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Earlier this year, an online clip from an Indian travel influencer expressing frustration over India's weak passport went viral on social media.

The influencer stated although nearby nations like Sri Lanka and Bhutan were more welcoming to Indian tourists, obtaining visas for visiting many nations in Europe and the West continued to be difficult.

Such concerns regarding India's poor passport strength found confirmation in the latest Henley Passport Index, ranking the country in the 85th spot among 199 countries, a decline of five positions compared to the previous year.

Officials in India has not commented regarding these findings yet.

Nations like Ghana, Rwanda and Azerbaijan despite smaller economic size than India – which is the fifth-largest economy globally – hold better positions in the ranking at the 78th, 74th and 72nd spots, in that order.

In fact, the country's position in the past decade has remained around the eighties, even dipping to ninetieth place in 2021. Such standings appear poor when measured against other Asian countries like Japan, South Korea and Singapore, which have consistently held leading ranks.

Global Passport Power Measures

The power of a passport reflects a country's global influence and global influence. It also translates into enhanced travel freedom for passport holders, boosting business and learning opportunities. A weak passport means additional documentation, increased visa expenses, fewer travel privileges and extended processing periods for travel.

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

For example, in 2014 – the year the current administration's ruling party came to power – 52 countries provided visa-free access to Indians and its passport at seventy-sixth position in the ranking.

A year later, it fell to the 85th position, then rose to eightieth in 2023 and 2024, dropping again to the 85th position currently. At the same time, visa-free destinations to Indian citizens increased from fifty-two eight years ago to sixty last year and sixty-two this year.

The Competitive Global Mobility Landscape

The count of nations allowing visa-free entry in 2025 (fifty-seven) exceeds what it was eight years ago (fifty-two), but the country's position for both these years is 85. So, why is that?

Analysts note that a major reason is the increasingly competitive landscape in international travel – indicating that countries are forming more travel partnerships to benefit their citizens and their economies. As per recent analysis, the worldwide mean number of destinations travellers are able to access visa-free has almost doubled from 58 in 2006 to 109 in 2025.

For example, China has expanded the number of visa-free countries its citizens can travel to from 50 to 82 over the last ten years. As a result, its rank on the index has enhanced from ninety-fourth to sixtieth during the same time period.

Meanwhile, The Indian passport – which was ranked 77th on the index during summer – dropped to the 85th position in October after losing access of two nations.

Additional Factors Affecting Passport Strength

An ex-diplomat from India notes there are other factors that affect the strength of a country's passport, like its economic and political stability as well as its receptiveness to welcoming citizens from other countries.

For example, the American passport has dropped out from the top ten and now occupies twelfth place – a historic low – due to its more inward-looking approach in world politics.

The diplomat recalls that during the seventies, Indian citizens had 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, democratic country.

"Numerous nations are growing increasingly wary of immigrants," he stated. "The country possesses a large quantity of people migrating overseas or overstaying their visas affecting the national image."

Elements like how secure of a national passport and its immigration procedures also play a role in gaining visa-free access to other countries.

Enhanced Security Measures

India's passport faces ongoing security risks. In 2024, authorities arrested 203 people for alleged visa and passport fraud. India is also known for complex immigration processes and a slow pace for visa approvals.

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

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