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

He mentioned that while nearby nations such as Sri Lanka and Bhutan were more welcoming to Indian tourists, obtaining visas for visiting most Western and European countries continued to be difficult.

This dissatisfaction regarding the limited global access of Indian passports found confirmation in the latest global passport ranking, which placed India at position eighty-five out of 199 countries, five spots lower compared to the previous year.

Officials in India have not issued a statement regarding these findings yet.

Countries like Rwanda, Ghana and Azerbaijan despite smaller economic size than India – a nation that is the world's fifth biggest economy – are ranked higher on the index at the 78th, 74th and 72nd spots, in that order.

Actually, India's rank over the last ten years has hovered around the eighties, falling to the 90th spot two years ago. These rankings are dismal when measured against other Asian countries such as Japan, South Korea and Singapore, all maintaining top positions.

What Passport Strength Indicates

The power of a passport reflects a nation's soft power and international standing. It also translates into better mobility for passport holders, boosting business and learning opportunities. Limited passport power 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 providing visa-free travel to Indians has grown over the last ten years.

As an instance, in 2014 – when Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) assumed office – 52 countries provided visa-free access for Indian passport holders and its passport ranked 76th in the ranking.

The following year, it tumbled to the 85th position, then rose to 80th over the past two years, declining once more to the eighty-fifth spot this year. Meanwhile, visa-free destinations for Indians increased from fifty-two eight years ago to 60 in 2023 and 62 in 2024.

The Competitive Global Mobility Landscape

The number of nations allowing visa-free entry this year (fifty-seven) exceeds what it was eight years ago (52), yet the country's position for both these years is 85. What explains this situation?

Analysts note that a primary factor is the increasingly competitive landscape in global mobility – indicating that countries are forming more travel partnerships to benefit their citizens and economic growth. As per a 2025 report, the worldwide mean number of destinations people can visit visa-free has almost doubled from 58 in 2006 to one hundred nine currently.

For example, The Chinese passport has increased the number of visa-free countries its citizens can travel to from fifty to eighty-two over the last ten years. Consequently, its position in the ranking has improved from 94th to 60th during the same time period.

Meanwhile, India – which was ranked at seventy-seventh place during summer – dropped to eighty-fifth place in October following the loss to two countries.

Other Influences Affecting Passport Strength

A former Indian ambassador notes multiple elements influencing a nation's passport power, like its economic and political stability as well as its receptiveness to accepting travelers from abroad.

For example, the US passport has dropped out from the top ten currently holding the 12th position – a historic low – due to its increasingly insular stance in global affairs.

The former ambassador recalls how in the 1970s, Indians enjoyed visa-free access to many Western and European countries, though this shifted after the Sikh separatist movement in the 1980s. Later political disturbances have continued to damage the country's reputation as a stable democracy.

"Numerous nations are also becoming increasingly wary of immigrants," he stated. "India has a large quantity of citizens emigrating overseas or remaining beyond visa limits affecting the country's reputation."

Factors like the security level a country's passport is and its immigration procedures also contribute in gaining visa-free entry to other countries.

Enhanced Security Measures

India's passport remains vulnerable to security risks. Last year, authorities detained 203 people for alleged passport and visa irregularities. India is also known for complex immigration processes and a slow pace for visa approvals.

The former ambassador says that technological advances, like India's recently-launched digital passport or e-passport, can improve security and streamline immigration. The e-passport contains a small chip that stores biometric information, increasing difficulty to counterfeit or alter the passport.

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