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Earlier this year, a video by an Indian travel influencer expressing frustration over the limited power of the Indian passport went viral across digital platforms.

The influencer stated that while nearby nations like Bhutan and Sri Lanka were more welcoming to Indian tourists, obtaining visas for visiting many nations in Europe and the West continued to be difficult.

Such concerns with India's poor passport strength was reflected in recent global passport ranking, ranking the country in the 85th spot out of 199 countries, five spots lower than last year.

Officials in India has not commented regarding these findings so far.

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

Actually, the country's position in the past decade has hovered in the 80s, falling to ninetieth place in 2021. These rankings are dismal when measured against Asian nations like Singapore, Japan and South Korea, which have consistently held top positions.

Global Passport Power Indicates

Passport strength reflects a nation's soft power and international standing. It also translates into better mobility for its citizens, improving commercial and learning opportunities. A weak passport results in more paperwork, increased visa expenses, reduced travel benefits and longer waiting times for travel.

However, even with the decline in the rank, the number of countries providing visa-free travel for Indian citizens has actually increased in the past decade or so.

For example, eight years ago – when the current administration's ruling party assumed office – 52 countries offered visa-free travel to Indians and its passport at seventy-sixth position on the index.

A year later, it tumbled to the 85th position, then improved to 80th over the past two years, declining once more to the eighty-fifth spot currently. At the same time, visa-free destinations to Indian citizens increased from 52 in 2015 to 60 in 2023 and sixty-two this year.

The Competitive Global Mobility Landscape

The number of nations allowing visa-free entry this year (fifty-seven) exceeds the number in 2015 (fifty-two), but the country's position for both these years is 85. What explains this situation?

Experts say that a major reason involves growing competition in global mobility – meaning nations are entering into additional travel agreements for their populations' advantage and economic growth. As per a 2025 report, the worldwide mean count of countries people can visit without visas has almost doubled from 58 in 2006 to one hundred nine currently.

For example, The Chinese passport has increased its count of visa-free countries available to its citizens from 50 to 82 in the past decade. Consequently, its position on the index has improved from 94th to 60th in that same duration.

In comparison, The Indian passport – previously positioned at seventy-seventh place in July – dropped to eighty-fifth place in October following the loss to two countries.

Additional Factors Affecting Passport Strength

A former Indian ambassador notes multiple elements that affect the strength of a country's passport, like economic and political conditions as well as its receptiveness to welcoming citizens from other countries.

For example, the American passport has dropped out of the top 10 currently holding twelfth place – its lowest ever – because of its more inward-looking approach in world politics.

The diplomat recalls how in the 1970s, Indians enjoyed visa-free travel to numerous European and Western nations, but that changed following Khalistan movement during the eighties. 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," he stated. "India has a high number of citizens emigrating to other countries or overstaying their visas and that interferes with the national image."

Factors such as how secure of a national passport and immigration processes also play a role in gaining visa-free access to other countries.

Enhanced Security Measures

The Indian passport remains vulnerable to security threats. In 2024, law enforcement arrested over two hundred individuals for suspected visa and passport fraud. The country also has cumbersome immigration procedures with lengthy timelines for visa approvals.

The diplomat indicated that technological advances, such as the newly introduced digital passport or e-passport, can improve security and ease the immigration process. The e-passport contains a small chip that stores biometric data, increasing difficulty to forge or tamper with the passport.

But, more diplomatic outreach and travel agreements remain key for enhancing the global mobility for Indian citizens and, by extension, the Indian passport's global position.