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In recent months, an online clip by an Indian travel influencer expressing frustration over India's weak passport went viral across digital platforms.

He mentioned although neighbouring countries like Bhutan and Sri Lanka offered easier access of travelers from India, securing travel permits to travel to most Western and European countries remained a challenge.

Such concerns regarding the limited global access of Indian passports was reflected in the latest global passport ranking, which placed India at position eighty-five out of nearly two hundred nations, a decline of five positions compared to the previous year.

Officials in India have not issued a statement regarding these findings yet.

Countries 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.

In fact, the country's position over the last ten years has remained in the 80s, falling to the 90th spot in 2021. These rankings appear poor when measured against other Asian countries like Japan, South Korea and Singapore, which have consistently held leading ranks.

What Passport Strength Measures

Passport strength indicates a country's global influence and global influence. This leads to enhanced travel freedom for its citizens, boosting business and learning opportunities. Limited passport power means more paperwork, increased visa expenses, reduced travel benefits and extended processing periods for travel.

However, even with the decline in the rank, the count of nations offering visa-free access for Indian citizens has actually increased over the last ten years.

For example, eight years ago – when Prime Minister Narendra Modi's ruling party assumed office – 52 countries offered visa-free travel for Indian passport holders and its passport ranked 76th on the index.

The following year, it tumbled to the 85th position, then rose to 80th over the past two years, declining once more to the 85th position this year. At the same time, 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 visa-free destinations this year (fifty-seven) is higher than what it was eight years ago (fifty-two), but India's rank for both these years is 85. So, why is that?

Analysts note that a primary factor is the increasingly competitive landscape in global mobility – meaning nations are forming additional travel agreements to benefit their citizens and economic growth. According to a 2025 report, the worldwide mean number of destinations travellers are able to access visa-free has almost doubled from 58 in 2006 to 109 in 2025.

As an illustration, China has expanded its count of visa-free destinations available to its citizens from fifty to eighty-two in the past decade. Consequently, its rank on the index has improved from ninety-fourth to sixtieth during the same time period.

In comparison, The Indian passport – previously positioned 77th on the index in July – dropped to the 85th position in October following the loss to two countries.

Additional Factors Affecting Passport Strength

An ex-diplomat from India says there are other factors that affect a nation's passport power, like economic and political conditions plus its receptiveness to welcoming citizens from abroad.

For example, the American passport has dropped out of the top 10 and now occupies twelfth place – a historic low – because of its increasingly insular stance in world politics.

The diplomat mentioned that during the seventies, Indians enjoyed visa-free travel to numerous European and Western nations, though this shifted after the Khalistan movement in the 1980s. Later political disturbances have continued to damage at India's image as a stable democracy.

"Many countries are growing more cautious of immigrants," he stated. "India has a high number of citizens emigrating overseas or remaining beyond visa limits affecting the country's reputation."

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

Enhanced Security Measures

India's passport faces ongoing security threats. In 2024, law enforcement detained over two hundred individuals for suspected passport and visa irregularities. The country also has complex immigration processes with lengthy timelines of visa processing.

The diplomat indicated that new technologies, like India's recently-launched electronic passport or e-passport, may enhance safety and streamline immigration. The e-passport contains a microchip that stores biometric data, increasing difficulty to forge or tamper with the passport.

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