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Earlier this year, an online clip from an Indian travel influencer complaining about the limited power of the Indian passport went viral on social media.

He mentioned although nearby nations such as Bhutan and Sri Lanka offered easier access to travelers from India, obtaining visas to travel to most Western and European countries continued to be difficult.

This dissatisfaction regarding India's poor passport strength was reflected in recent global passport ranking, ranking the country 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 – a nation that is the fifth-largest economy globally – hold better positions on the index at the 78th, 74th and 72nd spots, respectively.

In fact, India's rank in the past decade has hovered in the 80s, falling to the 90th spot in 2021. These rankings are dismal compared to other Asian countries such as Japan, South Korea and Singapore, all maintaining leading ranks.

What Passport Strength Measures

The power of a passport reflects a nation's soft power and international standing. This leads to enhanced travel freedom for its citizens, boosting business and learning opportunities. Limited passport power means additional documentation, increased visa expenses, fewer travel privileges and extended processing periods for travel.

But despite the decline in the rank, the count of nations providing visa-free travel for Indian citizens has grown in the past decade or so.

As an instance, eight years ago – the year the current administration's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) assumed office – fifty-two nations provided visa-free access to Indians and its passport ranked 76th on the index.

The following year, it fell to eighty-fifth place, then rose to 80th over the past two years, dropping again to the 85th position this year. Meanwhile, visa-free destinations 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 nations allowing visa-free entry this year (fifty-seven) exceeds what it was eight years ago (fifty-two), yet the country's position for both these years is 85. What explains this situation?

Analysts note that a primary factor is the increasingly competitive landscape in international travel – indicating that countries are entering into additional travel agreements to benefit their citizens and their economies. As per a 2025 report, 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, China has increased the number of visa-free countries available to its citizens from 50 to 82 in the past decade. Consequently, its rank on the index has enhanced from ninety-fourth to sixtieth in that same duration.

Meanwhile, The Indian passport – which was ranked 77th on the index in July – dropped to the 85th position in October following the loss of two nations.

Additional Factors Impacting Passport Power

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

For instance, the American passport has fallen of the top 10 and now occupies twelfth place – a historic low – due to its more inward-looking approach in global affairs.

The diplomat mentioned how in the 1970s, Indians enjoyed visa-free access to many Western and European countries, but that changed after the Sikh separatist movement during the eighties. Subsequent political upheavals have further chipped away at India's image as a stable democracy.

"Numerous nations are growing increasingly wary regarding migrants," the diplomat added. "The country possesses a high number of citizens emigrating overseas or remaining beyond visa limits and that interferes with the country's reputation."

Elements such as how secure of a national passport and immigration processes also contribute in gaining visa-free access to other countries.

Security and Technological Improvements

India's passport remains vulnerable to security risks. In 2024, authorities arrested 203 people for alleged passport and visa irregularities. The country also has cumbersome immigration procedures with lengthy timelines for visa approvals.

The former ambassador says that technological advances, like India's recently-launched digital passport or e-passport, may enhance safety and ease the immigration process. The e-passport contains a small chip holding biometric data, increasing difficulty to forge or tamper with the document.

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