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Earlier this year, an online clip from an Indian travel influencer expressing frustration over India's weak passport went viral across digital platforms.

The influencer stated that while neighbouring countries such as Sri Lanka and Bhutan offered easier access of travelers from India, securing travel permits for visiting most Western and European countries continued to be difficult.

Such concerns with India's poor passport strength found confirmation in the latest global passport ranking, ranking the country in the 85th spot among 199 countries, a decline of five positions than last year.

The Indian government has not commented on the report yet.

Countries like Ghana, Rwanda and Azerbaijan despite smaller economic size 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.

Actually, India's rank in the past decade has hovered around the eighties, falling to ninetieth place two years ago. Such standings are dismal compared to other Asian countries like Japan, South Korea and Singapore, which have consistently held leading ranks.

Global Passport Power Measures

Passport strength indicates a nation's soft power and global influence. This leads to better mobility for passport holders, boosting business and educational prospects. A weak passport means more paperwork, increased visa expenses, reduced travel benefits and extended processing periods when journeying.

But despite the decline in the rank, the number of countries offering visa-free access for Indian citizens has actually increased in the past decade or so.

As an instance, in 2014 – when the current administration's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) came to power – 52 countries offered visa-free travel for Indian passport holders with the passport ranked 76th on the index.

A year later, it tumbled to eighty-fifth place, then improved to 80th in 2023 and 2024, dropping again to the 85th position this year. Meanwhile, countries allowing visa-free travel for Indians increased from 52 in 2015 to sixty last year and 62 in 2024.

Increasing Worldwide Travel Competition

The count of visa-free destinations in 2025 (fifty-seven) is higher than what it was eight years ago (fifty-two), but the country's position for both these years remains at eighty-fifth. What explains this situation?

Experts say that a major reason involves growing competition in international travel – meaning countries are forming additional travel agreements for their populations' advantage and their economies. According to recent analysis, the worldwide mean count of countries people can visit without visas has almost doubled from fifty-eight nineteen years ago to one hundred nine currently.

As an illustration, The Chinese passport has increased 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 ninety-fourth to sixtieth during the same time period.

In comparison, The Indian passport – which was ranked at seventy-seventh place in July – fell to the 85th position in October following the loss to two countries.

Other Influences Impacting Passport Power

An ex-diplomat from India says multiple elements that affect a nation's passport power, like its economic and political stability as well as its receptiveness to accepting travelers from abroad.

For instance, the American passport has dropped out from the top ten and now occupies the 12th position – its lowest ever – because of its more inward-looking approach in global affairs.

The diplomat recalls how in the 1970s, Indian citizens had visa-free access to many Western and European countries, though this shifted after the Khalistan movement during the eighties. Subsequent political upheavals have continued to damage at India's image as a stable, democratic country.

"Numerous nations are also becoming more cautious regarding migrants," the diplomat added. "The country possesses a large quantity of citizens emigrating overseas or remaining beyond visa limits affecting the national image."

Factors such as the security level a country's passport is and immigration processes also play a role in gaining visa-free entry to other countries.

Enhanced Security Measures

India's passport faces ongoing security threats. Last year, authorities detained 203 people for suspected passport and visa irregularities. India is also known for complex immigration processes with lengthy timelines for visa approvals.

The diplomat says that new technologies, like India's recently-launched digital passport or e-passport, can improve security and ease the immigration process. The e-passport contains a microchip holding biometric information, increasing difficulty to counterfeit or alter the passport.

However, more diplomatic outreach and travel agreements continue essential for enhancing international travel freedom for Indian citizens and, by extension, India's passport ranking.