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In recent months, an online clip from a popular travel content creator expressing frustration over India's weak passport went viral across digital platforms.

He mentioned that while neighbouring countries such as Sri Lanka and Bhutan offered easier access of Indian tourists, obtaining visas to travel to many nations in Europe and the West remained a challenge.

Such concerns with India's poor passport strength was reflected in recent global passport ranking, ranking the country at position eighty-five among 199 countries, a decline of five positions compared to the previous year.

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

Nations including Rwanda, Ghana and Azerbaijan with much smaller economies compared to India – which is the fifth-largest economy globally – hold better positions in the ranking in the seventies range, in that order.

Actually, India's rank in the past decade has remained around the eighties, even dipping to the 90th spot two years ago. Such standings appear poor when measured against other Asian countries such as Singapore, Japan and South Korea, all maintaining top positions.

What Passport Strength Indicates

The power of a passport reflects a nation's soft power and international standing. This leads to enhanced travel freedom for its citizens, boosting business and learning opportunities. A weak passport means more paperwork, increased visa expenses, reduced travel benefits and extended processing periods when journeying.

However, even with the decline in the rank, the count of nations providing visa-free travel for Indian citizens has actually increased over the last ten years.

For example, eight years ago – when Prime Minister Narendra Modi's ruling party came to power – fifty-two nations offered visa-free access to Indians and its passport at seventy-sixth position on the index.

A year later, it fell to eighty-fifth place, then rose to 80th over the past two years, declining once more to the 85th position this year. At the same time, visa-free destinations for Indians grew from fifty-two eight years ago to 60 in 2023 and 62 in 2024.

Increasing Worldwide Travel Competition

The number of nations allowing visa-free entry this year (57) exceeds what it was eight years ago (52), yet the country's position during both periods remains at eighty-fifth. What explains this situation?

Analysts note that a primary factor is the increasingly competitive landscape in global mobility – indicating that nations are forming more travel partnerships for their populations' advantage and their economies. According to a 2025 report, the worldwide mean number of destinations travellers are able to access without visas has almost doubled from fifty-eight nineteen years ago to 109 in 2025.

For example, China has increased its count of visa-free countries its citizens can travel to from 50 to 82 over the last ten years. As a result, its rank on the index has enhanced from 94th to 60th during the same time period.

Meanwhile, India – previously positioned at seventy-seventh place in July – fell to eighty-fifth place in October after losing access to two countries.

Other Influences Affecting Passport Strength

An ex-diplomat from India says multiple elements that affect the strength of a country's passport, including its economic and political stability plus its openness to accepting travelers from abroad.

For example, the American passport has fallen from the top ten currently holding twelfth place – its lowest ever – because of its increasingly insular stance in global affairs.

The former ambassador mentioned how in the 1970s, Indian citizens had visa-free access to numerous European and Western nations, but that changed after the Sikh separatist movement during the eighties. Subsequent political upheavals have further chipped away at India's image as a stable, democratic country.

"Numerous nations are also becoming increasingly wary of immigrants," the diplomat added. "India has a high number of people migrating overseas or remaining beyond visa limits affecting the country's reputation."

Factors such as how secure of a national passport and immigration processes also play a role in gaining visa-free entry to other countries.

Security and Technological Improvements

India's passport faces ongoing security threats. In 2024, law enforcement arrested 203 people for suspected visa and passport fraud. The country also has cumbersome immigration procedures with lengthy timelines of visa processing.

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

However, more diplomatic outreach and travel partnerships remain key to boosting the global mobility of Indians and consequently, India's passport ranking.