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In recent months, a video from an Indian travel influencer complaining about the limited power of the Indian passport went viral across digital platforms.

The influencer stated although neighbouring countries like Sri Lanka and Bhutan offered easier access of Indian tourists, obtaining visas to travel to most Western and European countries continued to be difficult.

Such concerns regarding India's poor passport strength found confirmation in recent global passport ranking, which placed the country at position eighty-five among 199 countries, a decline of five positions compared to the previous year.

The Indian government has not commented on the report so far.

Countries like Ghana, Rwanda and Azerbaijan despite smaller economic size than India – which is the world's fifth biggest economy – hold better positions on the index in the seventies range, respectively.

In fact, India's rank in the past decade has hovered in the 80s, even dipping to ninetieth place in 2021. Such standings appear poor compared to other Asian countries such as Singapore, Japan and South Korea, which have consistently held leading ranks.

Global Passport Power Indicates

Passport strength reflects a country's global influence and international standing. This leads to enhanced travel freedom for its citizens, improving commercial and learning opportunities. A weak passport means additional documentation, higher visa costs, reduced travel benefits and extended processing periods for travel.

However, even with the decline in the rank, the number of countries providing visa-free travel for Indian citizens has actually increased in the past decade or so.

As an instance, eight years ago – the year Prime Minister Narendra Modi's ruling party came to power – fifty-two nations offered visa-free access for Indian passport holders and its passport at seventy-sixth position on the index.

The following year, it fell to eighty-fifth place, then rose to 80th in 2023 and 2024, declining once more to the eighty-fifth spot currently. At the same time, countries allowing visa-free travel for Indians increased from 52 in 2015 to 60 in 2023 and sixty-two this year.

Increasing Worldwide Travel Competition

The number of visa-free destinations in 2025 (fifty-seven) exceeds what it was eight years ago (fifty-two), but the country's position during both periods remains at eighty-fifth. What explains this situation?

Analysts note that a major reason is the increasingly competitive landscape in international travel – indicating that countries are entering into more travel partnerships for their populations' advantage and economic growth. As per a 2025 report, the worldwide mean count of countries people can visit without visas has almost doubled from fifty-eight nineteen years ago to 109 in 2025.

For example, The Chinese passport has increased the number of visa-free countries its citizens can travel to from 50 to 82 in the past decade. As a result, its position on the index has improved from 94th to 60th during the same time period.

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

Other Influences Impacting Passport Power

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 receptiveness to welcoming citizens from other countries.

For instance, the American passport has fallen from the top ten currently holding twelfth place – a historic low – because of its more inward-looking approach in world politics.

The diplomat recalls that during the seventies, Indians enjoyed visa-free access to numerous European and Western nations, but that changed after the Khalistan movement in the 1980s. Later political disturbances have continued to damage at India's image as a stable, democratic country.

"Many countries are also becoming increasingly wary of immigrants," he stated. "India has a high number of citizens emigrating to other countries or remaining beyond visa limits affecting the national image."

Elements like how secure of a national passport and its immigration procedures also play a role in gaining visa-free entry to foreign nations.

Enhanced Security Measures

The Indian passport remains vulnerable to security threats. Last year, law enforcement arrested 203 people for suspected passport and visa irregularities. The country also has cumbersome immigration procedures with lengthy timelines for visa approvals.

The diplomat says that new technologies, like India's recently-launched electronic passport or e-passport, may enhance safety and ease the immigration process. This electronic document contains a microchip that stores biometric information, increasing difficulty to forge or tamper with the document.

But, increased diplomatic efforts and travel partnerships continue essential to boosting international travel freedom for Indian citizens and consequently, India's passport ranking.