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Earlier this year, a video by a popular travel content creator complaining about the limited power of the Indian passport gained massive traction on social media.

The influencer stated that while neighbouring countries like Sri Lanka and Bhutan were more welcoming to travelers from India, securing travel permits for visiting many nations in Europe and the West continued to be difficult.

This dissatisfaction regarding the limited global access of Indian passports was reflected in the latest global passport ranking, ranking India in the 85th spot out of nearly two hundred nations, a decline of five positions than last year.

Officials in India have not issued a statement on the report yet.

Nations including Rwanda, Ghana and Azerbaijan with much smaller economies than India – a nation that is the world's fifth biggest economy – are ranked higher in the ranking at the 78th, 74th and 72nd spots, respectively.

In fact, the country's position over the last ten years has hovered in the 80s, falling to the 90th spot in 2021. Such standings appear poor compared to other Asian countries such as Japan, South Korea and Singapore, all maintaining top positions.

Global Passport Power Indicates

The power of a passport indicates a country's global influence and global influence. This leads to better mobility for passport holders, improving commercial and educational prospects. A weak passport means more paperwork, increased visa expenses, fewer travel privileges and longer waiting times when journeying.

However, even with the drop in position, the number of countries providing visa-free travel for Indian citizens has actually increased over the last ten years.

For example, eight years ago – the year the current administration's ruling party came to power – 52 countries offered visa-free travel for Indian passport holders and its passport ranked 76th in the ranking.

A year later, it tumbled to the 85th position, then rose to eightieth in 2023 and 2024, declining once more to the 85th position this year. At the same time, countries allowing visa-free travel for Indians increased from 52 in 2015 to sixty last year and sixty-two this year.

Increasing Worldwide Travel Competition

The count of visa-free destinations this year (57) is higher than the number in 2015 (fifty-two), yet India's rank for both these years remains at eighty-fifth. What explains this situation?

Analysts note that a primary factor is the increasingly competitive landscape in global mobility – indicating that countries are entering into more travel partnerships for their populations' advantage and economic growth. According to 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 one hundred nine currently.

As an illustration, China has expanded the number of visa-free destinations available to its citizens from 50 to 82 in the past decade. As a result, its rank on the index has improved from 94th to 60th in that same duration.

In comparison, The Indian passport – previously positioned at seventy-seventh place in July – dropped to eighty-fifth place this autumn after losing access of two nations.

Other Influences Affecting Passport Strength

A former Indian ambassador says multiple elements influencing a nation's passport power, like its economic and political stability plus its openness to welcoming citizens from abroad.

For instance, the American passport has dropped out of the top 10 currently holding twelfth place – a historic low – due to its increasingly insular stance in world politics.

The diplomat mentioned that during the seventies, Indians enjoyed visa-free access to many Western and European countries, but that changed following Khalistan movement in the 1980s. Subsequent political upheavals have continued to damage the country's reputation as a stable democracy.

"Many countries are also becoming more cautious regarding migrants," the diplomat added. "The country possesses a large quantity of citizens emigrating to other countries or remaining beyond visa limits affecting the country's reputation."

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

Enhanced Security Measures

The Indian passport remains vulnerable to security risks. Last year, law enforcement detained over two hundred individuals for alleged passport and visa irregularities. India is also known for cumbersome immigration procedures with lengthy timelines for visa approvals.

The diplomat says that technological advances, such as the newly introduced electronic passport or e-passport, can improve security and ease the immigration process. This electronic document includes a small chip holding biometric data, increasing difficulty to counterfeit or alter the passport.

However, increased diplomatic efforts and travel agreements remain key to boosting the global mobility for Indian citizens and, by extension, India's passport ranking.