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In recent months, an online clip by a popular travel content creator complaining about the limited power of the Indian passport went viral across digital platforms.

The influencer stated that while neighbouring countries such as Sri Lanka and Bhutan offered easier access to travelers from India, securing travel permits to travel to most Western and European countries remained a challenge.

This dissatisfaction regarding the limited global access of Indian passports found confirmation in recent Henley Passport Index, ranking the country in the 85th spot out of nearly two hundred nations, five spots lower than last year.

Officials in India have not issued a statement on the report so far.

Nations like Rwanda, Ghana and Azerbaijan despite smaller economic size than India – a nation that is the world's fifth biggest economy – hold better positions in the ranking at the 78th, 74th and 72nd spots, respectively.

Actually, the country's position over the last ten years has remained in the 80s, even dipping to ninetieth place two years ago. These rankings appear poor when measured against other Asian countries such as Singapore, Japan and South Korea, all maintaining leading ranks.

What Passport Strength Measures

Passport strength reflects a nation's soft power and international standing. This leads to better mobility for passport holders, improving commercial and educational prospects. A weak passport means more paperwork, higher visa costs, reduced travel benefits and extended processing periods for travel.

However, even with the drop in position, the count of nations offering visa-free access to Indians has grown in the past decade or so.

As an instance, in 2014 – the year Prime Minister Narendra Modi's ruling party assumed office – 52 countries offered visa-free travel to Indians and its passport ranked 76th in the ranking.

A year later, it tumbled to the 85th position, then improved to 80th over the past two years, declining once more to the eighty-fifth spot this year. Meanwhile, visa-free destinations to Indian citizens increased from fifty-two eight years ago to 60 in 2023 and sixty-two this year.

Increasing Worldwide Travel Competition

The number of visa-free destinations in 2025 (fifty-seven) exceeds what it was in 2015 (fifty-two), yet the country's position during both periods remains at eighty-fifth. What explains this situation?

Analysts note that a major reason 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 global average number of destinations travellers are able to access visa-free has almost doubled from fifty-eight nineteen years ago to one hundred nine currently.

As an illustration, China has increased the number of visa-free destinations its citizens can travel to from fifty to eighty-two in the past decade. As a result, its rank on the index has enhanced from ninety-fourth to sixtieth in that same duration.

Meanwhile, The Indian passport – which was ranked at seventy-seventh place during summer – fell to the 85th position this autumn after losing access to two countries.

Additional Factors Impacting Passport Power

An ex-diplomat from India notes there are other factors that affect a nation's passport power, including economic and political conditions as well as its openness to accepting travelers from abroad.

For example, the American passport has fallen from the top ten currently holding the 12th position – a historic low – due to its increasingly insular stance in world politics.

The former ambassador mentioned how in the 1970s, Indians enjoyed visa-free access to many Western and European countries, but that changed after the Khalistan movement in the 1980s. Subsequent political upheavals have further chipped away at India's image as a stable democracy.

"Many countries are also becoming increasingly wary of immigrants," he stated. "The country possesses a high number of citizens emigrating overseas or remaining beyond visa limits affecting the country's reputation."

Factors such as the security level a country's passport is and its immigration procedures also play a role in gaining visa-free access to other countries.

Enhanced Security Measures

India's passport remains vulnerable to security threats. In 2024, law enforcement detained 203 people for suspected passport and visa irregularities. The country also has cumbersome immigration procedures with lengthy timelines of visa processing.

The former ambassador says that new technologies, like India's recently-launched electronic passport or e-passport, may enhance safety and streamline immigration. The e-passport includes a microchip holding biometric data, making it harder to counterfeit or alter the passport.

However, more diplomatic outreach and travel agreements continue essential for enhancing international travel freedom of Indians and, by extension, India's passport ranking.