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In recent months, a video from a popular travel content creator complaining about the limited power of the Indian passport went viral on social media.

He mentioned that while neighbouring countries such as Bhutan and Sri Lanka were more welcoming to Indian tourists, obtaining visas to travel to most Western and European countries remained a challenge.

This dissatisfaction with India's poor passport strength found confirmation in the latest Henley Passport Index, ranking the country at position eighty-five among nearly two hundred nations, a decline of five positions compared to the previous year.

Officials in India have not issued a statement regarding these findings yet.

Countries like Rwanda, Ghana and Azerbaijan with much smaller economies than India – a nation that is the fifth-largest economy globally – are ranked higher in the ranking at the 78th, 74th and 72nd spots, respectively.

Actually, India's rank over the last ten years has remained in the 80s, falling to the 90th spot in 2021. Such standings appear poor compared to Asian nations like Japan, South Korea and Singapore, which have consistently held top positions.

Global Passport Power Indicates

The power of a passport reflects a nation's soft power and global influence. It also translates into enhanced travel freedom for passport holders, improving commercial and educational prospects. Limited passport power means more paperwork, increased visa expenses, fewer travel privileges and extended processing periods when journeying.

However, even with the drop in position, the count of nations offering visa-free access to Indians has actually increased over the last ten years.

For example, eight years ago – the year Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) assumed office – 52 countries offered visa-free access to Indians and its passport ranked 76th in the ranking.

A year later, it tumbled to eighty-fifth place, then rose to 80th over the past two years, declining once more to the eighty-fifth spot this year. At the same time, visa-free destinations for Indians grew from 52 in 2015 to sixty last year and 62 in 2024.

Increasing Worldwide Travel Competition

The number of visa-free destinations in 2025 (fifty-seven) exceeds what it was eight years ago (52), yet the country's position during both periods is 85. So, why is that?

Analysts note that a major reason is the increasingly competitive landscape in international travel – indicating that nations are forming more travel partnerships for their populations' advantage and their economies. As per a 2025 report, the global average number of destinations people can visit visa-free has nearly doubled from 58 in 2006 to 109 in 2025.

As an illustration, The Chinese passport has increased its count of visa-free destinations available to its citizens from 50 to 82 in the past decade. Consequently, its rank on the index has improved from ninety-fourth to sixtieth in that same duration.

In comparison, The Indian passport – previously positioned 77th on the index in July – fell to the 85th position in October after losing access to two countries.

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 as well as its openness to welcoming citizens from other countries.

For instance, the US passport has fallen from the top ten currently holding 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 access to numerous European and Western nations, but that changed after the Khalistan movement in the 1980s. Subsequent political upheavals have continued to damage the country's reputation as a stable, democratic country.

"Numerous nations are growing more cautious regarding migrants," the diplomat added. "India has a large quantity of people migrating to other countries or overstaying their visas affecting the national image."

Elements like the security level a country's passport is and immigration processes also contribute in gaining visa-free entry to other countries.

Security and Technological Improvements

India's passport remains vulnerable to security threats. In 2024, law enforcement detained 203 people for suspected passport and visa irregularities. India is also known for cumbersome immigration procedures and a slow pace for visa approvals.

The diplomat says that technological advances, like India's recently-launched digital passport or e-passport, can improve security and streamline immigration. This electronic document includes a small chip holding biometric data, increasing difficulty to forge or tamper with the passport.

However, increased diplomatic efforts and travel agreements continue essential for enhancing the global mobility of Indians and, by extension, the Indian passport's global position.