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In recent months, a video from an Indian travel influencer expressing frustration over India's weak passport went viral on social media.

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

Such concerns with the limited global access of Indian passports was reflected in recent Henley Passport Index, which placed the country at position eighty-five among 199 countries, a decline of five positions compared to the previous year.

The Indian government has not commented on the report so far.

Nations like Rwanda, Ghana and Azerbaijan despite smaller economic size than India – a nation that is the world's fifth biggest economy – are ranked higher on the index in the seventies range, in that order.

Actually, India's rank in the past decade has remained around the eighties, falling to the 90th spot in 2021. Such standings are dismal when measured against Asian nations such as Japan, South Korea and Singapore, all maintaining leading ranks.

What Passport Strength Measures

Passport strength reflects a country's global influence and global influence. This leads to better mobility for passport holders, boosting business and educational prospects. Limited passport power results in more paperwork, higher visa costs, reduced travel benefits and extended processing periods for travel.

However, even with the decline in the rank, the number of countries offering visa-free access for Indian citizens has actually increased over the last ten years.

As an instance, in 2014 – the year Prime Minister Narendra Modi's ruling party assumed office – fifty-two nations offered visa-free access to Indians and its passport at seventy-sixth position on the index.

The following year, it tumbled to the 85th position, then rose to 80th over the past two years, dropping again to the 85th position currently. At the same time, countries allowing visa-free travel for Indians grew from 52 in 2015 to 60 in 2023 and sixty-two this year.

Increasing Worldwide Travel Competition

The number of nations allowing visa-free entry in 2025 (fifty-seven) is higher than what it was in 2015 (52), but the country's position during both periods remains at eighty-fifth. What explains this situation?

Experts say that a major reason is the increasingly competitive landscape in international travel – meaning nations are forming additional travel agreements to benefit their citizens and their economies. As per a 2025 report, the worldwide mean count of countries travellers are able to access visa-free has nearly doubled from fifty-eight nineteen years ago to one hundred nine currently.

As an illustration, The Chinese passport has expanded the number of visa-free countries its citizens can travel to from fifty to eighty-two in the past decade. As a result, its rank in the ranking has improved from 94th to 60th during the same time period.

In comparison, The Indian passport – previously positioned 77th on the index in July – fell to the 85th position this autumn following the loss to two countries.

Other Influences Impacting Passport Power

A former Indian ambassador says there are other factors that affect the strength of a country's passport, like economic and political conditions plus its receptiveness to welcoming citizens from other countries.

For instance, the US passport has fallen from the top ten currently holding twelfth place – a historic low – because of its increasingly insular stance in global affairs.

The diplomat recalls how in the 1970s, Indian citizens had visa-free travel to numerous European and Western nations, though this shifted after the Sikh separatist movement in the 1980s. Later political disturbances have further chipped away at India's image as a stable democracy.

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

Elements such as the security level of a national passport and its immigration procedures also play a role in gaining visa-free entry to other countries.

Enhanced Security Measures

India's passport faces ongoing security threats. In 2024, authorities detained 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 diplomat indicated that new technologies, like India's recently-launched digital passport or e-passport, can improve security and ease the immigration process. This electronic document contains a microchip that stores biometric data, making it harder to forge or tamper with the passport.

However, more diplomatic outreach and travel agreements remain key to boosting international travel freedom for Indian citizens and, by extension, India's passport ranking.