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Earlier this year, a video by a popular travel content creator expressing frustration over India's weak passport went viral on social media.

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

Such concerns regarding the limited global access of Indian passports was reflected in recent global passport ranking, which placed India at position eighty-five among nearly two hundred nations, five spots lower than last year.

The Indian government have not issued a statement regarding these findings yet.

Countries like Ghana, Rwanda and Azerbaijan despite smaller economic size compared to India – which is the world's fifth biggest economy – hold better positions on the index in the seventies range, respectively.

In fact, India's rank in the past decade has hovered around the eighties, falling to the 90th spot in 2021. Such standings appear poor when measured against Asian nations like Singapore, Japan and South Korea, all maintaining leading ranks.

What Passport Strength Indicates

Passport strength reflects a nation's soft power and international standing. It also translates into enhanced travel freedom for its citizens, improving commercial and educational prospects. Limited passport power results in more paperwork, higher visa costs, reduced travel benefits and extended processing periods for travel.

But despite the drop in position, the count of nations providing visa-free travel for Indian citizens has grown over the last ten years.

For example, in 2014 – when the current administration's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) assumed office – 52 countries offered visa-free travel to Indians with the passport ranked 76th on the index.

The following year, it tumbled to eighty-fifth place, then improved to 80th over the past two years, dropping again to the 85th position currently. Meanwhile, countries allowing visa-free travel for Indians increased from fifty-two eight years ago to 60 in 2023 and 62 in 2024.

The Competitive Global Mobility Landscape

The number of nations allowing visa-free entry in 2025 (57) is higher than what it was eight years ago (fifty-two), but the country's position during both periods remains at eighty-fifth. What explains this situation?

Analysts note that a primary factor involves growing competition in international travel – indicating that countries are forming more travel partnerships to benefit their citizens and their economies. As per recent analysis, the worldwide mean number of destinations travellers are able to access visa-free has nearly doubled from fifty-eight nineteen years ago to 109 in 2025.

As an illustration, China has increased the number of visa-free destinations its citizens can travel to from fifty to eighty-two in the past decade. Consequently, its rank on the index has improved from ninety-fourth to sixtieth in that same duration.

In comparison, India – which was ranked 77th on the index during summer – fell to eighty-fifth place this autumn following the loss to two countries.

Other Influences Affecting Passport Strength

A former Indian ambassador notes there are other factors that affect the strength of a country's passport, like its economic and political stability plus its openness to accepting travelers from other countries.

For instance, the US passport has dropped out of the top 10 currently holding twelfth place – a historic low – due to its increasingly insular stance in global affairs.

The diplomat recalls how in the 1970s, Indians enjoyed visa-free travel to numerous European and Western nations, though this shifted 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 growing more cautious regarding migrants," the diplomat added. "The country possesses a high number of citizens emigrating to other countries or overstaying their visas affecting the country's reputation."

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

Security and Technological Improvements

India's passport remains vulnerable to security risks. Last year, law enforcement arrested over two hundred individuals for suspected visa and passport fraud. India is also known for cumbersome immigration procedures with lengthy timelines of visa processing.

The former ambassador says that new technologies, such as the newly introduced digital passport or e-passport, can improve security and streamline immigration. The e-passport contains a microchip holding biometric information, increasing difficulty to forge or tamper with the passport.

However, increased diplomatic efforts and travel partnerships continue essential for enhancing international travel freedom of Indians and consequently, India's passport ranking.