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

The influencer stated although neighbouring countries like Sri Lanka and Bhutan offered easier access to Indian tourists, securing travel permits for visiting most Western and European countries remained a challenge.

Such concerns with India's poor passport strength found confirmation in the latest global passport ranking, ranking the country in the 85th spot among nearly two hundred nations, five spots lower than last year.

Officials in India have not issued a statement on the report so far.

Nations including Rwanda, Ghana and Azerbaijan despite smaller economic size compared to India – a nation that is the world's fifth biggest economy – are ranked higher on the index in the seventies range, in that order.

Actually, India's rank over the last ten years has remained in the 80s, falling to the 90th spot in 2021. Such standings appear poor compared to Asian nations such as Singapore, Japan and South Korea, which have consistently held top positions.

Global Passport Power Measures

The power of a passport reflects a country's global influence and international standing. This leads to better mobility for passport holders, improving commercial and educational prospects. Limited passport power results in more paperwork, increased visa expenses, reduced travel benefits and longer waiting times for travel.

However, even with the drop in position, the count of nations providing visa-free travel for Indian citizens has actually increased in the past decade or so.

For example, eight years ago – the year Prime Minister Narendra Modi's ruling party assumed office – fifty-two nations offered visa-free travel to Indians with the passport ranked 76th on the index.

A year later, it fell to eighty-fifth place, then rose to 80th 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 increased from 52 in 2015 to sixty last year and 62 in 2024.

The Competitive Global Mobility Landscape

The count of nations allowing visa-free entry in 2025 (57) is higher than the number in 2015 (52), yet India's rank for both these years is 85. So, why is that?

Experts say that a primary factor involves growing competition in international travel – meaning countries are forming additional travel agreements to benefit their citizens and economic growth. According to a 2025 report, the worldwide mean count of countries travellers are able to access without visas has almost doubled from fifty-eight nineteen years ago to 109 in 2025.

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 during the same time period.

Meanwhile, India – previously positioned at seventy-seventh place during summer – fell to eighty-fifth place this autumn following the loss of two nations.

Additional Factors Affecting Passport Strength

A former Indian ambassador says there are other factors that affect a nation's passport power, like economic and political conditions as well as its receptiveness to welcoming citizens from other countries.

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

The former ambassador mentioned how in the 1970s, Indian citizens had visa-free travel to numerous European and Western nations, but that changed after the Khalistan movement in the 1980s. Later political disturbances have further chipped away the country's reputation as a stable, democratic country.

"Numerous nations are also becoming increasingly wary regarding migrants," he stated. "India has a high number of people migrating to other countries or remaining beyond visa limits and that interferes with the country's reputation."

Factors like the security level of a national passport 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, law enforcement arrested 203 people for alleged passport and visa irregularities. India is also known for cumbersome immigration procedures with lengthy timelines for visa approvals.

The former ambassador indicated that technological advances, like India's recently-launched electronic passport or e-passport, can improve security and streamline immigration. The e-passport includes a microchip holding biometric information, making it harder to counterfeit or alter the document.

But, more diplomatic outreach and travel agreements continue essential to boosting international travel freedom of Indians and, by extension, the Indian passport's global position.