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Earlier this year, an online clip from a popular travel content creator expressing frustration over India's weak passport went viral on social media.

He mentioned although nearby nations such as Sri Lanka and Bhutan were more welcoming of Indian tourists, obtaining visas to travel to most Western and European countries remained a challenge.

This dissatisfaction regarding the limited global access of Indian passports was reflected in the latest global passport ranking, which placed the country at position eighty-five out of 199 countries, five spots lower than last year.

Officials in India has not commented regarding these findings yet.

Countries 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, respectively.

In fact, the country's position in the past decade has remained in the 80s, even dipping to the 90th spot two years ago. These rankings appear poor when measured against Asian nations such as Singapore, Japan and South Korea, which have consistently held leading ranks.

Global Passport Power Measures

Passport strength reflects a country's global influence and international standing. This leads to enhanced travel freedom for its citizens, boosting business and educational prospects. Limited passport power results in more paperwork, increased visa expenses, 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.

For example, in 2014 – when the current administration's ruling party came to power – fifty-two nations provided visa-free access for Indian passport holders with the passport at seventy-sixth position on the index.

The following year, it fell to eighty-fifth place, then rose to 80th over the past two years, declining once more to the eighty-fifth spot this year. Meanwhile, countries allowing visa-free travel to Indian citizens 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 (57) exceeds the number eight years ago (52), yet the country's position for both these years remains at eighty-fifth. So, why is that?

Analysts note that a major reason involves growing competition in global mobility – meaning countries are forming more travel partnerships to benefit their citizens and their economies. According to a 2025 report, the global average number of destinations people can visit visa-free has nearly doubled from fifty-eight nineteen years ago to 109 in 2025.

As an illustration, China has expanded its count of visa-free destinations its citizens can travel to from fifty to eighty-two in the past decade. Consequently, its rank on the index has improved from 94th to 60th during the same time period.

In comparison, The Indian passport – previously positioned 77th on the index in July – fell to the 85th position this autumn following the loss of two nations.

Other Influences Affecting Passport Strength

An ex-diplomat from India notes there are other factors that affect a nation's passport power, like its economic and political stability as well as its openness to accepting travelers from other countries.

For instance, the American passport has fallen of the top 10 and now occupies twelfth place – a historic low – due to its increasingly insular stance in world politics.

The diplomat mentioned how in the 1970s, Indian citizens had visa-free travel to numerous European and Western nations, but that changed following Khalistan movement in the 1980s. Later political disturbances have continued to damage at India's image as a stable democracy.

"Numerous nations are also becoming more cautious of immigrants," the diplomat added. "India has a high number of citizens emigrating overseas or overstaying their visas and that interferes with 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 other countries.

Security and Technological Improvements

India's passport faces ongoing security risks. In 2024, law enforcement arrested over two hundred individuals for alleged passport and visa irregularities. The country also has cumbersome immigration procedures with lengthy timelines of visa processing.

The diplomat indicated that new technologies, such as the newly introduced digital passport or e-passport, can improve security and ease the immigration process. The e-passport includes a small chip holding biometric information, increasing difficulty to forge or tamper with the passport.

But, more diplomatic outreach and travel agreements continue essential for enhancing the global mobility of Indians and, by extension, the Indian passport's global position.