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Earlier this year, an online clip by an Indian travel influencer complaining about India's weak passport went viral across digital platforms.

The influencer stated that while nearby nations such as Bhutan and Sri Lanka were more welcoming of travelers from India, securing travel permits to travel to many nations in Europe and the West continued to be difficult.

Such concerns regarding India's poor passport strength found confirmation in the latest global passport ranking, ranking the country at position eighty-five out of nearly two hundred nations, five spots lower compared to the previous year.

Officials in India has not commented regarding these findings so far.

Nations like Ghana, Rwanda and Azerbaijan despite smaller economic size than India – a nation that is the fifth-largest economy globally – hold better positions on the index in the seventies range, respectively.

In fact, the country's position over the last ten years has hovered around the eighties, falling to ninetieth place two years ago. Such standings appear poor compared to Asian nations such as Japan, South Korea and Singapore, which have consistently held top positions.

What Passport Strength Indicates

The power of a passport reflects a country's global influence and global influence. This leads to better mobility for its citizens, improving commercial and educational prospects. Limited passport power results in additional documentation, increased visa expenses, fewer travel privileges and extended processing periods for travel.

But despite the drop in position, the count of nations offering visa-free access for Indian citizens has grown over the last ten years.

For example, in 2014 – the year Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) came to power – fifty-two nations provided visa-free access for Indian passport holders and its passport ranked 76th in the ranking.

The following year, it fell to eighty-fifth place, then rose to eightieth in 2023 and 2024, declining once more to the eighty-fifth spot currently. Meanwhile, countries allowing visa-free travel to Indian citizens grew from fifty-two eight years ago to sixty last year and 62 in 2024.

The Competitive Global Mobility Landscape

The number of visa-free destinations in 2025 (fifty-seven) is higher than the number eight years ago (52), but India's rank for both these years is 85. So, why is that?

Experts say that a major reason is the increasingly competitive landscape in global mobility – meaning nations are entering into more travel partnerships for their populations' advantage and economic growth. According to recent analysis, the global average count of countries travellers are able to access visa-free has nearly doubled from 58 in 2006 to one hundred nine currently.

For example, China has increased the number of visa-free countries its citizens can travel to from fifty to eighty-two in the past decade. As a result, its rank in the ranking has enhanced from 94th to 60th during the same time period.

Meanwhile, The Indian passport – which was ranked at seventy-seventh place during summer – fell to the 85th position this autumn following the loss of two nations.

Additional Factors Affecting Passport Strength

An ex-diplomat from India says there are other factors influencing the strength of a country's passport, including economic and political conditions plus its receptiveness to welcoming citizens from abroad.

For instance, the US passport has fallen from the top ten and now occupies twelfth place – its lowest ever – because of its more inward-looking approach in world politics.

The diplomat mentioned that during the seventies, Indians enjoyed visa-free travel to many Western and European countries, but that changed after the Khalistan movement in the 1980s. Later political disturbances have further chipped away at India's image as a stable democracy.

"Many countries are also becoming increasingly wary 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."

Elements such as the security level a country's passport is and immigration processes also play a role in gaining visa-free access to foreign nations.

Security and Technological Improvements

India's passport faces ongoing security threats. In 2024, authorities arrested 203 people for suspected passport and visa irregularities. The country also has complex immigration processes with lengthy timelines for visa approvals.

The former ambassador indicated that new technologies, like India's recently-launched digital passport or e-passport, can improve security and streamline immigration. The e-passport includes a microchip that stores biometric data, increasing difficulty to counterfeit or alter the passport.

But, increased diplomatic efforts and travel agreements continue essential for enhancing international travel freedom of Indians and consequently, the Indian passport's global position.