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

He mentioned that while nearby nations such as Sri Lanka and Bhutan were more welcoming of Indian tourists, obtaining visas to travel to many nations in Europe and the West remained a challenge.

Such concerns with the limited global access of Indian passports found confirmation in the latest global passport ranking, which placed the country in the 85th spot among 199 countries, five spots lower than last year.

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

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

In fact, India's rank over the last ten years has remained around the eighties, even dipping to ninetieth place two years ago. Such standings appear poor when measured against other Asian countries such as Singapore, Japan and South Korea, all maintaining leading ranks.

What Passport Strength Indicates

Passport strength indicates a country's global influence and global influence. This leads to enhanced travel freedom for its citizens, improving commercial and educational prospects. A weak passport means more paperwork, higher visa costs, fewer travel privileges and longer waiting times when journeying.

However, even with the drop in position, the number of countries providing visa-free travel to Indians has grown over the last ten years.

For example, eight years ago – the year the current administration's ruling party assumed office – 52 countries provided visa-free travel to Indians and its passport ranked 76th on the index.

The following year, it tumbled to eighty-fifth place, then rose to 80th over the past two years, declining once more to the 85th position this year. At the same time, countries allowing visa-free travel for Indians grew from fifty-two eight years ago to 60 in 2023 and sixty-two this year.

Increasing Worldwide Travel Competition

The count of nations allowing visa-free entry in 2025 (57) is higher than the number eight years ago (52), yet India's rank for both these years remains at eighty-fifth. What explains this situation?

Experts say that a major reason involves growing competition in international travel – indicating that nations are entering into additional travel agreements for their populations' advantage and their economies. As per a 2025 report, the global average number of destinations travellers are able to access without visas has nearly doubled from fifty-eight nineteen years ago to 109 in 2025.

For example, China has increased its count of visa-free destinations available to its citizens from 50 to 82 over the last ten years. Consequently, its rank in the ranking has enhanced from 94th to 60th in that same duration.

Meanwhile, India – previously positioned 77th on the index in July – dropped to the 85th position in October after losing access of two nations.

Additional Factors Affecting Passport Strength

An ex-diplomat from India says multiple elements 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 example, the American passport has dropped out of the top 10 and now occupies twelfth place – its lowest ever – due to its increasingly insular stance in world politics.

The former ambassador mentioned that during the seventies, Indians enjoyed visa-free access to numerous European and Western nations, though this shifted after the Sikh separatist movement during the eighties. Subsequent political upheavals have further chipped away the country's reputation as a stable democracy.

"Numerous nations are growing increasingly wary of immigrants," he stated. "The country possesses a high number of citizens emigrating overseas or overstaying their visas affecting the national image."

Factors like the security level a country's passport is and its immigration procedures also play a role to obtaining visa-free access to other countries.

Security and Technological Improvements

India's passport remains vulnerable to security risks. In 2024, authorities detained 203 people for suspected passport and visa irregularities. The country also has cumbersome immigration procedures with lengthy timelines for visa approvals.

The former ambassador indicated that technological advances, like India's recently-launched digital passport or e-passport, may enhance safety and ease the immigration process. This electronic document contains a microchip that stores biometric information, increasing difficulty to forge or tamper with the passport.

However, more diplomatic outreach and travel agreements remain key to boosting the global mobility for Indian citizens and consequently, the Indian passport's global position.