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Earlier this year, a video by an Indian travel influencer expressing frustration over India's weak passport gained massive traction across digital platforms.

He mentioned that while neighbouring countries like Sri Lanka and Bhutan offered easier access to travelers from India, obtaining visas for visiting many nations in Europe and the West continued to be difficult.

This dissatisfaction with India's poor passport strength found confirmation in recent global passport ranking, ranking the country in the 85th spot out of nearly two hundred nations, five spots lower than last year.

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

Countries including Rwanda, Ghana and Azerbaijan despite smaller economic size than India – which is the world's fifth biggest economy – are ranked higher in the ranking at the 78th, 74th and 72nd spots, in that order.

In fact, the country's position over the last ten years has hovered around the eighties, even dipping to ninetieth place in 2021. Such standings are dismal when measured against other Asian countries like Singapore, Japan and South Korea, which have consistently held leading ranks.

Global Passport Power Measures

Passport strength indicates a country's global influence and global influence. It also translates into better mobility for passport holders, boosting business and educational prospects. A weak passport means more paperwork, increased visa expenses, fewer travel privileges and longer waiting times for travel.

But despite the drop in position, the number of countries providing visa-free travel for Indian citizens has grown over the last ten years.

As an instance, eight years ago – the year the current administration's ruling party came to power – 52 countries provided visa-free travel to Indians with the passport ranked 76th in the ranking.

The following year, it tumbled to eighty-fifth place, then rose to eightieth over the past two years, dropping again to the 85th position this year. Meanwhile, visa-free destinations for Indians grew from fifty-two eight years ago to sixty last year and sixty-two this year.

Increasing Worldwide Travel Competition

The number of nations allowing visa-free entry this year (fifty-seven) is higher than what it was eight years ago (52), yet the country's position 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 forming more travel partnerships for their populations' advantage and economic growth. According to 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.

As an illustration, The Chinese passport has expanded its count of visa-free countries available to its citizens from fifty to eighty-two over the last ten years. As a result, its rank on the index has enhanced from 94th to 60th in that same duration.

In comparison, The Indian passport – previously positioned 77th on the index during summer – dropped to the 85th position this autumn following the loss of two nations.

Additional Factors Impacting Passport Power

A former Indian ambassador notes multiple elements influencing the strength of a country's passport, including its economic and political stability plus its openness to welcoming citizens from abroad.

For instance, the American passport has fallen from the top ten and now occupies twelfth place – a historic low – due to its more inward-looking approach in world politics.

The diplomat recalls how in the 1970s, Indian citizens had visa-free travel to many Western and European countries, though this shifted after the Sikh separatist movement in the 1980s. Subsequent political upheavals have continued to damage the country's reputation as a stable, democratic country.

"Many countries are also becoming increasingly wary regarding migrants," the diplomat added. "India has a large quantity of people migrating to other countries or overstaying their visas and that interferes with the country's reputation."

Factors like the security level of a national passport and its immigration procedures also play a role to obtaining visa-free entry to other countries.

Security and Technological Improvements

The Indian passport remains vulnerable to security risks. In 2024, authorities arrested 203 people for suspected visa and passport fraud. India is also known for complex immigration processes and a slow pace of visa processing.

The diplomat says that technological advances, such as the newly introduced digital passport or e-passport, can improve security and streamline immigration. The e-passport contains a small chip holding biometric data, making it harder to counterfeit or alter the passport.

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