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Earlier this year, a video by an Indian travel influencer expressing frustration over India's weak passport gained massive traction across digital platforms.

He mentioned although nearby nations like Sri Lanka and Bhutan offered easier access of travelers from India, securing travel permits for visiting 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 the country at position eighty-five out of 199 countries, a decline of five positions than last year.

Officials in India have not issued a statement regarding these findings yet.

Nations like Rwanda, Ghana and Azerbaijan with much smaller economies than India – which is the fifth-largest economy globally – hold better positions on the index in the seventies range, in that order.

Actually, the country's position in the past decade has hovered in the 80s, falling to the 90th spot in 2021. Such standings appear poor compared to Asian nations like Singapore, Japan and South Korea, all maintaining leading ranks.

What Passport Strength Measures

The power of a passport indicates a nation's soft power and international standing. This leads to enhanced travel freedom for passport holders, boosting business and educational prospects. Limited passport power results in more paperwork, increased visa expenses, fewer travel privileges and extended processing periods for travel.

But despite the decline in the rank, the count of nations providing visa-free travel for Indian citizens has actually increased in the past decade or so.

As an instance, eight years ago – when the current administration's ruling party came to power – fifty-two nations provided visa-free travel for Indian passport holders and its passport at seventy-sixth position on the index.

A year later, it tumbled to the 85th position, then improved to eightieth in 2023 and 2024, dropping again to the eighty-fifth spot this year. At the same time, visa-free destinations to Indian citizens increased from 52 in 2015 to sixty last year and sixty-two this year.

The Competitive Global Mobility Landscape

The number of nations allowing visa-free entry in 2025 (fifty-seven) exceeds the number in 2015 (52), yet the country's position during both periods remains at eighty-fifth. So, why is that?

Analysts note that a primary factor is the increasingly competitive landscape in international travel – meaning nations are forming more travel partnerships for their populations' advantage and their economies. According to a 2025 report, the global average number of destinations travellers are able to access visa-free has almost doubled from 58 in 2006 to 109 in 2025.

For example, The Chinese passport has increased its count of visa-free countries its citizens can travel to from 50 to 82 in the past decade. As a result, its position in the ranking has improved from 94th to 60th in that same duration.

Meanwhile, India – previously positioned 77th on the index in July – fell to the 85th position this autumn following the loss to two countries.

Other Influences Affecting Passport Strength

An ex-diplomat from India says there are other factors influencing a nation's passport power, like economic and political conditions as well as its receptiveness to accepting travelers from abroad.

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 former ambassador recalls that during the seventies, Indian citizens had 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 at India's image as a stable democracy.

"Many countries are also becoming increasingly wary regarding migrants," he stated. "The country possesses a large quantity of people migrating to other countries or remaining beyond visa limits and that interferes with the national image."

Elements such as the security level a country's passport is and immigration processes also play a role to obtaining visa-free entry to other countries.

Security and Technological Improvements

India's passport remains vulnerable to security threats. Last year, authorities detained 203 people for suspected visa and passport fraud. The country also has complex immigration processes with lengthy timelines for visa approvals.

The diplomat says that technological advances, such as the newly introduced electronic passport or e-passport, can improve security and ease the immigration process. The e-passport includes a microchip holding biometric data, making it harder to forge or tamper with the passport.

But, more diplomatic outreach and travel partnerships continue essential for enhancing the global mobility for Indian citizens and consequently, the Indian passport's global position.