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Earlier this year, an online clip from a popular travel content creator complaining about the limited power of the Indian passport gained massive traction across digital platforms.

The influencer stated although nearby nations such as Sri Lanka and Bhutan were more welcoming of travelers from India, obtaining visas for visiting most Western and European countries remained a challenge.

This dissatisfaction regarding the limited global access of Indian passports was reflected in recent global passport ranking, which placed the country in the 85th spot out of 199 countries, a decline of five positions than last year.

The Indian government has not commented regarding these findings so far.

Nations including Rwanda, Ghana and Azerbaijan despite smaller economic size than India – which is the world's fifth biggest economy – are ranked higher on the index in the seventies range, respectively.

In fact, India's rank over the last ten years has remained around the eighties, even dipping to the 90th spot in 2021. These rankings appear poor when measured against other Asian countries like Singapore, Japan and South Korea, which have consistently held leading ranks.

What Passport Strength Measures

Passport strength reflects a country's global influence and international standing. It also translates into better mobility for its citizens, boosting business and learning opportunities. Limited passport power means more paperwork, higher visa costs, reduced travel benefits and longer waiting times when journeying.

But despite the drop in position, the number of countries providing visa-free travel to Indians has actually increased in the past decade or so.

For example, eight years ago – when Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) assumed office – 52 countries provided visa-free travel for Indian passport holders with the passport at seventy-sixth position in the ranking.

A year later, it fell to eighty-fifth place, then improved to 80th over the past two years, dropping again to the eighty-fifth spot this year. At the same time, countries allowing visa-free travel to Indian citizens increased from 52 in 2015 to 60 in 2023 and 62 in 2024.

The Competitive Global Mobility Landscape

The number of nations allowing visa-free entry this year (fifty-seven) is higher than the number in 2015 (52), yet the country's position for both these years remains at eighty-fifth. So, why is that?

Analysts note that a primary factor involves growing competition in global mobility – indicating that nations are forming additional travel agreements to benefit their citizens and their economies. As per a 2025 report, the global average count of countries travellers are able to access visa-free has almost doubled from fifty-eight nineteen years ago to one hundred nine currently.

As an illustration, 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 rank on the index has enhanced from 94th to 60th in that same duration.

Meanwhile, The Indian passport – which was ranked 77th on the index in July – fell to eighty-fifth place this autumn after losing access to two countries.

Other Influences Impacting Passport Power

An ex-diplomat from India notes there are other factors influencing a nation's passport power, like economic and political conditions as well as its receptiveness to welcoming citizens from other countries.

For instance, the US passport has fallen from the top ten currently holding the 12th position – its lowest ever – due to its more inward-looking approach in world politics.

The diplomat recalls how in the 1970s, Indian citizens had visa-free access to numerous European and Western nations, though this shifted after the Sikh separatist movement during the eighties. Subsequent political upheavals have further chipped away at India's image as a stable democracy.

"Numerous nations are growing more cautious of immigrants," he stated. "India has a high number of citizens emigrating overseas or overstaying their visas and that interferes with the national image."

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

Enhanced Security Measures

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

The diplomat says that new technologies, such as the newly introduced electronic passport or e-passport, can improve security and ease the immigration process. The e-passport contains a small chip that stores biometric data, making it harder to counterfeit or alter the passport.

However, more diplomatic outreach and travel agreements remain key to boosting the global mobility of Indians and consequently, the Indian passport's global position.