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Earlier this year, a video from an Indian travel influencer complaining about the limited power of the Indian passport gained massive traction across digital platforms.

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

This dissatisfaction with India's poor passport strength was reflected in the latest global passport ranking, which placed India at position eighty-five out of 199 countries, five spots lower compared to the previous year.

The Indian government has not commented on the report yet.

Nations like Rwanda, Ghana and Azerbaijan with much smaller economies than India – which is the fifth-largest economy globally – are ranked higher on the index at the 78th, 74th and 72nd spots, respectively.

Actually, the country's position over the last ten years has hovered around the eighties, falling to the 90th spot in 2021. These rankings are dismal compared to Asian nations like Singapore, Japan and South Korea, all maintaining top positions.

What Passport Strength Measures

The power of a passport reflects a country's global influence and global influence. This leads to enhanced travel freedom for its citizens, boosting business and educational prospects. A weak passport results in additional documentation, higher visa costs, fewer travel privileges and extended processing periods when journeying.

But despite the decline in the rank, the count of nations offering visa-free access for Indian citizens has actually increased over the last ten years.

For example, eight years ago – the year the current administration's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) came to power – 52 countries provided visa-free travel to Indians with the passport ranked 76th in the ranking.

The following year, it fell to the 85th position, then rose to 80th in 2023 and 2024, declining once more to the eighty-fifth spot currently. At the same time, visa-free destinations to Indian citizens increased from 52 in 2015 to 60 in 2023 and sixty-two this year.

Increasing Worldwide Travel Competition

The count of visa-free destinations in 2025 (57) exceeds the number eight years ago (52), but the country's position during both periods is 85. So, why is that?

Analysts note that a major reason involves growing competition in global mobility – indicating that countries are forming additional travel agreements for their populations' advantage and economic growth. According to recent analysis, the worldwide mean count of countries travellers are able to access visa-free has nearly doubled from fifty-eight nineteen years ago to 109 in 2025.

As an illustration, China has expanded the number of visa-free destinations available to its citizens from fifty to eighty-two in the past decade. As a result, its position on the index has improved from 94th to 60th during the same time period.

Meanwhile, India – which was ranked 77th on the index in July – fell to eighty-fifth place in October following the loss to two countries.

Additional Factors Affecting Passport Strength

An ex-diplomat from India notes multiple elements influencing the strength of a country's passport, including its economic and political stability as well as its receptiveness to accepting travelers from other countries.

For instance, the American passport has fallen of the top 10 and now occupies the 12th position – its lowest ever – due to its increasingly insular stance in global affairs.

The former ambassador recalls that during the seventies, Indians enjoyed visa-free access to numerous European and Western nations, but that changed following Khalistan movement in the 1980s. Subsequent political upheavals have continued to damage at India's image as a stable, democratic country.

"Many countries are also becoming increasingly wary of immigrants," the diplomat added. "India has a large quantity of citizens emigrating overseas or remaining beyond visa limits and that interferes with the national image."

Factors like how secure a country's passport is and its immigration procedures also contribute to obtaining visa-free entry to other countries.

Enhanced Security Measures

The Indian passport faces ongoing security risks. Last year, law enforcement arrested over two hundred individuals for alleged passport and visa irregularities. India is also known for complex immigration processes with lengthy timelines of visa processing.

The diplomat says that technological advances, like India's recently-launched digital passport or e-passport, may enhance safety and ease the immigration process. The e-passport contains a microchip holding biometric information, increasing difficulty to counterfeit or alter the passport.

But, more diplomatic outreach and travel agreements remain key for enhancing international travel freedom of Indians and, by extension, India's passport ranking.