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Earlier this year, a video by a popular travel content creator expressing frustration over India's weak passport gained massive traction across digital platforms.

He mentioned that while nearby nations such as Bhutan and Sri Lanka were more welcoming of Indian tourists, securing travel permits to travel to many nations in Europe and the West continued to be difficult.

Such concerns with the limited global access of Indian passports found confirmation in the latest global passport ranking, ranking India in the 85th spot out of 199 countries, five spots lower compared to the previous year.

The Indian government has not commented regarding these findings yet.

Nations like Ghana, Rwanda and Azerbaijan with much smaller economies compared to India – which is the fifth-largest economy globally – hold better positions on the index at the 78th, 74th and 72nd spots, in that order.

Actually, the country's position over the last ten years has hovered around the eighties, even dipping to the 90th spot two years ago. Such standings are dismal compared to Asian nations such as Singapore, Japan and South Korea, which have consistently held leading ranks.

What Passport Strength Measures

The power of a passport indicates 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, reduced travel benefits and longer waiting times when journeying.

But despite the drop in position, the number of countries providing visa-free travel to Indians has grown over the last ten years.

For example, in 2014 – the year Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) came to power – fifty-two nations provided visa-free access to Indians with the passport ranked 76th in the ranking.

The following year, it fell to eighty-fifth place, then rose to 80th over the past two years, dropping again to the eighty-fifth spot 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 this year (fifty-seven) is higher than the number in 2015 (fifty-two), yet the country's position during both periods remains at eighty-fifth. So, why is that?

Experts say that a major reason involves growing competition in international travel – meaning countries are forming more travel partnerships to benefit their citizens and their economies. According to a 2025 report, the global average count of countries people can visit without visas has nearly doubled from 58 in 2006 to 109 in 2025.

For example, The Chinese passport has expanded the number of visa-free destinations its citizens can travel to from 50 to 82 in the past decade. As a result, its rank 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 – fell to eighty-fifth place in October after losing access of two nations.

Additional Factors Affecting Passport Strength

A former Indian ambassador says there are other factors influencing the strength of a country's passport, including its economic and political stability plus its receptiveness to accepting travelers from other countries.

For example, the American passport has fallen of the top 10 and now occupies twelfth place – its lowest ever – because of its more inward-looking approach in world politics.

The diplomat mentioned how in the 1970s, Indian citizens had visa-free access to numerous European and Western nations, but that changed following Sikh separatist movement during the eighties. Later political disturbances have continued to damage at India's image as a stable democracy.

"Many countries are growing increasingly wary regarding migrants," he stated. "The country possesses a high number of people migrating overseas or overstaying their visas affecting the country's reputation."

Factors such as the security level a country's passport is and immigration processes also play a role in gaining visa-free entry to other countries.

Enhanced Security Measures

India's passport remains vulnerable to security threats. In 2024, authorities arrested over two hundred individuals for alleged visa and passport fraud. India is also known for complex immigration processes with lengthy timelines for visa approvals.

The diplomat indicated that technological advances, such as the newly introduced electronic passport or e-passport, can improve security and streamline immigration. The e-passport contains a small chip that stores biometric data, making it harder to forge or tamper with the document.

However, increased diplomatic efforts and travel agreements continue essential for enhancing international travel freedom of Indians and, by extension, the Indian passport's global position.