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Earlier this year, a video by an Indian travel influencer complaining about India's weak passport went viral across digital platforms.

The influencer stated although nearby nations like Sri Lanka and Bhutan were more welcoming of travelers from India, obtaining visas for visiting many nations in Europe and the West continued to be difficult.

Such concerns with India's poor passport strength found confirmation in recent global passport ranking, ranking India in the 85th spot among 199 countries, five spots lower compared to the previous year.

The Indian government have not issued a statement on the report yet.

Countries including Rwanda, Ghana and Azerbaijan with much smaller economies compared to India – a nation that is the fifth-largest economy globally – hold better positions on the index in the seventies range, in that order.

In fact, India's rank over the last ten years has hovered in the 80s, falling to the 90th spot two years ago. These rankings are dismal compared to other Asian countries such as Singapore, Japan and South Korea, all maintaining top positions.

What Passport Strength Measures

The power of a passport indicates a nation's soft power and international standing. It also translates into better mobility for its citizens, boosting business and educational prospects. Limited passport power means more paperwork, increased visa expenses, reduced travel benefits and longer waiting times when journeying.

However, even with the decline in the rank, the count of nations offering visa-free access to Indians has actually increased in the past decade or so.

For example, in 2014 – when the current administration's ruling party assumed office – 52 countries provided visa-free access to Indians with the passport ranked 76th in the ranking.

The following year, it tumbled to the 85th position, then rose to 80th in 2023 and 2024, dropping again to the 85th position this year. At the same time, countries allowing visa-free travel for Indians increased from fifty-two eight years ago to 60 in 2023 and 62 in 2024.

The Competitive Global Mobility Landscape

The number of nations allowing visa-free entry in 2025 (57) is higher than what it was eight years ago (fifty-two), but the country's position during both periods is 85. So, why is that?

Analysts note that a major reason involves growing competition in global mobility – indicating that nations are entering into more travel partnerships to benefit their citizens and economic growth. As per recent analysis, the worldwide mean number of destinations travellers are able to access visa-free has almost doubled from fifty-eight nineteen years ago to 109 in 2025.

For example, The Chinese passport has expanded the number of visa-free countries available to its citizens from 50 to 82 over the last ten years. Consequently, its position on the index has improved from 94th to 60th in that same duration.

Meanwhile, India – previously positioned 77th on the index during summer – fell to the 85th position this autumn after losing access of two nations.

Other Influences Impacting Passport Power

An ex-diplomat from India notes multiple elements that affect the strength of a country's passport, like its economic and political stability plus its receptiveness to welcoming citizens from abroad.

For example, the American passport has fallen of the top 10 and now occupies the 12th position – a historic low – because of its increasingly insular stance in world politics.

The former ambassador mentioned how in the 1970s, Indians enjoyed visa-free travel to numerous European and Western nations, but that changed following Sikh separatist movement in the 1980s. Later political disturbances have continued to damage the country's reputation as a stable democracy.

"Many countries are growing increasingly wary of immigrants," he stated. "The country possesses a high number of people migrating overseas or remaining beyond visa limits affecting the country's reputation."

Factors like how secure a country's passport is and its immigration procedures also contribute to obtaining visa-free entry to other countries.

Security and Technological Improvements

The Indian passport remains vulnerable to security risks. Last year, authorities detained over two hundred individuals for suspected visa and passport fraud. India is also known for complex immigration processes and a slow pace of visa processing.

The former ambassador says that new technologies, such as the newly introduced electronic passport or e-passport, may enhance safety and streamline immigration. This electronic document contains a small chip holding biometric information, increasing difficulty to forge or tamper with the document.

However, more diplomatic outreach and travel partnerships continue essential to boosting international travel freedom for Indian citizens and, by extension, India's passport ranking.