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

The influencer stated although neighbouring countries like Bhutan and Sri Lanka were more welcoming to Indian tourists, securing travel permits to travel to many nations in Europe and the West continued to be difficult.

Such concerns with India's poor passport strength was reflected in the latest global passport ranking, which placed the country in the 85th spot out of nearly two hundred nations, five spots lower compared to the previous year.

Officials in India has not commented on the report yet.

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

Actually, the country's position in the past decade has remained in the 80s, even dipping to ninetieth place in 2021. These rankings are dismal compared to Asian nations such as Japan, South Korea and Singapore, all maintaining top positions.

Global Passport Power Measures

The power of a passport reflects a nation's soft power and global influence. This leads to enhanced travel freedom for its citizens, boosting business and learning opportunities. A weak passport results in additional documentation, higher visa costs, fewer travel privileges and extended processing periods when journeying.

But despite the decline in the rank, the number of countries offering visa-free access to Indians has grown in the past decade or so.

For example, eight years ago – when the current administration's ruling party came to power – 52 countries provided visa-free access to Indians and its passport ranked 76th in the ranking.

The following year, it fell to the 85th position, then improved to 80th in 2023 and 2024, dropping again to the eighty-fifth spot currently. Meanwhile, visa-free destinations to Indian citizens grew from 52 in 2015 to 60 in 2023 and sixty-two this year.

The Competitive Global Mobility Landscape

The count of nations allowing visa-free entry in 2025 (57) is higher than what it was in 2015 (fifty-two), but the country's position during both periods is 85. So, why is that?

Experts say that a major reason involves growing competition in international travel – indicating that nations are forming additional travel agreements for their populations' advantage and their economies. As per a 2025 report, the global average count of countries people can visit without visas 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 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 in that same duration.

Meanwhile, The Indian passport – previously positioned 77th on the index during summer – fell to eighty-fifth place in October following the loss to two countries.

Additional Factors Impacting Passport Power

An ex-diplomat from India says multiple elements that affect the strength of a country's passport, including its economic and political stability as well as its openness to accepting travelers from abroad.

For example, the US passport has dropped out from the top ten currently holding the 12th position – a historic low – due to its more inward-looking approach in world politics.

The former ambassador mentioned that during the seventies, Indian citizens had visa-free travel to numerous European and Western nations, but that changed following Khalistan movement during the eighties. Subsequent political upheavals have continued to damage the country's reputation as a stable, democratic country.

"Many countries are growing more cautious of immigrants," he stated. "The country possesses a high number of citizens emigrating to other countries or overstaying their visas affecting the national image."

Elements like how secure a country's passport is and immigration processes also contribute in gaining visa-free entry to foreign nations.

Security and Technological Improvements

The Indian passport remains vulnerable to security risks. In 2024, law enforcement detained 203 people for alleged visa and passport fraud. India is also known for cumbersome immigration procedures with lengthy timelines of visa processing.

The diplomat says that new technologies, such as the newly introduced digital passport or e-passport, can improve security and streamline immigration. The e-passport includes a microchip that stores biometric data, increasing difficulty to counterfeit or alter the document.

But, more diplomatic outreach and travel partnerships continue essential to boosting international travel freedom of Indians and, by extension, India's passport ranking.