holding twelfth place – a historic low – because of its increasingly insular stance in world politics.

The former ambassador recalls that during the seventies, Indian citizens had visa-free travel to many Western and European countries, though this shifted after the Khalistan movement during the eighties. Later political disturbances have continued to damage at India's image as a stable, democratic country.

"Many countries are growing more cautious of immigrants," he stated. "The country possesses a high number of citizens emigrating overseas or overstaying their visas affecting the national image."

Elements such as the security level of a national passport and immigration processes also play a role to obtaining visa-free entry to foreign nations.

Enhanced Security Measures

The Indian passport remains vulnerable to security threats. Last year, authorities arrested over two hundred individuals for suspected passport and visa irregularities. The country also has complex immigration processes and a slow pace for visa approvals.

The diplomat says that technological advances, such as the newly introduced electronic passport or e-passport, may enhance safety and ease the immigration process. This electronic document includes a small chip that stores biometric data, making it harder to forge or tamper with the passport.

However, increased diplomatic efforts and travel partnerships continue essential for enhancing international travel freedom of Indians and consequently, the Indian passport's global position.