🔗 Share this article

In recent months, a video from a popular travel content creator expressing frustration over the limited power of the Indian passport went viral on social media.

The influencer stated that while neighbouring countries like Bhutan and Sri Lanka offered easier access of travelers from India, obtaining visas to travel to most Western and European countries remained a challenge.

Such concerns regarding India's poor passport strength was reflected in recent global passport ranking, ranking the country at position eighty-five out of nearly two hundred nations, a decline of five positions than last year.

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

Nations like Rwanda, Ghana and Azerbaijan with much smaller economies compared to India – which is the world's fifth biggest economy – are ranked higher on the index in the seventies range, respectively.

In fact, the country's position in the past decade has hovered around the eighties, even dipping to the 90th spot two years ago. Such standings appear poor when measured against Asian nations such as Japan, South Korea and Singapore, all maintaining top positions.

Global Passport Power Measures

The power of a passport indicates a nation's soft power and international standing. This leads to enhanced travel freedom for its citizens, boosting business and educational prospects. A weak passport means additional documentation, 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, eight years ago – when the current administration's ruling party came to power – 52 countries offered visa-free travel to Indians and its passport at seventy-sixth position on the index.

The following year, it fell to eighty-fifth place, then rose to 80th in 2023 and 2024, dropping again to the eighty-fifth spot this year. Meanwhile, visa-free destinations to Indian citizens grew from 52 in 2015 to sixty last year and sixty-two this year.

Increasing Worldwide Travel Competition

The number of nations allowing visa-free entry in 2025 (57) exceeds the number in 2015 (fifty-two), yet India's rank during both periods is 85. What explains this situation?

Analysts note that a major reason is the increasingly competitive landscape in global mobility – meaning countries are forming additional travel agreements for their populations' advantage and their economies. According to a 2025 report, the global average number of destinations people can visit without visas has almost doubled from 58 in 2006 to one hundred nine currently.

As an illustration, The Chinese passport has expanded its count of visa-free countries its citizens can travel to from fifty to eighty-two over the last ten years. Consequently, its position in the ranking has enhanced from 94th to 60th during the same time period.

In comparison, India – previously positioned at seventy-seventh place during summer – fell to eighty-fifth place in October after losing access of two nations.

Other Influences Affecting Passport Strength

A former Indian ambassador notes multiple elements that affect the strength of a country's passport, like its economic and political stability plus its openness to accepting travelers from abroad.

For instance, the US passport has fallen from the top ten currently holding the 12th position – its lowest ever – due to its increasingly insular stance in global affairs.

The former ambassador recalls that during the seventies, Indian citizens had visa-free travel to many Western and European countries, though this shifted after the Khalistan movement during the eighties. Subsequent political upheavals have further chipped away at India's image as a stable, democratic country.

"Numerous nations are also becoming increasingly wary of immigrants," he stated. "The country possesses a large quantity of citizens emigrating overseas or overstaying their visas and that interferes with the national image."

Elements such as how secure a country's passport is and immigration processes also play a role to obtaining visa-free entry to foreign nations.

Security and Technological Improvements

India's passport faces ongoing security risks. In 2024, authorities detained 203 people for suspected visa and passport fraud. India is also known for cumbersome immigration procedures with lengthy timelines of visa processing.

The former ambassador indicated that new technologies, like India's recently-launched digital passport or e-passport, can improve security and ease the immigration process. The e-passport contains a small chip holding biometric data, increasing difficulty to counterfeit or alter the document.

But, more diplomatic outreach and travel agreements continue essential to boosting the global mobility for Indian citizens and, by extension, India's passport ranking.