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Earlier this year, an online clip by a popular travel content creator complaining about India's weak passport gained massive traction on social media.

The influencer stated although nearby nations like Sri Lanka and Bhutan were more welcoming to travelers from India, obtaining visas to travel to many nations in Europe and the West continued to be difficult.

Such concerns regarding India's poor passport strength was reflected in the latest Henley Passport Index, ranking the country at position eighty-five out of nearly two hundred nations, a decline of five positions compared to the previous year.

The Indian government has not commented on the report so far.

Countries including Rwanda, Ghana and Azerbaijan despite smaller economic size compared to India – which is the fifth-largest economy globally – are ranked higher in the ranking at the 78th, 74th and 72nd spots, respectively.

Actually, India's rank in the past decade has remained in the 80s, falling to ninetieth place two years ago. These rankings appear poor when measured against Asian nations like Singapore, Japan and South Korea, all maintaining leading ranks.

Global Passport Power Measures

The power of a passport reflects a nation's soft power and global influence. It also translates into enhanced travel freedom for passport holders, boosting business and learning opportunities. Limited passport power means more paperwork, increased visa expenses, reduced travel benefits and extended processing periods for travel.

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

As an instance, eight years ago – when the current administration's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) came to power – 52 countries provided visa-free travel for Indian passport holders and its passport at seventy-sixth position on the index.

The following year, it fell to eighty-fifth place, then rose to 80th in 2023 and 2024, dropping again to the 85th position currently. At the same time, visa-free destinations to Indian citizens increased from fifty-two eight years ago to sixty last year and 62 in 2024.

Increasing Worldwide Travel Competition

The count of visa-free destinations in 2025 (57) exceeds the number in 2015 (fifty-two), but the country's position for both these years remains at eighty-fifth. So, why is that?

Analysts note that a primary factor is the increasingly competitive landscape in global mobility – meaning countries are entering into more travel partnerships to benefit their citizens and their economies. As per recent analysis, the global average number of destinations people can visit without visas has almost doubled from 58 in 2006 to one hundred nine currently.

For example, The Chinese passport has expanded its count of visa-free destinations its citizens can travel to from fifty to eighty-two in the past decade. Consequently, its rank in the ranking has enhanced from ninety-fourth to sixtieth during the same time period.

Meanwhile, India – which was ranked at seventy-seventh place during summer – dropped to eighty-fifth place this autumn following the loss to two countries.

Additional Factors Impacting Passport Power

An ex-diplomat from India notes multiple elements influencing a nation's passport power, like its economic and political stability plus its receptiveness to accepting travelers from other countries.

For instance, the American passport has fallen of the top 10 currently holding twelfth place – its lowest ever – because of its increasingly insular stance in world politics.

The former ambassador recalls how in the 1970s, Indians enjoyed visa-free access to many Western and European countries, though this shifted after the Khalistan movement in the 1980s. Later political disturbances have continued to damage at India's image as a stable, democratic country.

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

Factors such as the security level a country's passport is and its immigration procedures also play a role to obtaining visa-free access to other countries.

Enhanced Security Measures

The Indian passport remains vulnerable to security risks. Last year, authorities arrested 203 people for suspected visa and passport fraud. India is also known for complex immigration processes and a slow pace of visa processing.

The former ambassador indicated that technological advances, like India's recently-launched electronic passport or e-passport, may enhance safety and streamline immigration. The e-passport includes a small chip holding biometric data, making it harder to forge or tamper with the document.

But, increased diplomatic efforts and travel partnerships remain key for enhancing the global mobility for Indian citizens and, by extension, the Indian passport's global position.