🔗 Share this article

In recent months, a video by a popular travel content creator complaining about the limited power of the Indian passport went viral across digital platforms.

The influencer stated although neighbouring countries such as Bhutan and Sri Lanka offered easier access to travelers from India, securing travel permits to travel to most Western and European countries remained a challenge.

This dissatisfaction regarding India's poor passport strength was reflected in recent global passport ranking, which placed India at position eighty-five among 199 countries, five spots lower than last year.

The Indian government has not commented regarding these findings yet.

Nations including Rwanda, Ghana and Azerbaijan despite smaller economic size 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, India's rank over the last ten years has remained around the eighties, even dipping to ninetieth place in 2021. Such standings appear poor when measured against Asian nations such as Singapore, Japan and South Korea, all maintaining top positions.

What Passport Strength Measures

The power of a passport reflects a country's global influence and global influence. This leads to enhanced travel freedom for its citizens, improving commercial and educational prospects. A weak passport results in more paperwork, higher visa costs, fewer travel privileges and extended processing periods for travel.

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

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

The following year, it tumbled to eighty-fifth place, then improved to eightieth over the past two years, declining once more to the 85th position this year. Meanwhile, countries allowing visa-free travel for Indians increased from fifty-two eight years ago to 60 in 2023 and sixty-two this year.

The Competitive Global Mobility Landscape

The count of visa-free destinations in 2025 (57) exceeds what it was in 2015 (fifty-two), but the country's position for both these years remains at eighty-fifth. So, why is that?

Analysts note that a major reason is the increasingly competitive landscape in international travel – indicating that nations are entering into additional travel agreements to benefit their citizens and their economies. According to a 2025 report, the worldwide mean count of countries people can visit without visas has nearly doubled from fifty-eight nineteen years ago to one hundred nine currently.

As an illustration, The Chinese passport has increased the number of visa-free destinations its citizens can travel to from 50 to 82 over the last ten years. As a result, its rank in the ranking has improved from 94th to 60th during the same time period.

Meanwhile, India – which was ranked at seventy-seventh place in July – fell to the 85th position this autumn following the loss to two countries.

Other Influences Impacting Passport Power

An ex-diplomat from India notes there are other factors that affect the strength of a country's passport, like economic and political conditions plus its receptiveness to accepting travelers from abroad.

For example, the US passport has dropped out from the top ten and now occupies twelfth place – a historic low – due to its increasingly insular stance in world politics.

The former ambassador recalls how in the 1970s, Indians enjoyed visa-free travel to many Western and European countries, though this shifted following Khalistan movement in the 1980s. Subsequent political upheavals have continued to damage the country's reputation as a stable democracy.

"Numerous nations are growing increasingly wary regarding migrants," he stated. "India has 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 of a national passport and its immigration procedures also contribute to obtaining visa-free entry to foreign nations.

Enhanced Security Measures

The Indian passport faces ongoing security threats. In 2024, authorities detained 203 people for alleged visa and passport fraud. India is also known for complex immigration processes with lengthy timelines for visa approvals.

The diplomat says that technological advances, 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 passport.

But, increased diplomatic efforts and travel partnerships remain key to boosting international travel freedom for Indian citizens and consequently, India's passport ranking.