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Earlier this year, a video from a popular travel content creator complaining about India's weak passport went viral on social media.

He mentioned although nearby nations such as Sri Lanka and Bhutan were more welcoming of Indian tourists, securing travel permits for visiting many nations in Europe and the West continued to be difficult.

This dissatisfaction with India's poor passport strength was reflected in recent Henley Passport Index, which placed the country in the 85th spot out of 199 countries, a decline of five positions compared to the previous year.

Officials in India have not issued a statement regarding these findings so far.

Countries including Ghana, Rwanda and Azerbaijan despite smaller economic size than India – which is the fifth-largest economy globally – hold better positions on the index in the seventies range, respectively.

Actually, India's rank in the past decade has hovered around the eighties, even dipping to ninetieth place in 2021. Such standings are dismal compared to other Asian countries such as Japan, South Korea and Singapore, all maintaining top positions.

What Passport Strength Indicates

Passport strength indicates a nation's soft power and global influence. It also translates into enhanced travel freedom for its citizens, boosting business and learning opportunities. Limited passport power means more paperwork, higher visa costs, reduced travel benefits and longer waiting times when journeying.

But despite the decline in the rank, the count of nations offering visa-free access to Indians has grown over the last ten years.

For example, eight years ago – the year Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) came to power – 52 countries provided visa-free access to Indians and its passport ranked 76th in the ranking.

The following year, it fell to the 85th position, then improved to eightieth over the past two years, declining once more to the 85th position this year. Meanwhile, visa-free destinations for Indians increased from 52 in 2015 to sixty last year and 62 in 2024.

The Competitive Global Mobility Landscape

The count of nations allowing visa-free entry in 2025 (57) exceeds the number eight years ago (52), yet India's rank for both these years is 85. So, why is that?

Experts say that a major reason involves growing competition in international travel – meaning nations are entering into more travel partnerships for their populations' advantage and economic growth. According to a 2025 report, the worldwide mean number of destinations people can visit visa-free has almost doubled from 58 in 2006 to one hundred nine currently.

As an illustration, The Chinese passport has expanded its count of visa-free destinations its citizens can travel to from fifty to eighty-two in the past decade. Consequently, its position in the ranking has improved from 94th to 60th in that same duration.

In comparison, The Indian passport – which was ranked 77th on the index in July – dropped to eighty-fifth place this autumn following the loss of two nations.

Other Influences Impacting Passport Power

An ex-diplomat from India notes multiple elements influencing a nation's passport power, like economic and political conditions as well as its receptiveness to welcoming citizens from other countries.

For instance, the American passport has dropped out from the top ten currently holding twelfth place – its lowest ever – due to its more inward-looking approach in world politics.

The former ambassador mentioned how in the 1970s, Indians enjoyed visa-free travel to many Western and European countries, though this shifted following Sikh separatist movement during the eighties. Later political disturbances have continued to damage the country's reputation as a stable, democratic country.

"Many countries are growing increasingly wary of immigrants," he stated. "India has a high number 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 play a role in gaining visa-free access to foreign nations.

Enhanced Security Measures

The Indian passport remains vulnerable to security threats. Last year, authorities detained over two hundred individuals for alleged passport and visa irregularities. The country also has complex immigration processes and a slow pace of visa processing.

The diplomat indicated that new technologies, such as the newly introduced electronic passport or e-passport, can improve security and streamline immigration. The e-passport contains a microchip that stores biometric data, making it harder to forge or tamper with the passport.

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