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Earlier this year, an online clip from an Indian travel influencer complaining about the limited power of the Indian passport gained massive traction across digital platforms.

He mentioned although nearby nations like Bhutan and Sri Lanka were more welcoming to Indian tourists, obtaining visas for visiting most Western and European countries continued to be difficult.

Such concerns regarding India's poor passport strength was reflected in recent Henley Passport Index, which placed India at position eighty-five among 199 countries, a decline of five positions than last year.

The Indian government have not issued a statement on the report yet.

Countries like Ghana, Rwanda and Azerbaijan with much smaller economies compared to India – which is the world's fifth biggest economy – are ranked higher in the ranking in the seventies range, in that order.

In fact, the country's position over the last ten years has remained around the eighties, even dipping to ninetieth place in 2021. These rankings appear poor when measured against Asian nations such as Singapore, Japan and South Korea, all maintaining leading ranks.

Global Passport Power Indicates

Passport strength reflects a nation's soft power and international standing. It also translates into enhanced travel freedom for passport holders, boosting business and educational prospects. A weak passport 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 offering visa-free access to Indians has actually increased in the past decade or so.

For example, in 2014 – when Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) assumed office – 52 countries offered visa-free travel to Indians with the passport at seventy-sixth position on the index.

The following year, it fell to eighty-fifth place, then rose to eightieth in 2023 and 2024, dropping again to the eighty-fifth spot this year. At the same time, countries allowing visa-free travel to Indian citizens grew from fifty-two eight years ago to 60 in 2023 and sixty-two this year.

The Competitive Global Mobility Landscape

The count of visa-free destinations this year (fifty-seven) is higher than what it was in 2015 (fifty-two), but the country's position during both periods remains at eighty-fifth. So, why is that?

Experts say that a primary factor involves growing competition in global mobility – indicating that nations are forming more travel partnerships to benefit their citizens and their economies. As per a 2025 report, the global average count of countries people can visit visa-free has nearly doubled from 58 in 2006 to one hundred nine currently.

As an illustration, The Chinese passport has increased its count of visa-free countries its citizens can travel to from 50 to 82 in the past decade. As a result, its rank on the index has improved from ninety-fourth to sixtieth in that same duration.

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

Additional Factors Affecting Passport Strength

A former Indian ambassador notes there are other factors influencing the strength of a country's passport, including economic and political conditions plus its receptiveness to welcoming citizens from other countries.

For example, the US passport has dropped out of the top 10 and now occupies the 12th position – its lowest ever – because of its increasingly insular stance in global affairs.

The former ambassador mentioned how in the 1970s, Indians enjoyed visa-free travel to many Western and European countries, though this shifted following Sikh separatist movement during the eighties. Later political disturbances have further chipped away at India's image as a stable, democratic country.

"Numerous nations are growing increasingly wary of immigrants," the diplomat added. "The country possesses a large quantity of citizens emigrating overseas or overstaying their visas and that interferes with the country's reputation."

Factors like the security level a country's passport is and its immigration procedures also contribute to obtaining visa-free entry to foreign nations.

Enhanced Security Measures

India's passport remains vulnerable to security threats. In 2024, authorities detained 203 people for alleged passport and visa irregularities. India is also known for cumbersome immigration procedures and a slow pace of visa processing.

The diplomat indicated that technological advances, such as the newly introduced digital passport or e-passport, may enhance safety and streamline immigration. This electronic document includes a microchip that stores biometric information, increasing difficulty to forge or tamper with the document.

However, increased diplomatic efforts and travel partnerships remain key for enhancing international travel freedom for Indian citizens and, by extension, India's passport ranking.