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Earlier this year, a video by an Indian travel influencer expressing frustration over India's weak passport went viral across digital platforms.

He mentioned that while neighbouring countries like Sri Lanka and Bhutan offered easier access to Indian tourists, securing travel permits to travel to most Western and European countries continued to be difficult.

This dissatisfaction with India's poor passport strength found confirmation in recent global passport ranking, ranking India at position eighty-five among 199 countries, five spots lower compared to the previous year.

Officials in India has not commented on the report so far.

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

Actually, the country's position in the past decade has hovered in the 80s, falling to the 90th spot two years ago. These rankings appear poor compared to other Asian countries like Japan, South Korea and Singapore, all maintaining top positions.

What Passport Strength Indicates

The power of a passport reflects a nation's soft power and international standing. This leads to better mobility for its citizens, boosting business and learning opportunities. Limited passport power results in additional documentation, higher visa costs, fewer travel privileges and extended processing periods for travel.

But despite 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 – when Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) came to power – fifty-two nations provided visa-free access to Indians and its passport at seventy-sixth position on the index.

A year later, it fell to eighty-fifth place, then rose to 80th in 2023 and 2024, dropping again to the eighty-fifth spot this year. At the same time, visa-free destinations for Indians grew from fifty-two eight years ago to 60 in 2023 and sixty-two this year.

Increasing Worldwide Travel Competition

The number of visa-free destinations this year (57) exceeds the number eight years ago (52), but the country's position during both periods remains at eighty-fifth. So, why is that?

Analysts note that a major reason involves growing competition in global mobility – meaning nations are entering into additional travel agreements to benefit their citizens and their economies. According to a 2025 report, the worldwide mean number of destinations people can visit without visas has almost doubled from 58 in 2006 to 109 in 2025.

For example, The Chinese passport has expanded the number of visa-free destinations available to its citizens from 50 to 82 over the last ten years. As a result, its rank in the ranking has improved from 94th to 60th in that same duration.

In comparison, The Indian passport – previously positioned at seventy-seventh place during summer – dropped to the 85th position this autumn following the loss to two countries.

Additional Factors Affecting Passport Strength

An ex-diplomat from India notes multiple elements influencing the strength of a country's passport, including economic and political conditions plus its receptiveness to accepting travelers from abroad.

For example, the American passport has dropped out from the top ten and now occupies the 12th position – a historic low – because of its more inward-looking approach in world politics.

The former ambassador mentioned that during the seventies, Indian citizens had visa-free travel to numerous European and Western nations, but that changed following Sikh separatist movement during the eighties. Subsequent political upheavals have continued to damage the country's reputation as a stable, democratic country.

"Many countries are also becoming increasingly wary of immigrants," he stated. "The country possesses a large quantity of citizens emigrating to other countries or remaining beyond visa limits affecting the country's reputation."

Elements such as the security level a country's passport is and its immigration procedures also contribute in gaining visa-free entry to other countries.

Enhanced Security Measures

India's passport remains vulnerable to security threats. Last year, law enforcement detained over two hundred individuals for suspected visa and passport fraud. India is also known for complex immigration processes and a slow pace of visa processing.

The former ambassador indicated that technological advances, like India's recently-launched digital passport or e-passport, can improve security and ease the immigration process. The e-passport includes a microchip holding biometric data, increasing difficulty to forge or tamper with the document.

However, more diplomatic outreach and travel partnerships continue essential for enhancing the global mobility of Indians and, by extension, India's passport ranking.