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In recent months, an online clip from an Indian travel influencer expressing frustration over the limited power of the Indian passport gained massive traction on social media.

The influencer stated although nearby nations like Sri Lanka and Bhutan offered easier access of travelers from India, obtaining visas for visiting many nations in Europe and the West remained a challenge.

This dissatisfaction with India's poor passport strength found confirmation in recent global passport ranking, which placed India at position eighty-five out of 199 countries, a decline of five positions than last year.

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

Countries like Rwanda, Ghana and Azerbaijan despite smaller economic size than India – a nation that is the world's fifth biggest economy – hold better positions on the index in the seventies range, respectively.

In fact, India's rank in the past decade has hovered in the 80s, falling to ninetieth place two years ago. These rankings are dismal when measured against other Asian countries like Singapore, Japan and South Korea, which have consistently held leading ranks.

What Passport Strength Indicates

The power of a passport indicates a nation's soft power and international standing. This leads to enhanced travel freedom for passport holders, improving commercial and educational prospects. Limited passport power means more paperwork, increased visa expenses, fewer travel privileges and longer waiting times when journeying.

However, even with the drop in position, the number of countries offering visa-free access for Indian citizens has actually increased over the last ten years.

As an instance, in 2014 – when the current administration's ruling party assumed office – fifty-two nations offered visa-free access for Indian passport holders and its passport ranked 76th in the ranking.

The following year, it fell to the 85th position, then improved to eightieth over the past two years, declining once more to the eighty-fifth spot this year. At the same time, visa-free destinations for Indians increased from fifty-two eight years ago to 60 in 2023 and sixty-two this year.

Increasing Worldwide Travel Competition

The number of nations allowing visa-free entry in 2025 (fifty-seven) exceeds the number eight years ago (52), yet India's rank for both these years is 85. What explains this situation?

Experts say that a primary factor involves growing competition in global mobility – meaning countries are forming more travel partnerships for their populations' advantage and their economies. According to a 2025 report, the global average count of countries travellers are able to access without visas has nearly doubled from fifty-eight nineteen years ago to one hundred nine currently.

As an illustration, China has expanded its count of visa-free destinations available to its citizens from fifty to eighty-two over the last ten years. As a result, its position on the index has enhanced from ninety-fourth to sixtieth in that same duration.

Meanwhile, The Indian passport – previously positioned 77th on the index in July – dropped to eighty-fifth place this autumn following the loss of two nations.

Additional Factors Impacting Passport Power

An ex-diplomat from India notes there are other factors that affect the strength of a country's passport, including economic and political conditions plus its receptiveness to accepting travelers from abroad.

For example, the US passport has dropped out of the top 10 currently holding twelfth place – a historic low – because of its increasingly insular stance in world politics.

The former ambassador recalls how in the 1970s, Indians enjoyed visa-free travel to many Western and European countries, but that changed after the Sikh separatist movement during the eighties. Later political disturbances have further chipped away the country's reputation as a stable, democratic country.

"Many countries are growing more cautious of immigrants," he stated. "India has a large quantity of citizens emigrating overseas or overstaying their visas and that interferes with the country's reputation."

Factors like the security level of a national passport and immigration processes also play a role in gaining visa-free access to foreign nations.

Enhanced Security Measures

The Indian passport faces ongoing security risks. Last year, authorities arrested over two hundred individuals for alleged visa and passport fraud. India is also known for cumbersome immigration procedures and a slow pace of visa processing.

The former ambassador indicated that new technologies, such as the newly introduced digital passport or e-passport, can improve security and streamline immigration. This electronic document contains a small chip holding biometric data, increasing difficulty to forge or tamper with the passport.

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