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In recent months, an online clip from a popular travel content creator complaining about India's weak passport went viral across digital platforms.

The influencer stated that while nearby nations such as Bhutan and Sri Lanka were more welcoming to 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 found confirmation in the latest global passport ranking, ranking India at position eighty-five out of nearly two hundred nations, five spots lower than last year.

Officials in India has not commented on the report yet.

Countries like Ghana, Rwanda and Azerbaijan with much smaller economies than India – a nation that is the fifth-largest economy globally – hold better positions on the index at the 78th, 74th and 72nd spots, respectively.

In fact, India's rank over the last ten years has remained around the eighties, even dipping to the 90th spot in 2021. These rankings appear poor when measured against Asian nations such as Japan, South Korea and Singapore, which have consistently held top positions.

What Passport Strength Measures

The power of a passport indicates a country's global influence and global influence. This leads to better mobility for its citizens, improving commercial and learning opportunities. Limited passport power means more paperwork, higher visa costs, reduced travel benefits and longer waiting times for travel.

However, even with the decline in the rank, the number of countries offering visa-free access to Indians has grown in the past decade or so.

For example, in 2014 – when Prime Minister Narendra Modi's ruling party came to power – fifty-two nations provided visa-free access to Indians with the passport ranked 76th on the index.

A year later, it fell to the 85th position, then rose to eightieth over the past two years, dropping again to the eighty-fifth spot currently. At the same time, visa-free destinations to Indian citizens grew from 52 in 2015 to 60 in 2023 and 62 in 2024.

Increasing Worldwide Travel Competition

The count of nations allowing visa-free entry in 2025 (fifty-seven) exceeds what it was in 2015 (fifty-two), but India's rank for both these years is 85. So, why is that?

Experts say that a primary factor is the increasingly competitive landscape in international travel – meaning nations are forming additional travel agreements to benefit their citizens and their economies. As per a 2025 report, the global average number of destinations people can visit without visas has almost doubled from fifty-eight nineteen years ago to one hundred nine currently.

As an illustration, The Chinese passport has increased its count of visa-free destinations available to its citizens from 50 to 82 over the last ten years. As a result, its rank on the index has improved from 94th to 60th during the same time period.

In comparison, India – which was ranked 77th on the index in July – dropped to eighty-fifth place in October after losing access of two nations.

Other Influences Affecting Passport Strength

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 welcoming citizens from other countries.

For example, the American passport has dropped out of the top 10 and now occupies twelfth place – its lowest ever – because of its increasingly insular stance in world politics.

The former ambassador mentioned how in the 1970s, Indian citizens had visa-free travel to numerous European and Western nations, though this shifted following Sikh separatist movement in the 1980s. Later political disturbances have further chipped away the country's reputation as a stable democracy.

"Numerous nations are also becoming more cautious regarding migrants," he stated. "The country possesses a high number of citizens emigrating overseas or remaining beyond visa limits and that interferes with the national image."

Elements such as how secure of a national passport and its immigration procedures also play a role in gaining visa-free access to other countries.

Security and Technological Improvements

The Indian passport faces ongoing security risks. Last year, authorities arrested over two hundred individuals for suspected passport and visa irregularities. India is also known for complex immigration processes and a slow pace of visa processing.

The diplomat indicated that technological advances, like India's recently-launched electronic passport or e-passport, can improve security and ease the immigration process. This electronic document includes a small chip holding biometric information, making it harder to counterfeit or alter the passport.

But, increased diplomatic efforts and travel agreements continue essential for enhancing the global mobility for Indian citizens and, by extension, India's passport ranking.