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Earlier this year, a video by a popular travel content creator complaining about the limited power of the Indian passport gained massive traction across digital platforms.

He mentioned although neighbouring countries like Bhutan and Sri Lanka were more welcoming to travelers from India, securing travel permits for visiting most Western and European countries remained a challenge.

This dissatisfaction regarding India's poor passport strength was reflected in the latest global passport ranking, which placed India at position eighty-five out of 199 countries, a decline of five positions than last year.

Officials in India has not commented on the report yet.

Countries including Rwanda, Ghana and Azerbaijan with much smaller economies compared to India – which is the fifth-largest economy globally – are ranked higher on the index at the 78th, 74th and 72nd spots, in that order.

Actually, India's rank over the last ten years has remained around the eighties, falling to ninetieth place two years ago. These rankings appear poor when measured against Asian nations like Japan, South Korea and Singapore, which have consistently held leading ranks.

Global Passport Power Indicates

The power of a passport reflects a nation's soft power and global influence. This leads to better mobility for its citizens, improving commercial and educational prospects. A weak passport results in more paperwork, higher visa costs, reduced travel benefits and longer waiting times when journeying.

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

As an instance, eight years ago – when Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) assumed office – 52 countries provided visa-free travel for Indian passport holders and its passport at seventy-sixth position in the ranking.

A year later, it tumbled to the 85th position, then improved to 80th in 2023 and 2024, dropping again to the 85th position currently. At the same time, countries allowing visa-free travel to Indian citizens grew 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 (57) is higher than what it was eight years ago (52), yet India's rank during both periods remains at eighty-fifth. What explains this situation?

Experts say 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 their economies. As per recent analysis, the worldwide mean number of destinations travellers are able to access without visas has nearly doubled from fifty-eight nineteen years ago to 109 in 2025.

As an illustration, The Chinese passport has increased its count of visa-free destinations its citizens can travel to from 50 to 82 in the past decade. As a result, its position on the index has enhanced from ninety-fourth to sixtieth during the same time period.

In comparison, India – previously positioned at seventy-seventh place during summer – fell to eighty-fifth place this autumn after losing access to two countries.

Additional Factors Affecting Passport Strength

A former Indian ambassador notes multiple elements influencing a nation's passport power, including economic and political conditions plus its receptiveness to welcoming citizens from abroad.

For example, the American passport has fallen of the top 10 currently holding twelfth place – its lowest ever – due to its more inward-looking approach in world politics.

The diplomat mentioned that during the seventies, Indians enjoyed visa-free access to numerous European and Western nations, but that changed following Khalistan movement in the 1980s. Subsequent political upheavals have continued to damage at India's image as a stable democracy.

"Many countries are also becoming more cautious of immigrants," the diplomat added. "The country possesses a high number of people migrating overseas or overstaying their visas affecting the national image."

Factors such as the security level of a national passport and immigration processes also play a role in gaining visa-free entry to other countries.

Enhanced Security Measures

India's passport remains vulnerable to security risks. Last year, authorities arrested 203 people for suspected visa and passport fraud. India is also known for complex immigration processes and a slow pace for visa approvals.

The diplomat says that technological advances, like India's recently-launched electronic passport or e-passport, can improve security and ease the immigration process. The e-passport contains a small chip that stores biometric information, increasing difficulty to counterfeit or alter the passport.

But, increased diplomatic efforts and travel agreements remain key for enhancing the global mobility for Indian citizens and consequently, the Indian passport's global position.