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Earlier this year, an online clip from an Indian travel influencer complaining about India's weak passport gained massive traction across digital platforms.

He mentioned that while neighbouring countries like Bhutan and Sri Lanka offered easier access to Indian tourists, obtaining visas to travel to most Western and European countries remained a challenge.

This dissatisfaction regarding the limited global access of Indian passports found confirmation in recent global passport ranking, ranking India in the 85th spot among nearly two hundred nations, a decline of five positions compared to the previous year.

Officials in India have not issued a statement on the report so far.

Nations like Rwanda, Ghana and Azerbaijan despite smaller economic size than India – which is the fifth-largest economy globally – hold better positions on the index at the 78th, 74th and 72nd spots, in that order.

In fact, India's rank in the past decade has remained in the 80s, even dipping to the 90th spot in 2021. Such standings appear poor compared to Asian nations such as Japan, South Korea and Singapore, which have consistently held leading ranks.

Global Passport Power Indicates

The power of a passport indicates a country's global influence and international standing. It also translates into enhanced travel freedom for its citizens, boosting business and learning opportunities. A weak passport means additional documentation, higher visa costs, fewer travel privileges and longer waiting times when journeying.

However, even with the decline in the rank, the number of countries providing visa-free travel to Indians has grown in the past decade or so.

As an instance, in 2014 – the year the current administration's ruling party assumed office – 52 countries offered visa-free travel to Indians with the passport at seventy-sixth position in the ranking.

The following year, it tumbled to eighty-fifth place, then rose to eightieth over the past two years, declining once more to the eighty-fifth spot this year. Meanwhile, countries allowing visa-free travel for Indians grew from 52 in 2015 to sixty last year and 62 in 2024.

Increasing Worldwide Travel Competition

The count of visa-free destinations in 2025 (fifty-seven) is higher than what it was eight years ago (fifty-two), yet India's rank for both these years remains at eighty-fifth. What explains this situation?

Experts say that a major reason involves growing competition in international travel – meaning nations are entering into more travel partnerships to benefit their citizens and economic growth. As per a 2025 report, the global average count of countries travellers are able to access visa-free has almost doubled from fifty-eight nineteen years ago to 109 in 2025.

As an illustration, The Chinese passport has increased its count of visa-free countries available to its citizens from fifty to eighty-two in the past decade. As a result, its position on the index has enhanced from ninety-fourth to sixtieth in that same duration.

In comparison, The Indian passport – previously positioned at seventy-seventh place during summer – dropped to eighty-fifth place in October after losing access to two countries.

Additional Factors Affecting Passport Strength

A former Indian ambassador notes 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 instance, the US passport has fallen of the top 10 and now occupies the 12th position – its lowest ever – due to its more inward-looking approach in global affairs.

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

"Many countries are growing more cautious of immigrants," he stated. "India has a large quantity of citizens emigrating overseas or remaining beyond visa limits and that interferes with the country's reputation."

Factors like the security level of a national passport and its immigration procedures also contribute in gaining visa-free entry to other countries.

Security and Technological Improvements

The Indian passport faces ongoing security risks. Last year, law enforcement arrested 203 people for suspected visa and passport fraud. India is also known for cumbersome immigration procedures with lengthy timelines of visa processing.

The diplomat indicated that technological advances, such as the newly introduced electronic passport or e-passport, may enhance safety and ease the immigration process. This electronic document includes a small chip that stores biometric information, increasing difficulty to forge or tamper with the document.

But, increased diplomatic efforts and travel partnerships remain key for enhancing international travel freedom for Indian citizens and consequently, India's passport ranking.