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Earlier this year, a video by a popular travel content creator expressing frustration over India's weak passport went viral on social media.

The influencer stated although neighbouring countries like Bhutan and Sri Lanka were more welcoming to travelers from India, securing travel permits for visiting most Western and European countries remained a challenge.

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

Officials in India have not issued a statement on the report so far.

Countries including Rwanda, Ghana and Azerbaijan with much smaller economies than India – which is the fifth-largest economy globally – are ranked higher in the ranking in the seventies range, respectively.

In fact, the country's position over the last ten years has remained around the eighties, falling to ninetieth place two years ago. These rankings appear poor when measured against other Asian countries such as Japan, South Korea and Singapore, which have consistently held leading ranks.

Global Passport Power Measures

Passport strength indicates a country's global influence and global influence. It also translates into enhanced travel freedom for passport holders, boosting business and educational prospects. A weak passport means more paperwork, higher visa costs, fewer travel privileges and extended processing periods when journeying.

However, even with the drop in position, the number of countries providing visa-free travel for Indian citizens has grown in the past decade or so.

For example, in 2014 – the year Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) came to power – 52 countries provided visa-free travel to Indians and its passport at seventy-sixth position in the ranking.

The following year, it fell to eighty-fifth place, then improved to eightieth in 2023 and 2024, declining once more to the 85th position currently. Meanwhile, visa-free destinations for Indians grew from fifty-two eight years ago to sixty last year and 62 in 2024.

Increasing Worldwide Travel Competition

The number of nations allowing visa-free entry in 2025 (57) is higher than the number eight years ago (fifty-two), but India's rank during both periods is 85. What explains this situation?

Analysts note that a major reason involves growing competition in global mobility – indicating that countries are forming more travel partnerships for their populations' advantage and economic growth. As per recent analysis, the global average count of countries people can visit visa-free has nearly doubled from 58 in 2006 to 109 in 2025.

For example, China has expanded its count of visa-free destinations available to its citizens from fifty to eighty-two in the past decade. As a result, its rank in the ranking has enhanced from 94th to 60th in that same duration.

In comparison, India – previously positioned 77th on the index during summer – dropped to eighty-fifth place this autumn after losing access to two countries.

Additional Factors Impacting Passport Power

A former Indian ambassador says multiple elements that affect a nation's passport power, including economic and political conditions as well as its receptiveness to welcoming citizens from abroad.

For instance, the US passport has fallen of the top 10 and now occupies the 12th position – a historic low – due to its more inward-looking approach in world politics.

The diplomat recalls that during the seventies, Indians enjoyed visa-free access to many Western and European countries, but that changed following Khalistan movement during the eighties. Subsequent political upheavals have further chipped away at India's image as a stable democracy.

"Many countries are growing more cautious of immigrants," the diplomat added. "The country possesses a high number of citizens emigrating to other countries or overstaying their visas affecting the country's reputation."

Elements such as how secure of a national passport and its immigration procedures also play a role to obtaining visa-free access to foreign nations.

Enhanced Security Measures

India's passport remains vulnerable to security threats. Last year, authorities detained over two hundred individuals for alleged visa and passport fraud. The country also has complex immigration processes with lengthy timelines for visa approvals.

The former ambassador indicated that technological advances, such as the newly introduced digital passport or e-passport, can improve security and streamline immigration. The e-passport includes a microchip holding biometric information, increasing difficulty to forge or tamper with the passport.

However, more diplomatic outreach and travel agreements continue essential for enhancing the global mobility for Indian citizens and, by extension, India's passport ranking.