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

The influencer stated although nearby nations such as Bhutan and Sri Lanka were more welcoming of travelers from India, securing travel permits to travel to most Western and European countries remained a challenge.

Such concerns with India's poor passport strength found confirmation in the latest global passport ranking, ranking India at position eighty-five out of 199 countries, a decline of five positions than last year.

The Indian government has not commented regarding these findings so far.

Countries including Ghana, Rwanda and Azerbaijan despite smaller economic size compared to India – a nation that is the world's fifth biggest economy – 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, even dipping to the 90th spot two years ago. Such standings appear poor compared to other Asian countries such as Singapore, Japan and South Korea, which have consistently held leading ranks.

What Passport Strength Indicates

Passport strength reflects a nation's soft power and international standing. It also translates into enhanced travel freedom for its citizens, boosting business and educational prospects. Limited passport power means additional documentation, higher visa costs, fewer travel privileges and longer waiting times when journeying.

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

For example, in 2014 – when Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) came to power – 52 countries offered visa-free travel for Indian passport holders and its passport ranked 76th in the ranking.

A year later, it fell to eighty-fifth place, then improved to 80th in 2023 and 2024, declining once more to the eighty-fifth spot currently. Meanwhile, countries allowing visa-free travel for Indians increased from fifty-two eight years ago to sixty last year and sixty-two this year.

Increasing Worldwide Travel Competition

The count of visa-free destinations this year (57) exceeds the number in 2015 (52), yet the country's position during both periods remains at eighty-fifth. So, why is that?

Analysts note that a major reason is the increasingly competitive landscape in global mobility – indicating that countries are forming more travel partnerships to benefit their citizens and economic growth. As per a 2025 report, the global average number of destinations people can visit without visas has almost doubled from 58 in 2006 to one hundred nine currently.

For example, The Chinese passport has increased its count of visa-free countries its citizens can travel to from fifty to eighty-two over the last ten years. As a result, its rank in the ranking has improved from 94th to 60th in that same duration.

In comparison, India – which was ranked 77th on the index in July – 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 influencing a nation's passport power, including its economic and political stability as well as its receptiveness to accepting travelers from other countries.

For example, the US passport has dropped out of the top 10 currently holding the 12th position – its lowest ever – due to its more inward-looking approach in world politics.

The diplomat mentioned that during the seventies, Indian citizens had visa-free travel to many Western and European countries, but that changed after the Khalistan movement in the 1980s. Later political disturbances have continued to damage at India's image as a stable, democratic country.

"Many countries are growing more cautious of immigrants," he stated. "India has a large quantity of people migrating overseas or overstaying their visas affecting the national image."

Factors like how secure of a national passport and immigration processes also contribute to obtaining visa-free entry to foreign nations.

Security and Technological Improvements

India's passport faces ongoing security risks. In 2024, law enforcement detained over two hundred individuals for alleged visa and passport fraud. India is also known for complex immigration processes with lengthy timelines of visa processing.

The diplomat says that technological advances, such as the newly introduced digital passport or e-passport, may enhance safety and streamline immigration. The e-passport contains a microchip holding biometric information, making it harder to counterfeit or alter the passport.

However, more diplomatic outreach and travel agreements remain key for enhancing the global mobility of Indians and consequently, India's passport ranking.