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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.

He mentioned that while neighbouring countries such as Bhutan and Sri Lanka offered easier access of travelers from India, obtaining visas to travel to most Western and European countries remained a challenge.

Such concerns with the limited global access of Indian passports was reflected in the latest global passport ranking, ranking India at position eighty-five out of nearly two hundred nations, five spots lower than last year.

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

Nations including Rwanda, Ghana and Azerbaijan with much smaller economies compared to India – which 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, even dipping to ninetieth place in 2021. These rankings are dismal compared to other Asian countries such as Singapore, Japan and South Korea, which have consistently held top positions.

Global Passport Power Indicates

Passport strength reflects a nation's soft power and global influence. It also translates into better mobility for passport holders, improving commercial and learning opportunities. Limited passport power means additional documentation, increased visa expenses, reduced travel benefits and longer waiting times for travel.

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

For example, in 2014 – the year the current administration's ruling party came to power – fifty-two nations provided visa-free access to Indians and its passport at seventy-sixth position on the index.

A year later, it fell to the 85th position, then rose to eightieth over the past two years, declining once more to the eighty-fifth spot currently. At the same time, countries allowing visa-free travel for Indians grew from fifty-two eight years ago to 60 in 2023 and sixty-two this year.

Increasing Worldwide Travel Competition

The number of nations allowing visa-free entry in 2025 (57) is higher than what it was in 2015 (fifty-two), yet India's rank for both these years is 85. So, why is that?

Analysts note that a major reason involves growing competition in global mobility – indicating that countries are entering into more travel partnerships to benefit their citizens and economic growth. As per recent analysis, the global average count of countries people can visit visa-free has almost doubled from 58 in 2006 to one hundred nine currently.

For example, China has expanded its count of visa-free countries available to its citizens from 50 to 82 in the past decade. As a result, its position in the ranking has improved from ninety-fourth to sixtieth during the same time period.

In comparison, The Indian passport – previously positioned at seventy-seventh place during summer – dropped to the 85th position this autumn after losing access to two countries.

Other Influences Affecting Passport Strength

A former Indian ambassador says multiple elements that affect a nation's passport power, like its economic and political stability as well as its openness to accepting travelers from other countries.

For instance, the American passport has dropped out from the top ten currently holding twelfth place – its lowest ever – because of its more inward-looking approach in world politics.

The former ambassador mentioned how in the 1970s, Indians enjoyed visa-free travel to numerous European and Western nations, though this shifted after the Sikh separatist movement during the eighties. Subsequent political upheavals have further chipped away the country's reputation as a stable, democratic country.

"Many countries are also becoming more cautious regarding migrants," he stated. "India has a high number of people migrating to other countries or overstaying their visas and that interferes with the national image."

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

Security and Technological Improvements

India's passport faces ongoing security risks. In 2024, authorities detained 203 people for suspected visa and passport fraud. India is also known for complex immigration processes with lengthy timelines for visa approvals.

The former ambassador indicated that technological advances, such as the newly introduced digital passport or e-passport, can improve security and ease the immigration process. This electronic document includes a microchip that stores biometric data, increasing difficulty to forge or tamper with the document.

However, more diplomatic outreach and travel agreements remain key to boosting international travel freedom of Indians and, by extension, India's passport ranking.