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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 across digital platforms.

The influencer stated that while nearby nations such as Sri Lanka and Bhutan were more welcoming to Indian tourists, obtaining visas to travel to most Western and European countries remained a challenge.

This dissatisfaction with the limited global access of Indian passports found confirmation in the latest global passport ranking, which placed the country in the 85th spot out of nearly two hundred nations, a decline of five positions compared to the previous year.

The Indian government has not commented on the report yet.

Nations including Ghana, Rwanda and Azerbaijan despite smaller economic size compared to India – a nation that is the fifth-largest economy globally – hold better positions in the ranking in the seventies range, in that order.

Actually, the country's position over the last ten years has hovered in the 80s, even dipping to the 90th spot two years ago. These rankings appear poor when measured against Asian nations like Singapore, Japan and South Korea, which have consistently held leading ranks.

What Passport Strength Indicates

The power of a passport reflects a nation's soft power and global influence. This leads to enhanced travel freedom for its citizens, improving commercial and learning opportunities. Limited passport power results in more paperwork, higher visa costs, fewer travel privileges and extended processing periods for travel.

But despite the decline in the rank, the count of nations providing visa-free travel to Indians has actually increased over the last ten years.

As an instance, eight years ago – when Prime Minister Narendra Modi's ruling party assumed office – 52 countries provided visa-free access for Indian passport holders and its passport ranked 76th on the index.

A year later, it tumbled to eighty-fifth place, then improved to 80th in 2023 and 2024, declining once more to the 85th position currently. At the same time, countries allowing visa-free travel for Indians grew from fifty-two eight years ago to 60 in 2023 and 62 in 2024.

Increasing Worldwide Travel Competition

The count of nations allowing visa-free entry in 2025 (fifty-seven) is higher than what it was eight years ago (fifty-two), but the country's position for both these years is 85. So, why is that?

Analysts note that a major reason involves growing competition in international travel – meaning nations are forming more travel partnerships for their populations' advantage and their economies. As per recent analysis, the worldwide mean number of destinations people can visit visa-free has nearly doubled from 58 in 2006 to one hundred nine currently.

As an illustration, China has increased its count of visa-free countries its citizens can travel to from 50 to 82 in the past decade. Consequently, its position on the index has enhanced from 94th to 60th in that same duration.

Meanwhile, The Indian passport – previously positioned 77th on the index during summer – dropped to the 85th position in October following the loss of two nations.

Additional Factors Impacting Passport Power

An ex-diplomat from India says there are other factors influencing the strength of a country's passport, including its economic and political stability plus its receptiveness to welcoming citizens from other countries.

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

The former ambassador recalls that during the seventies, Indian citizens had visa-free travel to many Western and European countries, but that changed after the Khalistan movement during the eighties. Subsequent political upheavals have further chipped away at India's image as a stable, democratic country.

"Numerous nations are also becoming more cautious regarding migrants," the diplomat added. "India has a high number of people migrating to other countries or overstaying their visas affecting the national image."

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

Security and Technological Improvements

India's passport faces ongoing security risks. Last year, law enforcement detained 203 people for suspected passport and visa irregularities. The country also has complex immigration processes with lengthy timelines of visa processing.

The diplomat says that new technologies, such as the newly introduced digital passport or e-passport, may enhance safety and streamline immigration. This electronic document includes a microchip holding biometric data, making it harder to counterfeit or alter the document.

However, increased diplomatic efforts and travel partnerships remain key to boosting international travel freedom for Indian citizens and consequently, the Indian passport's global position.