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Earlier this year, a video from a popular travel content creator expressing frustration over the limited power of the Indian passport gained massive traction across digital platforms.

The influencer stated that while neighbouring countries such as Bhutan and Sri Lanka offered easier access to Indian tourists, obtaining visas for visiting most Western and European countries remained a challenge.

Such concerns regarding India's poor passport strength was reflected in the latest global passport ranking, ranking India at position eighty-five among nearly two hundred nations, a decline of five positions than last year.

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

Nations like Rwanda, Ghana and Azerbaijan with much smaller economies than India – which is the world's fifth biggest economy – hold better positions on the index at the 78th, 74th and 72nd spots, respectively.

Actually, India's rank over the last ten years has hovered in the 80s, falling to ninetieth place two years ago. These rankings appear poor when measured against other Asian countries like Japan, South Korea and Singapore, all maintaining leading ranks.

What Passport Strength Indicates

The power of a passport reflects a country's global influence and international standing. It also translates into better mobility for its citizens, boosting business and learning opportunities. A weak passport results in additional documentation, increased visa expenses, reduced travel benefits and extended processing periods when journeying.

But despite the decline in the rank, the number of countries providing visa-free travel to Indians has actually increased over the last ten years.

As an instance, in 2014 – when Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) assumed office – 52 countries offered visa-free access for Indian passport holders and its passport ranked 76th on the index.

A year later, it fell to the 85th position, then rose to eightieth in 2023 and 2024, dropping again to the eighty-fifth spot this year. Meanwhile, visa-free destinations for Indians increased from fifty-two eight years ago to 60 in 2023 and 62 in 2024.

Increasing Worldwide Travel Competition

The number of nations allowing visa-free entry in 2025 (fifty-seven) is higher than what it was eight years ago (52), yet the country's position for both these years remains at eighty-fifth. What explains this situation?

Analysts note that a primary factor is the increasingly competitive landscape in global mobility – indicating that countries are forming additional travel agreements to benefit their citizens and economic growth. As per recent analysis, the worldwide mean number of destinations people can visit without visas has almost doubled from fifty-eight nineteen years ago to one hundred nine currently.

As an illustration, The Chinese passport has expanded its count of visa-free destinations available to its citizens from 50 to 82 in the past decade. As a result, its rank in the ranking has enhanced from 94th to 60th during the same time period.

Meanwhile, The Indian passport – previously positioned 77th on the index in July – fell to eighty-fifth place in October after losing access to two countries.

Other Influences Impacting Passport Power

A former Indian ambassador says there are other factors influencing a nation's passport power, like its economic and political stability plus its openness to accepting travelers from abroad.

For example, the American passport has dropped out from the top ten and now occupies twelfth place – its lowest ever – because of its more inward-looking approach in global affairs.

The diplomat mentioned that during the seventies, Indians enjoyed visa-free access to many Western and European countries, but that changed following Khalistan movement during the eighties. Later political disturbances have further chipped away the country's reputation 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 overstaying their visas affecting the national image."

Factors such as the security level a country's passport is and immigration processes also play a role in gaining visa-free entry to foreign nations.

Security and Technological Improvements

India's passport faces ongoing security threats. Last year, law enforcement detained over two hundred individuals for alleged passport and visa irregularities. India is also known for cumbersome immigration procedures and a slow pace of visa processing.

The diplomat indicated that new technologies, like India's recently-launched electronic passport or e-passport, may enhance safety and streamline immigration. This electronic document contains a small chip that stores biometric data, increasing difficulty to counterfeit or alter the document.

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