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Earlier this year, a video by an Indian travel influencer complaining about India's weak passport went viral on social media.

The influencer stated that while nearby nations such as Bhutan and Sri Lanka were more welcoming of travelers from India, securing travel permits for visiting many nations in Europe and the West remained a challenge.

This dissatisfaction regarding the limited global access of Indian passports was reflected in the latest Henley Passport Index, which placed the country in the 85th spot among nearly two hundred nations, a decline of five positions than last year.

The Indian government has not commented on the report so far.

Countries including Ghana, Rwanda and Azerbaijan with much smaller economies compared to India – which is the fifth-largest economy globally – are ranked higher on the index in the seventies range, respectively.

Actually, the country's position over the last ten years has hovered around the eighties, even dipping to the 90th spot in 2021. These rankings appear poor when measured against Asian nations like Japan, South Korea and Singapore, all maintaining top positions.

Global Passport Power Measures

Passport strength indicates a nation's soft power and global influence. This leads to enhanced travel freedom for its citizens, boosting business and educational prospects. A weak passport means more paperwork, higher visa costs, reduced travel benefits and extended processing periods for travel.

But despite the decline in the rank, the count of nations offering visa-free access for Indian citizens has actually increased in the past decade or so.

For example, in 2014 – when Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) came to power – 52 countries offered visa-free travel for Indian passport holders and its passport at seventy-sixth position on the index.

A year later, it fell to eighty-fifth place, then rose to eightieth over the past two years, dropping again to the 85th position this year. Meanwhile, visa-free destinations to Indian citizens grew from fifty-two eight years ago to sixty last year and 62 in 2024.

The Competitive Global Mobility Landscape

The number of visa-free destinations in 2025 (57) exceeds the number in 2015 (fifty-two), but India's rank during both periods remains at eighty-fifth. So, why is that?

Experts say that a primary factor involves growing competition in international travel – meaning nations are forming additional travel agreements to benefit their citizens and economic growth. As per a 2025 report, the worldwide mean count of countries travellers are able to access visa-free has nearly doubled from fifty-eight nineteen years ago to 109 in 2025.

As an illustration, China has expanded the number of visa-free countries its citizens can travel to from 50 to 82 over the last ten years. As a result, its position on the index has enhanced from ninety-fourth to sixtieth during the same time period.

Meanwhile, India – previously positioned 77th on the index during summer – dropped to eighty-fifth place this autumn after losing access to two countries.

Additional Factors Impacting Passport Power

A former Indian ambassador notes there are other factors influencing a nation's passport power, like economic and political conditions as well as its openness to welcoming citizens from other countries.

For instance, the US passport has dropped out from the top ten currently holding the 12th position – its lowest ever – because of its increasingly insular stance in world politics.

The former ambassador mentioned that during the seventies, Indian citizens had visa-free access to many Western and European countries, though this shifted after the Khalistan movement in the 1980s. Later political disturbances have further chipped away the country's reputation as a stable, democratic country.

"Numerous nations are growing increasingly wary regarding migrants," he stated. "India has a high number of citizens emigrating overseas or remaining beyond visa limits affecting the country's reputation."

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

Enhanced Security Measures

India's passport faces ongoing security threats. In 2024, law enforcement detained 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, such as the newly introduced digital passport or e-passport, may enhance safety and ease the immigration process. This electronic document contains a small chip that stores biometric data, increasing difficulty to forge or tamper with the document.

However, increased diplomatic efforts and travel partnerships remain key to boosting international travel freedom for Indian citizens and consequently, India's passport ranking.