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In recent months, a video by a popular travel content creator expressing frustration over India's weak passport gained massive traction across digital platforms.

The influencer stated although nearby nations such as Bhutan and Sri Lanka were more welcoming of Indian tourists, obtaining visas for visiting many nations in Europe and the West remained a challenge.

Such concerns with India's poor passport strength found confirmation in recent global passport ranking, ranking India in the 85th spot among 199 countries, five spots lower compared to the previous year.

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

Nations including Ghana, Rwanda and Azerbaijan with much smaller economies than India – a nation that is the world's fifth biggest economy – are ranked higher in the ranking at the 78th, 74th and 72nd spots, respectively.

Actually, India's rank in the past decade has hovered in the 80s, even dipping to the 90th spot in 2021. These rankings are dismal compared to 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. It also translates into better mobility for passport holders, boosting business and learning opportunities. Limited passport power means additional documentation, higher visa costs, reduced travel benefits and extended processing periods for travel.

However, even with the decline in the rank, the count of nations offering visa-free access to Indians has actually increased over the last ten years.

As an instance, in 2014 – when Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) assumed office – fifty-two nations offered visa-free travel to Indians with the passport ranked 76th on the index.

A year later, it tumbled to eighty-fifth place, then rose to 80th over the past two years, dropping again to the eighty-fifth spot currently. At the same time, visa-free destinations for Indians grew from fifty-two eight years ago to sixty last year and 62 in 2024.

The Competitive Global Mobility Landscape

The count of visa-free destinations in 2025 (fifty-seven) exceeds what it was in 2015 (52), yet India's rank for both these years is 85. What explains this situation?

Analysts note that a major reason is the increasingly competitive landscape in international travel – indicating that nations are entering into more travel partnerships for their populations' advantage and their economies. As per recent analysis, the worldwide mean count of countries travellers are able to access visa-free has almost doubled from fifty-eight nineteen years ago to 109 in 2025.

For example, China has expanded its count of visa-free countries its citizens can travel to from fifty to eighty-two over the last ten years. Consequently, its rank in the ranking has improved from 94th to 60th during the same time period.

Meanwhile, India – previously positioned 77th on the index during summer – fell to eighty-fifth place in October following the loss to two countries.

Other Influences Affecting Passport Strength

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

For example, the American passport has fallen from the top ten and now occupies the 12th position – its lowest ever – due to its more inward-looking approach in world politics.

The diplomat recalls how in the 1970s, Indians enjoyed visa-free travel to numerous European and Western nations, but that changed after the Sikh separatist movement in the 1980s. Subsequent political upheavals have further chipped away at India's image as a stable democracy.

"Many countries are also becoming increasingly wary regarding migrants," he stated. "The country possesses a large quantity of people migrating overseas or overstaying their visas affecting the country's reputation."

Factors such as the security level a country's passport is and its immigration procedures also play a role in gaining visa-free entry to foreign nations.

Security and Technological Improvements

India's passport remains vulnerable to security risks. Last year, authorities arrested 203 people for alleged visa and passport fraud. The country also has cumbersome immigration procedures and a slow pace of visa processing.

The former ambassador says that technological advances, such as the newly introduced electronic passport or e-passport, can improve security and streamline immigration. This electronic document contains a small chip holding biometric data, making it harder to counterfeit or alter the document.

However, more diplomatic outreach and travel agreements continue essential to boosting the global mobility of Indians and consequently, the Indian passport's global position.