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Earlier this year, an online clip by an Indian travel influencer expressing frustration over India's weak passport gained massive traction on social media.

The influencer stated although neighbouring countries such as Sri Lanka and Bhutan offered easier access of Indian tourists, securing travel permits to travel to most Western and European countries remained a challenge.

Such concerns with India's poor passport strength found confirmation in recent global passport ranking, which placed the country at position eighty-five out of 199 countries, five spots lower than last year.

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

Countries like Rwanda, Ghana and Azerbaijan despite smaller economic size compared to India – which is the fifth-largest economy globally – hold better positions in the ranking in the seventies range, respectively.

Actually, India's rank in the past decade has hovered in the 80s, even dipping to the 90th spot in 2021. Such standings appear poor compared to Asian nations like Singapore, Japan and South Korea, all maintaining leading ranks.

Global Passport Power Measures

The power of a passport indicates a country's global influence and global influence. This leads to enhanced travel freedom for passport holders, boosting business and learning opportunities. A weak passport means additional documentation, higher visa costs, reduced travel benefits 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 over the last ten years.

As an instance, eight years ago – the year the current administration's ruling party came to power – 52 countries provided visa-free access to Indians and its passport ranked 76th on the index.

The following year, it tumbled to eighty-fifth place, then rose to 80th in 2023 and 2024, dropping again to the 85th position 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 count of visa-free destinations this year (fifty-seven) is higher than the number eight years ago (52), but the country's position for both these years is 85. So, why is that?

Experts say that a primary factor is the increasingly competitive landscape in global mobility – indicating that countries are entering into more travel partnerships to benefit their citizens and economic growth. According to a 2025 report, the worldwide mean number of destinations travellers are able to access visa-free has nearly doubled from 58 in 2006 to 109 in 2025.

For example, China has expanded its count of visa-free destinations its citizens can travel to from 50 to 82 in the past decade. Consequently, its position in the ranking has improved from ninety-fourth to sixtieth in that same duration.

Meanwhile, The Indian passport – previously positioned at seventy-seventh place during summer – dropped to the 85th position in October after losing access to two countries.

Other Influences Affecting Passport Strength

A former Indian ambassador notes there are other factors influencing a nation's passport power, including its economic and political stability as well as its openness to welcoming citizens from abroad.

For example, the American passport has dropped out of the top 10 currently holding twelfth place – a historic low – due to its more inward-looking approach in world politics.

The former ambassador recalls that during the seventies, Indians enjoyed visa-free access to numerous European and Western nations, but that changed following Khalistan movement in the 1980s. Subsequent political upheavals have further chipped away at India's image as a stable, democratic country.

"Many countries are also becoming more cautious regarding migrants," the diplomat added. "The country possesses a high number of people migrating to other countries or remaining beyond visa limits and that interferes with the national image."

Factors such as the security level of a national passport and its immigration procedures also play a role in gaining visa-free access to foreign nations.

Security and Technological Improvements

The Indian passport faces ongoing security threats. Last year, authorities detained over two hundred individuals for alleged visa and passport fraud. 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 digital passport or e-passport, may enhance safety and ease the immigration process. This electronic document contains a microchip that stores biometric data, increasing difficulty to counterfeit or alter the document.

But, increased diplomatic efforts and travel agreements continue essential for enhancing international travel freedom for Indian citizens and consequently, the Indian passport's global position.