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In recent months, a video from an Indian travel influencer complaining about the limited power of the Indian passport went viral across digital platforms.

The influencer stated that while neighbouring countries such as Bhutan and Sri Lanka were more welcoming of Indian tourists, securing travel permits to travel to many nations in Europe and the West remained a challenge.

Such concerns with India's poor passport strength found confirmation in the latest global passport ranking, ranking India at position eighty-five out of 199 countries, a decline of five positions than last year.

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

Countries like Ghana, Rwanda and Azerbaijan despite smaller economic size than India – which is the world's fifth biggest economy – hold better positions in the ranking in the seventies range, respectively.

Actually, the country's position over the last ten years has remained in the 80s, falling to the 90th spot in 2021. These rankings are dismal when measured against Asian nations like Japan, South Korea and Singapore, which have consistently held top positions.

Global Passport Power Indicates

Passport strength reflects a country's global influence and international standing. It also translates into better mobility for passport holders, improving commercial and educational prospects. Limited passport power results in more paperwork, higher visa costs, fewer travel privileges and longer waiting times for travel.

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

For example, eight years ago – when the current administration's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) came to power – 52 countries provided visa-free access to Indians with the passport at seventy-sixth position on the index.

A year later, it fell to eighty-fifth place, then improved to eightieth over the past two years, dropping again to the eighty-fifth spot currently. At the same time, countries allowing visa-free travel to Indian citizens increased from fifty-two eight years ago to sixty last year and sixty-two this year.

The Competitive Global Mobility Landscape

The number of visa-free destinations in 2025 (57) exceeds the number in 2015 (52), yet India's rank during both periods is 85. So, why is that?

Analysts note that a primary factor involves growing competition in international travel – meaning nations are forming additional travel agreements to benefit their citizens and economic growth. According to recent analysis, the worldwide mean count of countries travellers are able to access without visas has nearly doubled from 58 in 2006 to one hundred nine currently.

For example, China has expanded its count of visa-free destinations available to its citizens from fifty to eighty-two in the past decade. As a result, its rank on the index has enhanced from 94th to 60th during the same time period.

In comparison, India – which was ranked 77th on the index in July – fell to the 85th position in October after losing access of two nations.

Other Influences Impacting Passport Power

An ex-diplomat from India notes there are other factors influencing the strength of a country's passport, including economic and political conditions plus its receptiveness to welcoming citizens from abroad.

For example, the US passport has dropped out of the top 10 and now occupies twelfth place – its lowest ever – due to its increasingly insular stance in world politics.

The diplomat recalls that during the seventies, Indians enjoyed visa-free travel to many Western and European countries, though this shifted after the Sikh separatist movement in the 1980s. Subsequent political upheavals have further chipped away at India's image as a stable democracy.

"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 country's reputation."

Elements like how secure of a national passport and immigration processes also contribute in gaining visa-free access to other countries.

Security and Technological Improvements

The Indian passport remains vulnerable to security threats. Last year, law enforcement detained over two hundred individuals for alleged visa and passport fraud. The country also has cumbersome immigration procedures with lengthy timelines of visa processing.

The diplomat indicated that technological advances, like India's recently-launched digital passport or e-passport, may enhance safety and ease the immigration process. The e-passport includes a small chip that stores biometric data, increasing difficulty to forge or tamper with the document.

However, increased diplomatic efforts and travel agreements continue essential for enhancing international travel freedom for Indian citizens and, by extension, the Indian passport's global position.