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In recent months, an online clip by an Indian travel influencer expressing frustration over India's weak passport gained massive traction on social media.

The influencer stated that while neighbouring countries like Bhutan and Sri Lanka were more welcoming to Indian tourists, securing travel permits for visiting most Western and European countries remained a challenge.

This dissatisfaction with the limited global access of Indian passports found confirmation in recent global passport ranking, which placed India at position eighty-five among 199 countries, five spots lower compared to the previous year.

Officials in India has not commented on the report so far.

Countries including Ghana, Rwanda and Azerbaijan despite smaller economic size than India – a nation that is the fifth-largest economy globally – are ranked higher in the ranking at the 78th, 74th and 72nd spots, in that order.

Actually, the country's position over the last ten years has remained around the eighties, even dipping to ninetieth place two years ago. Such standings are dismal compared to Asian nations like Singapore, Japan and South Korea, which have consistently held top positions.

What Passport Strength Measures

Passport strength reflects a country's global influence and international standing. This leads to better mobility for its citizens, boosting business and educational prospects. A weak passport means additional documentation, increased visa expenses, reduced travel benefits and longer waiting times for travel.

But despite the decline in the rank, the count of nations offering visa-free access for Indian citizens has actually increased in the past decade or so.

For example, in 2014 – the year the current administration's ruling party came to power – fifty-two nations provided visa-free access for Indian passport holders with the passport ranked 76th on the index.

A year later, it tumbled to the 85th position, then rose 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 grew from 52 in 2015 to 60 in 2023 and 62 in 2024.

The Competitive Global Mobility Landscape

The count of nations allowing visa-free entry in 2025 (57) exceeds what it was eight years ago (fifty-two), but India's rank for both these years remains at eighty-fifth. What explains this situation?

Experts say that a major reason is the increasingly competitive landscape in international travel – indicating that countries are forming additional travel agreements to benefit their citizens and their economies. As per recent analysis, the worldwide mean count of countries travellers are able to access visa-free has nearly doubled from fifty-eight nineteen years ago to 109 in 2025.

For example, China has increased the number of visa-free countries available to its citizens from 50 to 82 in the past decade. As a result, its position in the ranking has enhanced from 94th to 60th during the same time period.

In comparison, The Indian passport – which was ranked 77th on the index in July – dropped to eighty-fifth place in October after losing access to two countries.

Additional Factors Impacting Passport Power

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

For instance, the US passport has fallen from the top ten and now occupies twelfth place – its lowest ever – because of its more inward-looking approach in world politics.

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

"Numerous nations are also becoming more cautious of immigrants," the diplomat added. "India has a large quantity of people migrating overseas or overstaying their visas affecting the country's reputation."

Elements like how secure of a national passport and its immigration procedures also play a role to obtaining visa-free entry to foreign nations.

Security and Technological Improvements

India's passport remains vulnerable to security risks. Last year, authorities detained 203 people for alleged visa and passport fraud. India is also known for complex immigration processes and a slow pace for visa approvals.

The former ambassador indicated that new technologies, such as the newly introduced electronic passport or e-passport, can improve security and ease the immigration process. This electronic document contains a small chip that stores biometric data, increasing difficulty to counterfeit or alter the passport.

But, increased diplomatic efforts and travel agreements remain key to boosting international travel freedom for Indian citizens and, by extension, the Indian passport's global position.