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In recent months, a video by an Indian travel influencer complaining about India's weak passport went viral on social media.

The influencer stated that while nearby nations such as Bhutan and Sri Lanka were more welcoming to 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 was reflected in the latest global passport ranking, which placed India at position eighty-five among 199 countries, five spots lower than last year.

The Indian government have not issued a statement on the report yet.

Nations like Rwanda, Ghana and Azerbaijan with much smaller economies compared to India – a nation that is the fifth-largest economy globally – are ranked higher in the ranking in the seventies range, respectively.

Actually, the country's position in the past decade has hovered in the 80s, even dipping to ninetieth place in 2021. These rankings appear poor when measured against other Asian countries such as Japan, South Korea and Singapore, all maintaining top positions.

What Passport Strength Indicates

Passport strength indicates a nation's soft power and international standing. It also translates into enhanced travel freedom for its citizens, improving commercial and learning opportunities. A weak passport results in more paperwork, increased visa expenses, fewer travel privileges and extended processing periods when journeying.

But despite the decline in the rank, the number of countries providing visa-free travel to Indians has grown over the last ten years.

For example, eight years ago – when Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) assumed office – fifty-two nations offered visa-free travel to Indians and its passport ranked 76th in the ranking.

The following year, it tumbled to the 85th position, then rose to eightieth over the past two years, dropping again to the 85th position currently. At the same time, visa-free destinations for Indians grew from 52 in 2015 to 60 in 2023 and 62 in 2024.

Increasing Worldwide Travel Competition

The count of visa-free destinations this year (fifty-seven) is higher than what it was in 2015 (fifty-two), yet the country's position during both periods remains at eighty-fifth. What explains this situation?

Experts say that a major reason is the increasingly competitive landscape in global mobility – meaning countries are forming more travel partnerships to benefit their citizens and economic growth. As per a 2025 report, the global average number of destinations travellers are able to access without visas has almost doubled from fifty-eight nineteen years ago to 109 in 2025.

As an illustration, China has increased the number of visa-free destinations available to its citizens from 50 to 82 in the past decade. As a result, its position in the ranking has enhanced from ninety-fourth to sixtieth during the same time period.

In comparison, The Indian passport – which was ranked 77th on the index during summer – dropped to the 85th position this autumn after losing access to two countries.

Other Influences Affecting Passport Strength

An ex-diplomat from India notes there are other factors that affect the strength of a country's passport, including economic and political conditions as well as its openness to welcoming citizens from abroad.

For instance, the American passport has dropped out from the top ten and now occupies twelfth place – its lowest ever – due to its more inward-looking approach in world politics.

The diplomat recalls that during the seventies, Indians enjoyed visa-free travel to many Western and European countries, but that changed after the Sikh separatist movement during the eighties. Subsequent political upheavals have continued to damage the country's reputation as a stable, democratic country.

"Many countries are growing increasingly wary regarding migrants," he stated. "India has a large quantity of citizens emigrating to other countries or remaining beyond visa limits and that interferes with the country's reputation."

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

Enhanced Security Measures

India's passport faces ongoing security threats. Last year, law enforcement arrested over two hundred individuals for suspected visa and passport fraud. India is also known for cumbersome immigration procedures and a slow pace of visa processing.

The former ambassador says that technological advances, like India's recently-launched digital passport or e-passport, may enhance safety and streamline immigration. This electronic document includes a microchip holding biometric information, increasing difficulty to counterfeit or alter the passport.

However, increased diplomatic efforts and travel partnerships remain key to boosting international travel freedom of Indians and, by extension, India's passport ranking.