🔗 Share this article

Earlier this year, a video by an Indian travel influencer complaining about the limited power of the Indian passport went viral across digital platforms.

The influencer stated although nearby nations like Sri Lanka and Bhutan were more welcoming of travelers from India, securing travel permits to travel to most Western and European countries continued to be difficult.

This dissatisfaction with the limited global access of Indian passports was reflected in recent global passport ranking, which placed India in the 85th spot out of 199 countries, five spots lower compared to the previous year.

The Indian government have not issued a statement regarding these findings yet.

Nations like Ghana, Rwanda and Azerbaijan with much smaller economies than India – a nation that is the world's fifth biggest economy – hold better positions on the index at the 78th, 74th and 72nd spots, respectively.

In fact, the country's position over the last ten years has hovered around the eighties, falling to ninetieth place two years ago. These rankings are dismal compared to Asian nations such as Singapore, Japan and South Korea, which have consistently held top positions.

What Passport Strength Measures

Passport strength indicates a country's global influence and global influence. This leads to better mobility for its citizens, boosting business and learning opportunities. A weak passport results in more paperwork, increased visa expenses, reduced travel benefits and extended processing periods when journeying.

However, even with the decline in the rank, the count of nations offering visa-free access to Indians has actually increased over the last ten years.

As an instance, in 2014 – when Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) came to power – fifty-two nations provided visa-free access for Indian passport holders and its passport ranked 76th on the index.

The following year, it tumbled to eighty-fifth place, then rose to 80th over the past two years, dropping again to the 85th position currently. Meanwhile, visa-free destinations to Indian citizens increased from 52 in 2015 to 60 in 2023 and 62 in 2024.

Increasing Worldwide Travel Competition

The count of visa-free destinations this year (57) exceeds what it was eight years ago (52), yet the country's position during both periods is 85. So, why is that?

Experts say that a primary factor involves growing competition in global mobility – meaning countries are forming more travel partnerships for their populations' advantage and economic growth. As per a 2025 report, the worldwide mean count of countries people can visit visa-free has nearly doubled from fifty-eight nineteen years ago to 109 in 2025.

As an illustration, China has expanded its count of visa-free destinations available to its citizens from fifty to eighty-two over the last ten years. As a result, its rank in the ranking has improved from 94th to 60th in that same duration.

Meanwhile, India – previously positioned 77th on the index during summer – fell to the 85th position this autumn following the loss of two nations.

Additional Factors Affecting Passport Strength

An ex-diplomat from India notes there are other factors influencing the strength of a country's passport, like its economic and political stability as well as its openness to accepting travelers from abroad.

For example, the American passport has dropped out from the top ten and now occupies twelfth place – its lowest ever – because of its increasingly insular stance in global affairs.

The former ambassador recalls that during the seventies, Indian citizens had visa-free access to numerous European and Western nations, though this shifted following Sikh separatist movement in the 1980s. Subsequent political upheavals have further chipped away the country's reputation as a stable democracy.

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

Factors such as the security level of a national passport and its immigration procedures also contribute to obtaining visa-free entry to other countries.

Security and Technological Improvements

India's passport remains vulnerable to security threats. Last year, law enforcement detained over two hundred individuals for suspected passport and visa irregularities. 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 electronic passport or e-passport, may enhance safety and streamline immigration. This electronic document contains a microchip holding biometric data, making it harder to counterfeit or alter the passport.

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