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Earlier this year, a video from an Indian travel influencer complaining about India's weak passport went viral across digital platforms.

The influencer stated although neighbouring countries such as Sri Lanka and Bhutan were more welcoming to travelers from India, obtaining visas for visiting many nations in Europe and the West remained a challenge.

Such concerns with the limited global access of Indian passports was reflected in recent Henley Passport Index, ranking India at position eighty-five among 199 countries, a decline of five positions than last year.

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

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.

In fact, the country's position in the past decade has hovered in the 80s, falling to ninetieth place in 2021. These rankings appear poor when measured against Asian nations like Singapore, Japan and South Korea, which have consistently held top positions.

Global Passport Power Measures

Passport strength reflects a nation's soft power and global influence. This leads to enhanced travel freedom for its citizens, improving commercial and educational prospects. Limited passport power means additional documentation, increased visa expenses, reduced travel benefits and extended processing periods when journeying.

However, even with the drop in position, the number of countries providing visa-free travel to Indians has actually increased in the past decade or so.

For example, eight years ago – the year Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) assumed office – 52 countries offered visa-free travel to Indians with the passport at seventy-sixth position 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 eighty-fifth spot currently. At the same time, visa-free destinations for Indians increased from fifty-two eight years ago to sixty last year and 62 in 2024.

Increasing Worldwide Travel Competition

The number of nations allowing visa-free entry this year (fifty-seven) exceeds the number eight years ago (fifty-two), but the country's position for both these years is 85. So, why is that?

Analysts note that a primary factor involves growing competition in international travel – indicating that nations are forming more travel partnerships to benefit their citizens and their economies. As per a 2025 report, the global average count of countries travellers are able to access visa-free has nearly doubled from fifty-eight nineteen years ago to 109 in 2025.

For example, The Chinese passport has expanded the number of visa-free destinations its citizens can travel to from 50 to 82 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 at seventy-seventh place in July – dropped to the 85th position this autumn following the loss to two countries.

Other Influences Impacting Passport Power

An ex-diplomat from India notes multiple elements that affect a nation's passport power, including economic and political conditions plus its receptiveness to welcoming citizens from other countries.

For instance, the American passport has fallen from the top ten currently holding twelfth place – its lowest ever – due to its increasingly insular stance in global affairs.

The former ambassador mentioned how in the 1970s, Indian citizens had visa-free access to numerous European and Western nations, but that changed after the Khalistan movement during the eighties. Subsequent political upheavals have further chipped away at India's image as a stable democracy.

"Many countries are also becoming increasingly wary of immigrants," the diplomat added. "The country possesses a large quantity of citizens emigrating to other countries or overstaying their visas affecting the country's reputation."

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

Security and Technological Improvements

India's passport faces ongoing security risks. Last year, law enforcement arrested 203 people for alleged passport and visa irregularities. The country also has cumbersome immigration procedures and a slow pace of visa processing.

The former ambassador indicated that new technologies, such as the newly introduced electronic passport or e-passport, can improve security and streamline immigration. The e-passport contains a microchip that stores biometric data, increasing difficulty to forge or tamper with the document.

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