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Earlier this year, a video by an Indian travel influencer expressing frustration over India's weak passport went viral on social media.

He mentioned although nearby nations like Sri Lanka and Bhutan were more welcoming of travelers from India, securing travel permits to travel to most Western and European countries remained a challenge.

This dissatisfaction regarding India's poor passport strength found confirmation in the latest global passport ranking, ranking the country at position eighty-five among 199 countries, a decline of five positions than last year.

The Indian government has not commented on the report so far.

Nations like Ghana, Rwanda and Azerbaijan with much smaller economies than India – which is the fifth-largest economy globally – are ranked higher on the index at the 78th, 74th and 72nd spots, in that order.

In fact, the country's position over the last ten years has remained in the 80s, falling to ninetieth place two years ago. Such standings are dismal when measured against Asian nations such as Singapore, Japan and South Korea, all maintaining leading ranks.

Global Passport Power Indicates

The power of a passport indicates a nation's soft power and global influence. It also translates into enhanced travel freedom for passport holders, improving commercial and educational prospects. A weak passport means more paperwork, increased visa expenses, fewer travel privileges and extended processing periods for travel.

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

For example, in 2014 – the year Prime Minister Narendra Modi's ruling party assumed office – fifty-two nations provided 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 eightieth over the past two years, declining once more to the eighty-fifth spot this year. Meanwhile, visa-free destinations to Indian citizens grew from fifty-two eight years ago to 60 in 2023 and 62 in 2024.

Increasing Worldwide Travel Competition

The number of visa-free destinations in 2025 (57) exceeds the number in 2015 (fifty-two), but India's rank for both these years remains at eighty-fifth. So, why is that?

Experts say that a major reason is the increasingly competitive landscape in global mobility – meaning nations are entering into additional travel agreements to benefit their citizens and economic growth. According to recent analysis, the worldwide mean count of countries travellers are able to access visa-free has almost doubled from 58 in 2006 to one hundred nine currently.

As an illustration, China has increased its count of visa-free countries available to its citizens from fifty to eighty-two over the last ten years. As a result, its position on the index has improved from 94th to 60th during the same time period.

In comparison, India – previously positioned 77th on the index in July – fell to the 85th position this autumn after losing access to two countries.

Additional Factors Affecting Passport Strength

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 welcoming citizens from other countries.

For instance, the American passport has fallen from the top ten currently holding twelfth place – a historic low – because of its more inward-looking approach in world politics.

The diplomat recalls how in the 1970s, Indians enjoyed visa-free travel to many Western and European countries, though this shifted after the Khalistan movement during the eighties. Later political disturbances have further chipped away at India's image as a stable, democratic country.

"Numerous nations are also becoming more cautious regarding migrants," he stated. "India has a high number of citizens emigrating to other countries or remaining beyond visa limits affecting the national image."

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

Enhanced Security Measures

The Indian passport faces ongoing security risks. Last year, authorities arrested 203 people for suspected visa and passport fraud. The country also has complex immigration processes with lengthy timelines of visa processing.

The former ambassador says that new technologies, such as the newly introduced digital passport or e-passport, can improve security and ease the immigration process. This electronic document includes a microchip that stores biometric data, increasing difficulty to counterfeit or alter the document.

But, more diplomatic outreach and travel agreements remain key for enhancing international travel freedom of Indians and, by extension, India's passport ranking.