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In recent months, an online clip from an Indian travel influencer complaining about the limited power of the Indian passport gained massive traction on social media.

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

This dissatisfaction regarding the limited global access of Indian passports found confirmation in recent global passport ranking, which placed India at position eighty-five among 199 countries, five spots lower than last year.

Officials in India has not commented regarding these findings so far.

Countries like Ghana, Rwanda 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.

In fact, the country's position in the past decade has remained in the 80s, even dipping 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.

What Passport Strength Indicates

The power of a passport reflects a nation's soft power and global influence. It also translates into better mobility for its citizens, boosting business and educational prospects. A weak passport results in more paperwork, higher visa costs, reduced travel benefits and longer waiting times when journeying.

However, even with the drop in position, the count of nations offering visa-free access for Indian citizens has actually increased in the past decade or so.

For example, in 2014 – when the current administration's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) assumed office – 52 countries offered visa-free access to Indians with the passport ranked 76th on the index.

A year later, it fell to the 85th position, then improved to 80th over the past two years, declining once more to the 85th position currently. At the same time, visa-free destinations to Indian citizens grew from fifty-two eight years ago to sixty last year and sixty-two this year.

Increasing Worldwide Travel Competition

The number of visa-free destinations this year (fifty-seven) is higher than the number in 2015 (52), yet 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 global mobility – indicating that nations are forming additional travel agreements for their populations' advantage and economic growth. According to a 2025 report, the global average count of countries travellers are able to access visa-free has nearly doubled from 58 in 2006 to 109 in 2025.

For example, China has expanded the number of visa-free destinations available to its citizens from fifty to eighty-two in the past decade. As a result, its rank on the index has enhanced from 94th to 60th during the same time period.

In comparison, The Indian passport – previously positioned at seventy-seventh place in July – dropped to eighty-fifth place this autumn after losing access to two countries.

Other Influences Affecting Passport Strength

An ex-diplomat from India notes there are other factors that affect the strength of a country's passport, like its economic and political stability plus its receptiveness to welcoming citizens from abroad.

For instance, the US passport has dropped out of the top 10 and now occupies twelfth place – its lowest ever – due to its more inward-looking approach in world politics.

The diplomat mentioned how in the 1970s, Indian citizens had visa-free travel to numerous European and Western nations, but that changed following Sikh separatist movement during the eighties. Later political disturbances have further chipped away at India's image as a stable, democratic country.

"Many countries are also becoming increasingly wary regarding migrants," he stated. "The country possesses a large quantity of citizens emigrating to other countries or overstaying their visas and that interferes with the national image."

Elements like the security level of a national passport and its immigration procedures also play a role in gaining visa-free access to foreign nations.

Enhanced Security Measures

India's passport remains vulnerable to security risks. Last year, authorities arrested 203 people for alleged passport and visa irregularities. The country also has complex immigration processes and a slow pace of visa processing.

The former ambassador indicated that new technologies, like India's recently-launched digital passport or e-passport, may enhance safety and streamline immigration. The e-passport includes a microchip holding biometric information, increasing difficulty to forge or tamper with the document.

However, more diplomatic outreach and travel partnerships continue essential for enhancing international travel freedom of Indians and, by extension, the Indian passport's global position.