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In recent months, a video from an Indian travel influencer expressing frustration over the limited power of the Indian passport gained massive traction across digital platforms.

He mentioned that while neighbouring countries like Sri Lanka and Bhutan offered easier access to travelers from India, securing travel permits to travel to many nations in Europe and the West remained a challenge.

Such concerns with India's poor passport strength was reflected in the latest global passport ranking, which placed the country in the 85th spot among nearly two hundred nations, a decline of five positions than last year.

Officials in India has not commented on the report so far.

Countries including Ghana, Rwanda and Azerbaijan with much smaller economies compared to India – which is the world's fifth biggest economy – hold better positions in the ranking at the 78th, 74th and 72nd spots, respectively.

In fact, the country's position over the last ten years has remained in the 80s, falling to the 90th spot two years ago. Such standings are dismal compared to other Asian countries like Japan, South Korea and Singapore, which have consistently held leading ranks.

Global Passport Power Indicates

Passport strength reflects a nation's soft power and global influence. It also translates into better mobility for its citizens, boosting business and learning opportunities. Limited passport power means more paperwork, increased visa expenses, fewer travel privileges and extended processing periods when journeying.

But despite the decline in the rank, the count of nations providing visa-free travel for Indian citizens has actually increased over the last ten years.

For example, in 2014 – the year the current administration's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) came to power – 52 countries provided visa-free access for Indian passport holders with the passport ranked 76th on the index.

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 currently. Meanwhile, visa-free destinations to Indian citizens increased from fifty-two eight years ago to 60 in 2023 and sixty-two this year.

The Competitive Global Mobility Landscape

The number of nations allowing visa-free entry this year (57) is higher than what it was in 2015 (52), but India's rank for both these years remains at eighty-fifth. What explains this situation?

Experts say that a primary factor involves growing competition in international travel – meaning nations are forming more travel partnerships for their populations' advantage and economic growth. As per recent analysis, the worldwide mean number of destinations travellers are able to access without visas has nearly doubled from 58 in 2006 to 109 in 2025.

As an illustration, The Chinese passport has increased its count 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 enhanced from ninety-fourth to sixtieth during the same time period.

In comparison, India – previously positioned 77th on the index during summer – fell to the 85th position this autumn after losing access of two nations.

Additional Factors Impacting Passport Power

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

For instance, the American passport has dropped out of the top 10 currently holding the 12th position – its lowest ever – due to its more inward-looking approach in world politics.

The diplomat mentioned 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 further chipped away the country's reputation as a stable democracy.

"Many countries are also becoming more cautious of immigrants," the diplomat added. "India has a large quantity of people migrating to other countries or overstaying their visas affecting the national image."

Factors such as the security level a country's passport is and immigration processes also contribute in gaining visa-free access to foreign nations.

Security and Technological Improvements

The Indian passport remains vulnerable to security threats. Last year, law enforcement detained over two hundred individuals for suspected passport and visa irregularities. The country also has cumbersome immigration procedures and a slow pace of visa processing.

The diplomat indicated that new technologies, such as the newly introduced digital passport or e-passport, may enhance safety and streamline immigration. This electronic document contains a microchip holding biometric data, increasing difficulty to forge or tamper with the document.

But, increased diplomatic efforts and travel agreements continue essential to boosting the global mobility of Indians and, by extension, India's passport ranking.