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Earlier this year, a video by an Indian travel influencer expressing frustration over the limited power of the Indian passport gained massive traction across digital platforms.

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

This dissatisfaction regarding the limited global access of Indian passports found confirmation in recent global passport ranking, which placed the country at position eighty-five out of nearly two hundred nations, a decline of five positions than last year.

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

Nations including Ghana, Rwanda and Azerbaijan despite smaller economic size than India – which is the world's fifth biggest economy – hold better positions on the index in the seventies range, in that order.

In fact, the country's position over the last ten years has hovered in the 80s, even dipping to ninetieth place in 2021. These rankings are dismal compared to Asian nations such as Singapore, Japan and South Korea, all maintaining top positions.

What Passport Strength Measures

The power of a passport indicates a nation's soft power and global influence. It also translates into better mobility for its citizens, improving commercial and learning opportunities. Limited passport power results in additional documentation, increased visa expenses, reduced travel benefits and longer waiting times for travel.

However, even with the drop in position, the number of countries providing visa-free travel for Indian citizens has grown in the past decade or so.

For example, eight years ago – when Prime Minister Narendra Modi'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 eighty-fifth place, then improved to eightieth over the past two years, dropping again to the eighty-fifth spot this year. At the same time, countries allowing visa-free travel to Indian citizens grew from 52 in 2015 to sixty last year and 62 in 2024.

Increasing Worldwide Travel Competition

The number of nations allowing visa-free entry this year (57) is higher than what it was in 2015 (52), yet India's rank for both these years remains at eighty-fifth. What explains this situation?

Experts say that a major reason is the increasingly competitive landscape in global mobility – meaning nations are entering into more travel partnerships for their populations' advantage and economic growth. As per recent analysis, the global average number of destinations people can visit visa-free has nearly doubled from 58 in 2006 to 109 in 2025.

As an illustration, The Chinese passport has increased the number of visa-free countries its citizens can travel to from fifty to eighty-two over the last ten years. As a result, its position on the index has improved from 94th to 60th during the same time period.

Meanwhile, The Indian passport – previously positioned 77th on the index in July – dropped to the 85th position in October after losing access of two nations.

Additional Factors Impacting Passport Power

A former Indian ambassador notes there are other factors 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 dropped out of the top 10 currently holding twelfth place – a historic low – due to its more inward-looking approach in global affairs.

The diplomat recalls that during the seventies, Indian citizens had visa-free travel to numerous European and Western nations, though this shifted following Khalistan movement during the eighties. Later political disturbances have further chipped away the country's reputation as a stable democracy.

"Many countries are growing more cautious regarding migrants," the diplomat added. "The country possesses a large quantity of people migrating overseas or remaining beyond visa limits affecting the national image."

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

Security and Technological Improvements

The Indian passport remains vulnerable to security risks. In 2024, 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 former ambassador indicated that technological advances, such as the newly introduced digital passport or e-passport, may enhance safety and ease the immigration process. This electronic document includes a small chip that stores biometric data, making it harder to counterfeit or alter the document.

However, increased diplomatic efforts and travel agreements remain key for enhancing the global mobility for Indian citizens and consequently, the Indian passport's global position.