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Earlier this year, an online clip by a popular travel content creator expressing frustration over India's weak passport went viral on social media.

He mentioned although neighbouring countries such as Bhutan and Sri Lanka were more welcoming of Indian tourists, securing travel permits for visiting most Western and European countries remained a challenge.

This dissatisfaction regarding India's poor passport strength found confirmation in recent Henley Passport Index, ranking the country in the 85th spot among 199 countries, five spots lower compared to the previous year.

The Indian government have not issued a statement regarding these findings yet.

Nations like Rwanda, Ghana and Azerbaijan with much smaller economies than India – which is the fifth-largest economy globally – are ranked higher on the index in the seventies range, respectively.

Actually, India's rank in the past decade has hovered around the eighties, 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 top positions.

What Passport Strength Indicates

The power of a passport indicates a country's global influence and international standing. This leads to enhanced travel freedom 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 when journeying.

However, even with the drop in position, the number of countries offering visa-free access for Indian citizens has actually increased over the last ten years.

As an instance, eight years ago – when the current administration's ruling party came to power – fifty-two nations offered visa-free access for Indian passport holders and its passport at seventy-sixth position in the ranking.

The following year, it fell to the 85th position, then improved to 80th over the past two years, dropping again to the 85th position this year. At the same time, visa-free destinations to Indian citizens grew from 52 in 2015 to 60 in 2023 and 62 in 2024.

The Competitive Global Mobility Landscape

The count of nations allowing visa-free entry this year (57) is higher than the number in 2015 (fifty-two), yet India's rank for both these years is 85. What explains this situation?

Analysts note that a primary factor is the increasingly competitive landscape in global mobility – meaning nations are entering into additional travel agreements for their populations' advantage and their economies. According to recent analysis, the worldwide mean count of countries travellers are able to access visa-free has nearly doubled from fifty-eight nineteen years ago to 109 in 2025.

For example, China has expanded its count of visa-free countries available to its citizens from fifty to eighty-two over the last ten years. Consequently, its position in the ranking has enhanced from ninety-fourth to sixtieth during the same time period.

Meanwhile, The Indian passport – previously positioned at seventy-seventh place in July – dropped to eighty-fifth place in October after losing access to two countries.

Additional Factors Impacting Passport Power

A former Indian ambassador notes there are other factors that affect a nation's passport power, including its economic and political stability 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 – its lowest ever – because of its more inward-looking approach in global affairs.

The former ambassador mentioned how in the 1970s, Indians enjoyed visa-free access to many Western and European countries, though this shifted after the Sikh separatist movement in the 1980s. Later political disturbances have further chipped away at India's image as a stable democracy.

"Numerous nations are growing more cautious regarding migrants," the diplomat added. "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 immigration processes also contribute to obtaining visa-free access to other countries.

Enhanced Security Measures

India's passport faces ongoing 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 for visa approvals.

The former ambassador says that technological advances, such as the newly introduced digital passport or e-passport, can improve security and streamline immigration. The e-passport includes a small chip that stores biometric data, increasing difficulty to counterfeit or alter the passport.

However, increased diplomatic efforts and travel agreements remain key to boosting international travel freedom of Indians and, by extension, the Indian passport's global position.