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Earlier this year, an online clip from an Indian travel influencer complaining about India's weak passport went viral on social media.

He mentioned that while nearby nations such as Sri Lanka and Bhutan were more welcoming of travelers from India, securing travel permits to travel to many nations in Europe and the West remained a challenge.

Such concerns regarding India's poor passport strength was reflected in recent Henley Passport Index, ranking 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 yet.

Countries including Rwanda, Ghana and Azerbaijan with much smaller economies than India – a nation that is the world's fifth biggest economy – hold better positions in the ranking in the seventies range, in that order.

In fact, India's rank over the last ten years has hovered in the 80s, falling to the 90th spot in 2021. Such standings are dismal compared to other Asian countries like Singapore, Japan and South Korea, all maintaining leading ranks.

What Passport Strength Indicates

The power of a passport indicates a nation's soft power and international standing. It also translates into better mobility for its citizens, improving commercial and educational prospects. Limited passport power means 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 offering visa-free access for Indian citizens has actually increased in the past decade or so.

As an instance, in 2014 – the year Prime Minister Narendra Modi's ruling party came to power – fifty-two nations provided visa-free travel to Indians and its passport ranked 76th in the ranking.

A year later, it tumbled to the 85th position, then improved to eightieth over the past two years, dropping again to the eighty-fifth spot currently. Meanwhile, visa-free destinations for Indians grew from fifty-two eight years ago to 60 in 2023 and 62 in 2024.

The Competitive Global Mobility Landscape

The number of nations allowing visa-free entry in 2025 (57) exceeds the number in 2015 (52), yet India's rank during both periods is 85. What explains this situation?

Analysts note that a primary factor involves growing competition in international travel – meaning countries are entering into additional travel agreements for their populations' advantage and their economies. According to recent analysis, the global average number of destinations travellers are able to access visa-free has nearly doubled from fifty-eight nineteen years ago to one hundred nine currently.

For example, The Chinese passport has expanded its count of visa-free destinations available to its citizens from fifty to eighty-two in the past decade. Consequently, its rank on the index has improved from 94th to 60th during the same time period.

In comparison, 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 Affecting Passport Strength

An ex-diplomat from India says multiple elements that affect a nation's passport power, including its economic and political stability plus its receptiveness to accepting travelers from other countries.

For instance, the American passport has fallen from the top ten currently holding twelfth place – a historic low – 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 Sikh separatist movement during the eighties. Later political disturbances have further chipped away at India's image as a stable, democratic country.

"Numerous nations are also becoming more cautious of immigrants," the diplomat added. "The country possesses a high number of citizens emigrating overseas or overstaying their visas affecting the country's reputation."

Elements such as the security level of a national passport and immigration processes also contribute in gaining visa-free entry to other countries.

Enhanced Security Measures

India's passport faces ongoing security risks. Last year, law enforcement detained over two hundred individuals for alleged passport and visa irregularities. The country also has complex immigration processes with lengthy timelines for visa approvals.

The former ambassador says that technological advances, such as the newly introduced electronic passport or e-passport, may enhance safety and ease the immigration process. This electronic document contains a microchip holding biometric data, making it harder to counterfeit or alter the passport.

However, increased diplomatic efforts and travel partnerships remain key to boosting the global mobility of Indians and consequently, the Indian passport's global position.