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In recent months, an online clip by an Indian travel influencer expressing frustration over the limited power of the Indian passport gained massive traction on social media.

The influencer stated that while neighbouring countries such as Bhutan and Sri Lanka were more welcoming to Indian tourists, securing travel permits for visiting most Western and European countries continued to be difficult.

Such concerns regarding India's poor passport strength found confirmation in the latest global passport ranking, ranking the country in the 85th spot among nearly two hundred nations, a decline of five positions compared to the previous year.

The Indian government has not commented regarding these findings so far.

Nations like Rwanda, Ghana and Azerbaijan with much smaller economies than India – a nation that is the world's fifth biggest economy – are ranked higher in the ranking at the 78th, 74th and 72nd spots, respectively.

Actually, India's rank over the last ten years has hovered in the 80s, falling to the 90th spot two years ago. Such standings are dismal when measured against Asian nations such as Japan, South Korea and Singapore, all maintaining leading ranks.

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 educational prospects. A weak passport results in additional documentation, higher visa costs, fewer travel privileges and extended processing periods when journeying.

However, even with the drop in position, the count of nations providing visa-free travel for Indian citizens has actually increased over the last ten years.

For example, eight years ago – when Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) assumed office – 52 countries offered visa-free access for Indian passport holders and its passport ranked 76th in the ranking.

The following year, it fell to the 85th position, then improved to 80th in 2023 and 2024, declining once more to the eighty-fifth spot currently. At the same time, countries allowing visa-free travel to Indian citizens grew from fifty-two eight years ago to sixty last year and sixty-two this year.

The Competitive Global Mobility Landscape

The count of nations allowing visa-free entry in 2025 (57) is higher than the number 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 global mobility – indicating that nations are forming additional travel agreements for their populations' advantage and their economies. As per a 2025 report, the worldwide mean number of destinations travellers are able to access without visas has nearly doubled from fifty-eight nineteen years ago to one hundred nine currently.

For example, The Chinese passport has expanded its count of visa-free destinations available to its citizens from fifty to eighty-two in the past decade. Consequently, its rank on the index has improved from ninety-fourth to sixtieth in that same duration.

Meanwhile, India – which was ranked at seventy-seventh place in July – fell to eighty-fifth place this autumn after losing access to two countries.

Additional Factors Impacting Passport Power

A former Indian ambassador notes multiple elements influencing the strength of a country's passport, like its economic and political stability as well as its openness to accepting travelers from other countries.

For instance, the American passport has fallen from the top ten and now occupies the 12th position – its lowest ever – due to its increasingly insular stance in world politics.

The former ambassador mentioned how in the 1970s, Indian citizens had visa-free access to many Western and European countries, but that changed following Sikh separatist movement during the eighties. Subsequent political upheavals have further chipped away the country's reputation as a stable democracy.

"Many countries are also becoming more cautious regarding migrants," the diplomat added. "The country possesses a large quantity of citizens emigrating to other countries or remaining beyond visa limits and that interferes with the country's reputation."

Factors such as how secure a country's passport is and immigration processes also play a role in gaining visa-free access to other countries.

Security and Technological Improvements

The Indian passport faces ongoing security risks. In 2024, law enforcement arrested over two hundred individuals for alleged 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, such as the newly introduced digital passport or e-passport, may enhance safety and ease the immigration process. This electronic document includes a microchip that stores biometric data, increasing difficulty to counterfeit or alter the document.

However, increased diplomatic efforts and travel partnerships continue essential for enhancing the global mobility for Indian citizens and consequently, the Indian passport's global position.