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Earlier this year, a video from an Indian travel influencer complaining about India's weak passport went viral on social media.

He mentioned that while nearby nations like Bhutan and Sri Lanka were more welcoming of Indian tourists, obtaining visas to travel to most Western and European countries remained a challenge.

This dissatisfaction with India's poor passport strength was reflected in recent Henley Passport Index, ranking India at position eighty-five among 199 countries, a decline of five positions than last year.

Officials in India has not commented on the report so far.

Nations including Rwanda, Ghana and Azerbaijan despite smaller economic size compared to India – which is the world's fifth biggest economy – hold better positions in the ranking in the seventies range, in that order.

Actually, the country's position over the last ten years has remained around the eighties, even dipping to the 90th spot two years ago. These rankings appear poor when measured against Asian nations like Japan, South Korea and Singapore, all maintaining top positions.

What Passport Strength Measures

Passport strength indicates a nation's soft power and international standing. It also translates into enhanced travel freedom for its citizens, improving commercial and educational prospects. Limited passport power means more paperwork, higher visa costs, fewer travel privileges and extended processing periods when journeying.

However, even with the drop in position, the number of countries offering visa-free access to Indians has grown over the last ten years.

For example, in 2014 – the year the current administration's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) assumed office – fifty-two nations provided visa-free travel to Indians with the passport ranked 76th on the index.

A year later, it tumbled to eighty-fifth place, then rose to eightieth in 2023 and 2024, dropping again to the eighty-fifth spot this year. Meanwhile, visa-free destinations to Indian citizens grew from fifty-two eight years ago to 60 in 2023 and 62 in 2024.

Increasing Worldwide Travel Competition

The number of visa-free destinations in 2025 (57) is higher than what it was in 2015 (fifty-two), yet the country's position for both these years remains at eighty-fifth. What explains this situation?

Experts say that a primary factor involves growing competition in international travel – meaning nations are entering into additional travel agreements for their populations' advantage and their economies. As per a 2025 report, the worldwide mean number of destinations people can visit visa-free has nearly doubled from 58 in 2006 to 109 in 2025.

For example, China has expanded its count of visa-free destinations available to its citizens from 50 to 82 in the past decade. Consequently, its rank in the ranking has improved from ninety-fourth to sixtieth during the same time period.

Meanwhile, The Indian passport – which was ranked at seventy-seventh place during summer – fell to the 85th position in October after losing access of two nations.

Other Influences Affecting Passport Strength

A former Indian ambassador notes multiple elements influencing a nation's passport power, including its economic and political stability as well as its openness to accepting travelers from other countries.

For example, the US passport has fallen from the top ten and now occupies twelfth place – its lowest ever – due to its increasingly insular stance in world politics.

The diplomat recalls that during the seventies, Indian citizens had visa-free access to many Western and European countries, though this shifted after the Khalistan movement in the 1980s. Later political disturbances have further chipped away the country's reputation as a stable democracy.

"Numerous nations are also becoming more cautious of immigrants," he stated. "India has a high number of citizens emigrating overseas or overstaying their visas affecting the national image."

Factors like how secure a country's passport is and immigration processes also play a role to obtaining visa-free entry to other countries.

Enhanced Security Measures

India's passport remains vulnerable to security threats. In 2024, law enforcement detained over two hundred individuals for alleged passport and visa irregularities. India is also known for cumbersome immigration procedures with lengthy timelines of visa processing.

The former ambassador says that technological advances, such as the newly introduced electronic passport or e-passport, can improve security and ease the immigration process. The e-passport includes a microchip holding biometric data, increasing difficulty to forge or tamper with the passport.

However, more diplomatic outreach and travel partnerships remain key for enhancing the global mobility for Indian citizens and consequently, the Indian passport's global position.