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

The influencer stated that while neighbouring countries such as Sri Lanka and Bhutan were more welcoming to Indian tourists, obtaining visas to travel to most Western and European countries remained a challenge.

Such concerns with India's poor passport strength was reflected in recent global passport ranking, ranking India at position eighty-five out of 199 countries, a decline of five positions compared to the previous year.

The Indian government has not commented on the report yet.

Countries including Ghana, Rwanda and Azerbaijan with much smaller economies than 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, falling to ninetieth place two years ago. Such standings are dismal compared to other Asian countries such as Singapore, Japan and South Korea, all maintaining leading ranks.

Global Passport Power Indicates

The power of a passport reflects a country's global influence and international standing. It also translates into enhanced travel freedom for its citizens, boosting business and educational prospects. Limited passport power results in more paperwork, increased visa expenses, reduced travel benefits and longer waiting times for travel.

But despite the decline in the rank, the number of countries providing visa-free travel for Indian citizens has grown over the last ten years.

As an instance, eight years ago – the year the current administration's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) assumed office – fifty-two nations provided visa-free access for Indian passport holders and its passport ranked 76th in the ranking.

A year later, it fell to the 85th position, then rose to 80th over the past two years, dropping again to the eighty-fifth spot currently. At the same time, visa-free destinations 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 (fifty-seven) exceeds what it was in 2015 (52), but India's rank for both these years is 85. What explains this situation?

Experts say that a primary factor is the increasingly competitive landscape in international travel – meaning nations are entering into additional travel agreements to benefit their citizens and economic growth. As per a 2025 report, the worldwide mean number of destinations travellers are able to access without visas has nearly doubled from 58 in 2006 to 109 in 2025.

For example, The Chinese passport has increased its count of visa-free countries its citizens can travel to from fifty to eighty-two in the past decade. As a result, its position in the ranking has enhanced from 94th to 60th in that same duration.

Meanwhile, The Indian passport – which was ranked at seventy-seventh place during summer – fell to the 85th position this autumn following the loss to two countries.

Other Influences Impacting Passport Power

An ex-diplomat from India says multiple elements that affect the strength of a country's passport, like economic and political conditions as well as its receptiveness to welcoming citizens from other countries.

For instance, the US passport has dropped out from the top ten and now occupies the 12th position – its lowest ever – because of its increasingly insular stance in world politics.

The former ambassador mentioned that during the seventies, Indian citizens had visa-free access to numerous European and Western nations, though this shifted after the Khalistan movement in the 1980s. Later political disturbances have further chipped away at India's image as a stable, democratic country.

"Many countries are also becoming increasingly wary of immigrants," he stated. "The country possesses a large quantity of citizens emigrating to other countries or overstaying their visas and that interferes with the country's reputation."

Factors like the security level a country's passport is and immigration processes also contribute in gaining visa-free entry to foreign nations.

Enhanced Security Measures

India's passport faces ongoing security risks. Last year, law enforcement arrested 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 electronic passport or e-passport, may enhance safety and streamline immigration. The e-passport includes a microchip that stores biometric information, making it harder to forge or tamper with the passport.

But, increased diplomatic efforts and travel partnerships continue essential to boosting the global mobility for Indian citizens and consequently, India's passport ranking.