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Earlier this year, a video by a popular travel content creator expressing frustration over India's weak passport went viral across digital platforms.

He mentioned although neighbouring countries like Sri Lanka and Bhutan were more welcoming to Indian tourists, obtaining visas for visiting most Western and European countries remained a challenge.

This dissatisfaction with India's poor passport strength found confirmation in the latest global passport ranking, which placed the country at position eighty-five out of 199 countries, a decline of five positions than last year.

Officials in India has not commented on the report so far.

Nations like Rwanda, Ghana and Azerbaijan despite smaller economic size compared to India – which is the world's fifth biggest economy – are ranked higher 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, even dipping to the 90th spot two years ago. These rankings are dismal compared to other Asian countries such as Japan, South Korea and Singapore, which have consistently held leading ranks.

Global Passport Power Measures

Passport strength indicates a country's global influence and international standing. This leads to better mobility for passport holders, improving commercial and educational prospects. Limited passport power results in additional documentation, increased visa expenses, fewer travel privileges and longer waiting times when journeying.

However, even with the drop in position, the count of nations providing visa-free travel for Indian citizens has grown in the past decade or so.

As an instance, in 2014 – the year 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 tumbled to the 85th position, then improved to eightieth over the past two years, dropping again to the 85th position this year. At the same time, countries allowing visa-free travel for Indians grew from fifty-two eight years ago to 60 in 2023 and sixty-two this year.

Increasing Worldwide Travel Competition

The count of visa-free destinations in 2025 (57) exceeds the number eight years ago (fifty-two), but India's rank during both periods is 85. So, why is that?

Experts say that a primary factor is the increasingly competitive landscape in international travel – indicating that countries are forming additional travel agreements to benefit their citizens and economic growth. According to a 2025 report, the global average count of countries people can visit visa-free has nearly doubled from fifty-eight nineteen years ago to one hundred nine currently.

As an illustration, China has increased the number of visa-free destinations 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 ninety-fourth to sixtieth during the same time period.

Meanwhile, The Indian passport – previously positioned at seventy-seventh place during summer – fell to eighty-fifth place in October following the loss of two nations.

Additional Factors Affecting Passport Strength

A former Indian ambassador notes there are other factors that affect the strength of a country's passport, including economic and political conditions plus its openness to accepting travelers from other countries.

For example, the US passport has dropped out of the top 10 currently holding twelfth place – its lowest ever – due to its increasingly insular stance in global affairs.

The former ambassador recalls how in the 1970s, Indian citizens had visa-free travel to many Western and European countries, though this shifted following 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 increasingly wary of immigrants," the diplomat added. "India has a large quantity of people migrating to other countries or overstaying their visas affecting the national image."

Factors such as the security level a country's passport is and its immigration procedures also contribute in gaining visa-free access to foreign nations.

Enhanced Security Measures

India's passport faces ongoing security risks. Last year, authorities arrested over two hundred individuals for suspected visa and passport fraud. India is also known for complex immigration processes with lengthy timelines of visa processing.

The diplomat indicated that new technologies, like India's recently-launched electronic passport or e-passport, may enhance safety and streamline immigration. The e-passport contains a small chip that stores biometric data, increasing difficulty to forge or tamper with the passport.

However, increased diplomatic efforts and travel partnerships continue essential for enhancing the global mobility for Indian citizens and consequently, the Indian passport's global position.