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Earlier this year, an online clip by a popular travel content creator complaining about the limited power of the Indian passport gained massive traction on social media.

He mentioned although neighbouring countries such as Sri Lanka and Bhutan were more welcoming to Indian tourists, securing travel permits to travel to most Western and European countries remained a challenge.

This dissatisfaction with the limited global access of Indian passports was reflected in the latest global passport ranking, ranking the country in the 85th spot out of nearly two hundred nations, five spots lower than last year.

The Indian government have not issued a statement regarding these findings yet.

Nations including Ghana, Rwanda and Azerbaijan despite smaller economic size compared to India – a nation that is the fifth-largest economy globally – are ranked higher on the index at the 78th, 74th and 72nd spots, respectively.

In fact, the country's position over the last ten years has hovered in the 80s, even dipping to ninetieth place two years ago. These rankings appear poor when measured against other Asian countries such as Singapore, Japan and South Korea, all maintaining top positions.

What Passport Strength Indicates

The power of a passport reflects a country's global influence and global influence. This leads to better mobility for its citizens, improving commercial and learning opportunities. A weak passport means additional documentation, higher visa costs, fewer travel privileges and longer waiting times for travel.

But despite the decline in the rank, the number of countries providing visa-free travel for Indian citizens has grown in the past decade or so.

As an instance, eight years ago – the year the current administration's ruling party came to power – fifty-two nations provided visa-free access to Indians and its passport at seventy-sixth position in the ranking.

The following year, it tumbled to eighty-fifth place, then rose to 80th in 2023 and 2024, dropping again to the 85th position currently. Meanwhile, countries allowing visa-free travel for Indians increased from fifty-two eight years ago to sixty last year and 62 in 2024.

The Competitive Global Mobility Landscape

The count of nations allowing visa-free entry in 2025 (fifty-seven) exceeds what it was eight years ago (fifty-two), yet the country's position during both periods remains at eighty-fifth. So, why is that?

Experts say that a major reason involves growing competition in international travel – meaning nations are entering into additional travel agreements for their populations' advantage and their economies. As per a 2025 report, the global average count of countries people can visit without visas has nearly doubled from 58 in 2006 to one hundred nine currently.

As an illustration, The Chinese passport has expanded the number of visa-free destinations available to its citizens from 50 to 82 over the last ten years. As a result, its rank in the ranking has improved from ninety-fourth to sixtieth during the same time period.

In comparison, The Indian passport – which was ranked 77th on the index during summer – fell to the 85th position in October following the loss to two countries.

Other Influences Impacting Passport Power

A former Indian ambassador says there are other factors that affect the strength of a country's passport, including economic and political conditions plus its openness to welcoming citizens from abroad.

For example, the US passport has fallen from the top ten currently holding twelfth place – its lowest ever – because of its more inward-looking approach in world politics.

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

"Numerous nations are also becoming more cautious of immigrants," the diplomat added. "India has a high number of citizens emigrating to other countries or remaining beyond visa limits affecting the national image."

Elements such as the security level of a national passport and its immigration procedures also contribute in gaining visa-free entry to foreign nations.

Security and Technological Improvements

India's passport remains vulnerable to security threats. In 2024, law enforcement arrested 203 people for alleged visa and passport fraud. The country also has cumbersome immigration procedures with lengthy timelines for visa approvals.

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

However, increased diplomatic efforts and travel partnerships continue essential for enhancing international travel freedom of Indians and, by extension, the Indian passport's global position.