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Earlier this year, an online clip from a popular travel content creator complaining about India's weak passport gained massive traction on social media.

He mentioned that while neighbouring countries such as Bhutan and Sri Lanka were more welcoming of Indian tourists, securing travel permits to travel to most Western and European countries remained a challenge.

This dissatisfaction regarding the limited global access of Indian passports was reflected in the latest global passport ranking, which placed the country in the 85th spot among nearly two hundred nations, five spots lower than last year.

Officials in India has not commented regarding these findings yet.

Countries like Rwanda, Ghana and Azerbaijan despite smaller economic size compared to India – a nation that is the world's fifth biggest economy – are ranked higher in the ranking in the seventies range, respectively.

Actually, India's rank over the last ten years has hovered around the eighties, even dipping to the 90th spot two years ago. Such standings are dismal compared to other Asian countries like Singapore, Japan and South Korea, all maintaining top positions.

Global Passport Power Measures

Passport strength indicates a country's global influence and global influence. It also translates into better mobility for its citizens, boosting business and educational prospects. A weak passport means more paperwork, increased visa expenses, reduced travel benefits and longer waiting times when journeying.

But despite the decline in the rank, the count of nations providing visa-free travel for Indian citizens has grown in the past decade or so.

As an instance, in 2014 – the year Prime Minister Narendra Modi's ruling party assumed office – fifty-two nations provided visa-free travel for Indian passport holders and its passport ranked 76th in the ranking.

The following year, it tumbled to the 85th position, then improved to 80th in 2023 and 2024, dropping again to the eighty-fifth spot currently. At the same time, countries allowing visa-free travel for Indians grew from fifty-two eight years ago to sixty last year and 62 in 2024.

The Competitive Global Mobility Landscape

The count of nations allowing visa-free entry this year (57) is higher than the number in 2015 (52), yet the country's position during both periods remains at eighty-fifth. What explains this situation?

Analysts note that a primary factor is the increasingly competitive landscape in international travel – indicating that countries are entering into more travel partnerships for their populations' advantage and their economies. As per a 2025 report, the global average number of destinations travellers are able to access visa-free has nearly doubled from 58 in 2006 to one hundred nine currently.

For example, The Chinese passport has expanded the number of visa-free destinations available to its citizens from 50 to 82 in the past decade. As a result, its position in the ranking has improved from ninety-fourth to sixtieth in that same duration.

In comparison, The Indian passport – which was ranked 77th on the index in July – fell to eighty-fifth place this autumn after losing access of two nations.

Additional Factors Affecting Passport Strength

A former Indian ambassador says multiple elements influencing the strength of a country's passport, like its economic and political stability as well as its receptiveness to accepting travelers from other countries.

For example, the American passport has fallen of the top 10 currently holding the 12th position – a historic low – due to its increasingly insular stance in global affairs.

The diplomat recalls how in the 1970s, Indian citizens had visa-free access to numerous European and Western nations, though this shifted following Sikh separatist movement during the eighties. Subsequent political upheavals have further chipped away the country's reputation as a stable, democratic country.

"Numerous nations are growing more cautious of immigrants," the diplomat added. "India has a large quantity of people migrating overseas or remaining beyond visa limits and that interferes with the country's reputation."

Factors like how secure a country's passport is and immigration processes also play a role to obtaining visa-free access to foreign nations.

Enhanced Security Measures

The Indian passport faces ongoing security threats. Last year, law enforcement arrested 203 people for alleged passport and visa irregularities. The country also has cumbersome immigration procedures and a slow pace for visa approvals.

The diplomat says that new technologies, such as the newly introduced electronic passport or e-passport, may enhance safety and ease the immigration process. This electronic document contains a small chip holding biometric data, increasing difficulty to forge or tamper with the document.

But, more diplomatic outreach and travel partnerships remain key for enhancing international travel freedom of Indians and consequently, the Indian passport's global position.