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In recent months, an online clip by an Indian travel influencer complaining about India's weak passport gained massive traction on social media.

He mentioned although nearby nations such as Sri Lanka and Bhutan were more welcoming to Indian tourists, obtaining visas for visiting many nations in Europe and the West remained a challenge.

This dissatisfaction regarding India's poor passport strength was reflected in the latest Henley Passport Index, ranking India in the 85th spot out of nearly two hundred nations, five spots lower compared to the previous year.

The Indian government has not commented on the report yet.

Countries including Ghana, Rwanda and Azerbaijan despite smaller economic size than India – a nation that is the fifth-largest economy globally – hold better positions in the ranking in the seventies range, respectively.

Actually, India's rank over the last ten years has remained in the 80s, falling to ninetieth place in 2021. These rankings appear poor compared to other Asian countries like Japan, South Korea and Singapore, all maintaining top positions.

Global Passport Power Measures

Passport strength indicates a nation's soft power and international standing. It also translates into better mobility for its citizens, improving commercial and learning opportunities. Limited passport power results in more paperwork, higher visa costs, fewer travel privileges and extended processing periods for travel.

However, even with the drop in position, the count of nations providing visa-free travel to Indians has actually increased over the last ten years.

As an instance, in 2014 – the year Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) came to power – fifty-two nations offered visa-free travel to Indians and its passport ranked 76th in the ranking.

A year later, it fell to eighty-fifth place, then rose to 80th in 2023 and 2024, declining once more to the eighty-fifth spot this year. At the same time, visa-free destinations 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) is higher than what it was eight years ago (52), but India's rank during both periods is 85. What explains this situation?

Experts say that a major reason involves growing competition in global mobility – indicating that countries are entering into additional travel agreements to benefit their citizens and economic growth. As per a 2025 report, the worldwide mean number of destinations people can visit visa-free has almost doubled from fifty-eight nineteen years ago to 109 in 2025.

For example, The Chinese passport has expanded its count of visa-free countries available to its citizens from 50 to 82 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, India – which was ranked at seventy-seventh place during summer – dropped to eighty-fifth place this autumn following the loss of two nations.

Additional Factors Impacting Passport Power

A former Indian ambassador notes there are other factors that affect a nation's passport power, including economic and political conditions as well as its openness to welcoming citizens from other countries.

For instance, the American passport has dropped out from the top ten and now occupies twelfth place – a historic low – because of its more inward-looking approach in world politics.

The diplomat recalls that during the seventies, Indian citizens had visa-free access to numerous European and Western nations, though this shifted following Khalistan movement during the eighties. Later political disturbances have continued to damage at India's image as a stable democracy.

"Numerous nations are also becoming more cautious regarding migrants," the diplomat added. "India has a high number of people migrating to other countries or overstaying their visas and that interferes with the national image."

Elements like how secure of a national passport and its immigration procedures also contribute to obtaining visa-free access to other countries.

Enhanced Security Measures

The Indian passport remains vulnerable to security risks. In 2024, authorities detained 203 people for suspected passport and visa irregularities. India is also known for complex immigration processes with lengthy timelines of visa processing.

The former ambassador indicated that technological advances, like India's recently-launched digital passport or e-passport, can improve security and streamline immigration. This electronic document includes a small chip that stores biometric information, making it harder to forge or tamper with the document.

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