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In recent months, an online clip from a popular travel content creator expressing frustration over India's weak passport gained massive traction on social media.

The influencer stated although nearby nations such as Sri Lanka and Bhutan offered easier access to Indian tourists, obtaining visas to travel to most Western and European countries continued to be difficult.

Such concerns with the limited global access of Indian passports found confirmation in the latest Henley Passport Index, ranking India in the 85th spot among nearly two hundred nations, a decline of five positions compared to the previous year.

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

Nations like Rwanda, Ghana and Azerbaijan with much smaller economies than India – a nation that is the fifth-largest economy globally – hold better positions on the index in the seventies range, respectively.

In fact, the country's position in the past decade has hovered in the 80s, falling to ninetieth place in 2021. Such standings are dismal when measured against other Asian countries such as Singapore, Japan and South Korea, all maintaining leading ranks.

What Passport Strength Indicates

Passport strength reflects a nation's soft power and global influence. This leads to better mobility for its citizens, improving commercial and learning opportunities. Limited passport power means more paperwork, higher visa costs, fewer travel privileges and longer waiting times when journeying.

However, even with the drop in position, the number of countries providing visa-free travel to Indians has actually increased over the last ten years.

As an instance, eight years ago – the year Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) assumed office – 52 countries provided visa-free travel for Indian passport holders and its passport at seventy-sixth position on the index.

A year later, it fell to the 85th position, then improved to eightieth in 2023 and 2024, dropping again to the eighty-fifth spot currently. At the same time, countries allowing visa-free travel for Indians grew from fifty-two eight years ago to sixty last year and 62 in 2024.

Increasing Worldwide Travel Competition

The number of visa-free destinations in 2025 (fifty-seven) is higher than the number eight years ago (52), yet the country's position for both these years is 85. So, why is that?

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

For example, The Chinese passport has increased the number of visa-free countries its citizens can travel to from 50 to 82 in the past decade. 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 at seventy-seventh place in July – dropped to eighty-fifth place in October following the loss to two countries.

Other Influences Affecting Passport Strength

A former Indian ambassador says there are other factors influencing a nation's passport power, like its economic and political stability as well as its receptiveness to accepting travelers from abroad.

For example, the American passport has fallen of the top 10 and now occupies twelfth place – a historic low – due to its more inward-looking approach in global affairs.

The former ambassador mentioned that during the seventies, Indian citizens had visa-free travel to many Western and European countries, but that changed 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 also becoming more cautious regarding migrants," the diplomat added. "The country possesses a high number of citizens emigrating overseas or remaining beyond visa limits affecting the national image."

Factors such as the security level of a national passport and its immigration procedures also play a role in gaining visa-free access to foreign nations.

Security and Technological Improvements

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

The former ambassador says that new technologies, like India's recently-launched digital passport or e-passport, may enhance safety and streamline immigration. The e-passport contains a microchip that stores biometric information, increasing difficulty to counterfeit or alter the document.

But, more diplomatic outreach and travel partnerships continue essential to boosting international travel freedom of Indians and, by extension, India's passport ranking.