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

He mentioned although neighbouring countries like Sri Lanka and Bhutan were more welcoming of Indian tourists, securing travel permits for visiting many nations in Europe and the West continued to be difficult.

This dissatisfaction with India's poor passport strength was reflected in recent global passport ranking, ranking the country in the 85th spot out of nearly two hundred nations, five spots lower compared to the previous year.

The Indian government has not commented regarding these findings yet.

Countries including Ghana, Rwanda and Azerbaijan despite smaller economic size than India – which is the fifth-largest economy globally – hold better positions in the ranking at the 78th, 74th and 72nd spots, in that order.

In fact, India's rank in the past decade has remained around the eighties, falling to ninetieth place in 2021. Such standings appear poor compared to Asian nations such as Singapore, Japan and South Korea, all maintaining leading ranks.

What Passport Strength Indicates

Passport strength indicates a nation's soft power and international standing. It also translates into enhanced travel freedom for passport holders, improving commercial and educational prospects. A weak passport results in additional documentation, increased visa expenses, fewer travel privileges and longer waiting times when journeying.

However, even with the decline in the rank, the number of countries providing visa-free travel to Indians has grown in the past decade or so.

For example, eight years ago – the year Prime Minister Narendra Modi's ruling party came to power – fifty-two nations provided visa-free travel to Indians with the passport ranked 76th in the ranking.

The following year, it fell to eighty-fifth place, then improved to 80th in 2023 and 2024, dropping again to the eighty-fifth spot this year. Meanwhile, countries allowing visa-free travel to Indian citizens grew from 52 in 2015 to 60 in 2023 and sixty-two this year.

The Competitive Global Mobility Landscape

The count of nations allowing visa-free entry this year (57) exceeds what it was eight years ago (fifty-two), but the country's position during both periods remains at eighty-fifth. What explains this situation?

Experts say that a primary factor involves growing competition in international travel – indicating that nations are forming additional travel agreements to benefit their citizens and their economies. According to a 2025 report, the worldwide mean number of destinations people can visit without visas has nearly doubled from 58 in 2006 to one hundred nine currently.

For example, The Chinese passport has expanded the number of visa-free countries available to its citizens from fifty to eighty-two over the last ten years. As a result, its position on the index has enhanced from 94th to 60th during the same time period.

Meanwhile, The Indian passport – which was ranked 77th on the index in July – dropped to eighty-fifth place in October following the loss of two nations.

Other Influences Affecting Passport Strength

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

For instance, the US passport has dropped out from the top ten currently holding the 12th position – its lowest ever – because of its more inward-looking approach in global affairs.

The former ambassador recalls that during the seventies, Indians enjoyed visa-free access to numerous European and Western nations, though this shifted following Khalistan movement in the 1980s. Later political disturbances have further chipped away the country's reputation as a stable, democratic country.

"Numerous nations are growing increasingly wary regarding migrants," he stated. "The country possesses a high number of citizens emigrating overseas or overstaying their visas affecting the national image."

Elements such as the security level a country's passport is and immigration processes also play a role in gaining visa-free entry to foreign nations.

Security and Technological Improvements

The Indian passport faces ongoing security risks. Last year, authorities arrested over two hundred individuals for suspected passport and visa irregularities. The country also has complex immigration processes with lengthy timelines for visa approvals.

The former ambassador indicated that new technologies, such as the newly introduced electronic passport or e-passport, may enhance safety and ease the immigration process. This electronic document includes a microchip holding biometric information, increasing difficulty to counterfeit or alter the document.

But, more diplomatic outreach and travel partnerships continue essential to boosting international travel freedom for Indian citizens and consequently, India's passport ranking.