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In recent months, a video from a popular travel content creator expressing frustration over the limited power of the Indian passport went viral across digital platforms.

He mentioned although neighbouring countries like Bhutan and Sri Lanka offered easier access to travelers from India, securing travel permits for visiting many nations in Europe and the West remained a challenge.

This dissatisfaction with India's poor passport strength was reflected in recent global passport ranking, which placed India in the 85th spot out of nearly two hundred nations, five spots lower than last year.

The Indian government has not commented on the report yet.

Countries like Rwanda, Ghana and Azerbaijan despite smaller economic size compared to India – which is the fifth-largest economy globally – are ranked higher on the index in the seventies range, in that order.

Actually, the country's position over the last ten years has remained around the eighties, even dipping to the 90th spot in 2021. These rankings are dismal compared to other Asian countries such as Singapore, Japan and South Korea, all maintaining leading ranks.

Global Passport Power Measures

Passport strength indicates a nation's soft power and global influence. It also translates into better mobility for passport holders, improving commercial and learning opportunities. A weak passport results in more paperwork, increased visa expenses, reduced travel benefits and longer waiting times when journeying.

But despite the drop in position, the number of countries providing visa-free travel to Indians has actually increased in the past decade or so.

As an instance, in 2014 – when Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) came to power – fifty-two nations offered visa-free travel to Indians with the passport at seventy-sixth position in the ranking.

A year later, it tumbled to the 85th position, then improved to 80th over the past two years, declining once more to the 85th position currently. At the same time, countries allowing visa-free travel to Indian citizens increased from fifty-two eight years ago to 60 in 2023 and 62 in 2024.

Increasing Worldwide Travel Competition

The number of nations allowing visa-free entry this year (fifty-seven) is higher than what it was in 2015 (fifty-two), yet India's rank for both these years is 85. What explains this situation?

Analysts note that a major reason involves growing competition in international travel – indicating that nations are entering into additional travel agreements for their populations' advantage and economic growth. As per a 2025 report, the worldwide mean count of countries travellers are able to access without visas has almost doubled from 58 in 2006 to 109 in 2025.

For example, China has expanded the number of visa-free countries available to its citizens from fifty to eighty-two in the past decade. As a result, its position on the index has improved from ninety-fourth to sixtieth in that same duration.

In comparison, India – which was ranked at seventy-seventh place during summer – fell to eighty-fifth place in October after losing access of two nations.

Additional Factors Impacting Passport Power

An ex-diplomat from India says multiple elements that affect the strength of a country's passport, like its economic and political stability plus its openness to accepting travelers from other countries.

For example, the American passport has dropped out of the top 10 currently holding the 12th position – a historic low – because of its more inward-looking approach in global affairs.

The former ambassador recalls how in the 1970s, Indian citizens had visa-free travel to many Western and European countries, though this shifted following Khalistan movement in the 1980s. Later political disturbances have continued to damage at India's image as a stable democracy.

"Numerous nations are growing increasingly wary of immigrants," the diplomat added. "India has a high number of citizens emigrating overseas or remaining beyond visa limits affecting the national image."

Elements such as the security level of a national passport and immigration processes also play a role to obtaining visa-free entry to other countries.

Enhanced Security Measures

India's passport remains vulnerable to security threats. In 2024, law enforcement arrested over two hundred individuals for alleged passport and visa irregularities. India is also known for complex immigration processes with lengthy timelines for visa approvals.

The former ambassador says that technological advances, such as the newly introduced electronic 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 forge or tamper with the passport.

However, more diplomatic outreach and travel partnerships continue essential to boosting international travel freedom for Indian citizens and consequently, India's passport ranking.