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Earlier this year, a video by an Indian travel influencer expressing frustration over the limited power of the Indian passport gained massive traction across digital platforms.

The influencer stated although nearby nations such as Sri Lanka and Bhutan offered easier access to Indian tourists, obtaining visas for visiting most Western and European countries continued to be difficult.

This dissatisfaction regarding 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 have not issued a statement on the report yet.

Nations including Ghana, Rwanda and Azerbaijan despite smaller economic size compared to India – which is the fifth-largest economy globally – are ranked higher on the index in the seventies range, in that order.

In fact, India's rank over the last ten years has hovered around the eighties, even dipping to ninetieth place two years ago. These rankings appear poor when measured against other Asian countries such as Japan, South Korea and Singapore, which have consistently held leading ranks.

Global Passport Power Measures

The power of a passport indicates a country's global influence and global influence. It also translates into better mobility for its citizens, improving commercial and learning opportunities. A weak passport results in more paperwork, increased visa expenses, reduced travel benefits and extended processing periods when journeying.

But despite the drop in position, the count of nations offering visa-free access to Indians has grown over the last ten years.

As an instance, in 2014 – when the current administration's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) came to power – 52 countries provided visa-free travel to Indians with the passport at seventy-sixth position in the ranking.

A year later, it fell to the 85th position, then rose to 80th in 2023 and 2024, dropping again to the 85th position currently. At the same time, countries allowing visa-free travel to Indian citizens grew from 52 in 2015 to 60 in 2023 and 62 in 2024.

The Competitive Global Mobility Landscape

The count of nations allowing visa-free entry in 2025 (fifty-seven) exceeds the number in 2015 (fifty-two), but the country's position for both these years is 85. So, why is that?

Experts say that a major reason is the increasingly competitive landscape in international travel – meaning countries are entering into more travel partnerships to benefit their citizens and economic growth. According to a 2025 report, the global average number of destinations travellers are able to access visa-free has nearly doubled from fifty-eight nineteen years ago to 109 in 2025.

For example, China has expanded its count of visa-free destinations its citizens can travel to from fifty to eighty-two over the last ten years. As a result, its position in the ranking has enhanced from 94th to 60th in that same duration.

In comparison, India – previously positioned 77th on the index in July – fell to eighty-fifth place in October after losing access to two countries.

Additional Factors Impacting Passport Power

A former Indian ambassador notes multiple elements influencing a nation's passport power, including economic and political conditions as well as its openness to welcoming citizens from abroad.

For example, the American passport has dropped out from the top ten and now occupies the 12th position – a historic low – due to its more inward-looking approach in world politics.

The diplomat mentioned that during the seventies, Indians enjoyed visa-free travel to many Western and European countries, though this shifted following Khalistan movement in the 1980s. Subsequent political upheavals have continued to damage at India's image as a stable democracy.

"Many countries are also becoming increasingly wary regarding migrants," he stated. "The country possesses a high number of citizens emigrating to other countries or overstaying their visas and that interferes with the country's reputation."

Elements such as the security level of a national passport and its immigration procedures also contribute to obtaining visa-free entry to foreign nations.

Enhanced Security Measures

The Indian passport faces ongoing security threats. Last year, authorities detained 203 people for alleged visa and passport fraud. The country also has complex immigration processes with lengthy timelines of visa processing.

The diplomat indicated that technological advances, such as the newly introduced electronic passport or e-passport, can improve security and streamline immigration. The e-passport contains a microchip holding biometric data, increasing difficulty to counterfeit or alter the document.

However, more diplomatic outreach and travel partnerships remain key to boosting international travel freedom of Indians and consequently, the Indian passport's global position.