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Earlier this year, a video by a popular travel content creator expressing frustration over India's weak passport gained massive traction across digital platforms.

He mentioned although nearby nations like Bhutan and Sri Lanka offered easier access of travelers from India, obtaining visas to travel to many nations in Europe and the West continued to be difficult.

Such concerns with India's poor passport strength found confirmation in recent Henley Passport Index, ranking India in the 85th spot out of nearly two hundred nations, a decline of five positions than last year.

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

Nations 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 in the seventies range, respectively.

In fact, India's rank over the last ten years has hovered around the eighties, falling to the 90th spot two years ago. These rankings are dismal compared to Asian nations like Singapore, Japan and South Korea, which have consistently held top positions.

Global Passport Power Indicates

Passport strength indicates a country's global influence and international standing. This leads to better mobility for passport holders, improving commercial and learning opportunities. A weak passport results in additional documentation, higher visa costs, reduced travel benefits and extended processing periods 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.

As an instance, eight years ago – when the current administration's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) assumed office – 52 countries provided visa-free travel to Indians with the passport at seventy-sixth position in the ranking.

A year later, it tumbled to the 85th position, then rose to 80th in 2023 and 2024, declining once more to the 85th position this year. Meanwhile, countries allowing visa-free travel for Indians grew from 52 in 2015 to 60 in 2023 and 62 in 2024.

The Competitive Global Mobility Landscape

The number of nations allowing visa-free entry this year (57) exceeds what it was eight years ago (52), 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 international travel – meaning countries are entering into additional travel agreements to benefit their citizens and economic growth. According to a 2025 report, the worldwide mean number of destinations people can visit visa-free has nearly doubled from 58 in 2006 to one hundred nine currently.

For example, The Chinese passport has expanded its count of visa-free countries available to its citizens from 50 to 82 over the last ten years. Consequently, its position in the ranking has enhanced from ninety-fourth to sixtieth in that same duration.

Meanwhile, India – previously positioned at seventy-seventh place during summer – dropped to eighty-fifth place in October following the loss to two countries.

Other Influences Impacting Passport Power

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

For example, the US passport has fallen of the top 10 currently holding twelfth place – its lowest ever – due to its more inward-looking approach in global affairs.

The former ambassador mentioned how in the 1970s, Indian citizens had visa-free access 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 democracy.

"Numerous nations are growing more cautious of immigrants," he stated. "India has a large quantity of people migrating to other countries or overstaying their visas and that interferes with the national image."

Elements such as how secure a country's passport is and immigration processes also contribute in gaining visa-free entry to other countries.

Security and Technological Improvements

The Indian passport remains vulnerable to security risks. Last year, authorities detained 203 people for alleged visa and passport fraud. India is also known for cumbersome immigration procedures with lengthy timelines of visa processing.

The diplomat says that technological advances, like India's recently-launched electronic passport or e-passport, may enhance safety and ease the immigration process. The e-passport contains a microchip that stores biometric information, making it harder to forge or tamper with the passport.

But, more diplomatic outreach and travel partnerships remain key to boosting the global mobility for Indian citizens and, by extension, India's passport ranking.