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Earlier this year, a video from a popular travel content creator expressing frustration over the limited power of the Indian passport went viral on social media.

The influencer stated although neighbouring countries such as Bhutan and Sri Lanka were more welcoming to Indian tourists, obtaining visas for visiting many nations in Europe and the West remained a challenge.

This dissatisfaction with the limited global access of Indian passports found confirmation in recent global passport ranking, ranking India at position eighty-five out of 199 countries, a decline of five positions than last year.

The Indian government have not issued a statement regarding these findings yet.

Nations 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 at the 78th, 74th and 72nd spots, respectively.

In fact, India's rank in the past decade has remained around the eighties, even dipping to ninetieth place in 2021. These rankings appear poor when measured against other Asian countries like Singapore, Japan and South Korea, which have consistently held leading ranks.

Global Passport Power Indicates

Passport strength indicates a nation's soft power and international standing. This leads to better mobility for passport holders, boosting business and learning opportunities. A weak passport results in more paperwork, increased visa expenses, fewer travel privileges and extended processing periods for travel.

However, even with the decline in the rank, the number of countries offering visa-free access to Indians has grown in the past decade or so.

For example, in 2014 – when the current administration's ruling party assumed office – fifty-two nations offered visa-free travel to Indians and its passport ranked 76th on the index.

A year later, it tumbled to the 85th position, then improved to eightieth over the past two years, dropping again to the eighty-fifth spot currently. At the same time, countries allowing visa-free travel for Indians increased from fifty-two eight years ago to 60 in 2023 and sixty-two this year.

Increasing Worldwide Travel Competition

The count of nations allowing visa-free entry in 2025 (fifty-seven) is higher than what it was eight years ago (fifty-two), but the country's position for both these years remains at eighty-fifth. So, why is that?

Analysts note that a major reason involves growing competition in global mobility – indicating that nations are forming more travel partnerships for their populations' advantage and their economies. According to 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.

For example, China has increased its count of visa-free countries available to its citizens from 50 to 82 in the past decade. As a result, its rank in the ranking has improved from 94th to 60th during the same time period.

In comparison, India – which was ranked at seventy-seventh place in July – fell to eighty-fifth place in October following the loss of two nations.

Additional Factors Affecting Passport Strength

An ex-diplomat from India says multiple elements that affect the strength of a country's passport, including economic and political conditions plus its receptiveness to accepting travelers from abroad.

For example, the American passport has fallen from the top ten and now occupies twelfth place – a historic low – due to its increasingly insular stance in world politics.

The former ambassador recalls that during the seventies, Indian citizens had visa-free access to numerous European and Western nations, but that changed after the Khalistan movement in the 1980s. Subsequent political upheavals have continued to damage 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 people migrating to other countries or remaining beyond visa limits and that interferes with the national image."

Factors such as how secure a country's passport is and its immigration procedures also contribute to obtaining visa-free access to other countries.

Security and Technological Improvements

The Indian passport faces ongoing security risks. In 2024, law enforcement detained 203 people for suspected visa and passport fraud. The country also has complex immigration processes with lengthy timelines for visa approvals.

The former ambassador says that new technologies, 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, making it harder to counterfeit or alter the passport.

However, increased diplomatic efforts and travel partnerships continue essential to boosting the global mobility for Indian citizens and consequently, India's passport ranking.