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In recent months, an online clip from an Indian travel influencer expressing frustration over India's weak passport gained massive traction across digital platforms.

The influencer stated although nearby nations like Bhutan and Sri Lanka offered easier access of Indian tourists, obtaining visas to travel to many nations in Europe and the West remained a challenge.

Such concerns regarding the limited global access of Indian passports found confirmation in the latest global passport ranking, ranking India in the 85th spot out of 199 countries, a decline of five positions compared to the previous year.

Officials in India has not commented on the report yet.

Nations like Rwanda, Ghana and Azerbaijan despite smaller economic size than India – which is the world's fifth biggest economy – are ranked higher on the index at the 78th, 74th and 72nd spots, respectively.

In fact, the country's position over the last ten years has remained around the eighties, even dipping to the 90th spot two years ago. Such standings appear poor when measured against other Asian countries like Japan, South Korea and Singapore, which have consistently held leading ranks.

Global Passport Power Measures

Passport strength reflects a nation's soft power and global influence. It also translates into enhanced travel freedom for its citizens, improving commercial and educational prospects. A weak passport results in additional documentation, increased visa expenses, fewer travel privileges and longer waiting times 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.

For example, in 2014 – the year Prime Minister Narendra Modi's ruling party came to power – 52 countries offered visa-free access for Indian passport holders with the passport ranked 76th in the ranking.

A year later, it fell to eighty-fifth place, then rose to 80th over the past two years, dropping again 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 sixty-two this year.

The Competitive Global Mobility Landscape

The number of visa-free destinations this year (57) is higher than the number in 2015 (fifty-two), yet India's rank for both these years is 85. What explains this situation?

Analysts note that a major reason is the increasingly competitive landscape in international travel – indicating that nations are forming additional travel agreements for their populations' advantage and their economies. As per a 2025 report, the global average count of countries people can visit visa-free has almost doubled from fifty-eight nineteen years ago to one hundred nine currently.

For example, China has increased its count of visa-free destinations its citizens can travel to from fifty to eighty-two over the last ten years. Consequently, its rank in the ranking has improved from ninety-fourth to sixtieth in that same duration.

Meanwhile, India – which was ranked 77th on the index during summer – fell to eighty-fifth place in October after losing access to two countries.

Additional Factors Impacting Passport Power

An ex-diplomat from India says there are other factors influencing a nation's passport power, including its economic and political stability as well as its receptiveness 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 world politics.

The former ambassador recalls that during the seventies, Indians enjoyed visa-free travel to numerous European and Western nations, though this shifted after the 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 growing more cautious regarding migrants," the diplomat added. "The country possesses a high number of people migrating overseas or overstaying their visas affecting the national image."

Factors like how secure a country's passport is and its immigration procedures also contribute in gaining visa-free entry to foreign nations.

Security and Technological Improvements

India's passport remains vulnerable to security risks. In 2024, authorities detained over two hundred individuals for alleged passport and visa irregularities. The country also has cumbersome immigration procedures and a slow pace for visa approvals.

The former ambassador indicated that new technologies, such as the newly introduced electronic passport or e-passport, can improve security and ease the immigration process. This electronic document includes a microchip that stores biometric data, making it harder to counterfeit or alter the document.

But, more diplomatic outreach and travel partnerships remain key for enhancing international travel freedom for Indian citizens and, by extension, the Indian passport's global position.