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In recent months, a video by a popular travel content creator complaining about India's weak passport gained massive traction across digital platforms.

The influencer stated although neighbouring countries like Bhutan and Sri Lanka were more welcoming to Indian tourists, obtaining visas to travel to many nations in Europe and the West continued to be difficult.

This dissatisfaction regarding India's poor passport strength was reflected in the latest global passport ranking, ranking India at position eighty-five among 199 countries, a decline of five positions compared to the previous year.

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

Countries including Ghana, Rwanda and Azerbaijan despite smaller economic size than India – a nation that is the world's fifth biggest economy – are ranked higher in the ranking in the seventies range, respectively.

Actually, the country's position over the last ten years has hovered around the eighties, falling to the 90th spot in 2021. Such standings appear poor compared to Asian nations like Singapore, Japan and South Korea, all maintaining top positions.

What Passport Strength Indicates

The power of a passport reflects a nation's soft power and global influence. This leads to enhanced travel freedom for its citizens, boosting business and learning opportunities. Limited passport power means additional documentation, higher visa costs, reduced travel benefits and longer waiting times for travel.

But despite 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, eight years ago – when the current administration's ruling party came to power – fifty-two nations provided visa-free travel to Indians with the passport ranked 76th in the ranking.

A year later, it tumbled to the 85th position, then rose to 80th in 2023 and 2024, dropping again to the 85th position currently. Meanwhile, countries allowing visa-free travel to Indian citizens increased from fifty-two eight years ago to sixty last year and 62 in 2024.

The Competitive Global Mobility Landscape

The number of nations allowing visa-free entry this year (57) exceeds the number eight years ago (fifty-two), but India's rank during both periods remains at eighty-fifth. What explains this situation?

Analysts note that a primary factor involves growing competition in global mobility – indicating that nations are entering into additional travel agreements to benefit their citizens and economic growth. As per a 2025 report, the worldwide mean count of countries people can visit without visas has almost doubled from 58 in 2006 to one hundred nine currently.

As an illustration, China has expanded the number of visa-free countries available to its citizens from 50 to 82 in the past decade. Consequently, its position on the index has enhanced from ninety-fourth to sixtieth in that same duration.

Meanwhile, The Indian passport – previously positioned 77th on the index during summer – fell to the 85th position in October following the loss of two nations.

Additional Factors Affecting Passport Strength

A former Indian ambassador says multiple elements that affect a nation's passport power, like its economic and political stability plus its openness to accepting travelers from abroad.

For example, the American passport has dropped out from the top ten currently holding twelfth place – a historic low – due to its increasingly insular stance in global affairs.

The former ambassador recalls how in the 1970s, Indians enjoyed visa-free access to numerous European and Western nations, though this shifted following Khalistan movement in the 1980s. Later political disturbances have further chipped away at India's image as a stable democracy.

"Numerous nations are also becoming more cautious of immigrants," he stated. "The country possesses a large quantity of people migrating to other countries or remaining beyond visa limits affecting the country's reputation."

Factors like how secure of a national passport and its immigration procedures also play a role to obtaining visa-free access to other countries.

Enhanced Security Measures

India's passport remains vulnerable to security threats. Last year, law enforcement arrested over two hundred individuals for suspected passport and visa irregularities. India is also known for complex immigration processes with lengthy timelines for visa approvals.

The diplomat indicated that technological advances, like India's recently-launched digital passport or e-passport, may enhance safety and ease the immigration process. The e-passport includes a microchip that stores biometric data, increasing difficulty to forge or tamper with the document.

But, increased diplomatic efforts and travel partnerships remain key to boosting international travel freedom of Indians and consequently, India's passport ranking.