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Earlier this year, a video by an Indian travel influencer expressing frustration over India's weak passport gained massive traction on social media.

He mentioned although nearby nations like Sri Lanka and Bhutan offered easier access of Indian tourists, securing travel permits for visiting many nations in Europe and the West remained a challenge.

Such concerns with India's poor passport strength found confirmation in the latest Henley Passport Index, ranking India at position eighty-five out of nearly two hundred nations, five spots lower compared to the previous year.

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

Nations like Ghana, Rwanda and Azerbaijan despite smaller economic size compared to India – a nation that is the world's fifth biggest economy – are ranked higher in the ranking at the 78th, 74th and 72nd spots, in that order.

Actually, the country's position in the past decade has hovered around the eighties, falling to ninetieth place in 2021. Such standings are dismal compared to Asian nations like Japan, South Korea and Singapore, which have consistently held leading ranks.

Global Passport Power Measures

The power of a passport indicates a country's global influence and international standing. It also translates into enhanced travel freedom for its citizens, boosting business and learning opportunities. A weak passport results in additional documentation, higher visa costs, fewer travel privileges and longer waiting times when journeying.

But despite the decline in the rank, the count of nations offering visa-free access to Indians has grown in the past decade or so.

For example, eight years ago – the year Prime Minister Narendra Modi's ruling party assumed office – 52 countries offered visa-free access for Indian passport holders and its passport ranked 76th on the index.

The following year, it tumbled to eighty-fifth place, then improved to 80th over the past two years, dropping again to the 85th position currently. Meanwhile, countries allowing visa-free travel to Indian citizens grew from fifty-two eight years ago to 60 in 2023 and sixty-two this year.

Increasing Worldwide Travel Competition

The count of nations allowing visa-free entry this year (fifty-seven) exceeds what it was eight years ago (52), but the country's position for both these years is 85. What explains this situation?

Analysts note that a major reason is the increasingly competitive landscape in international travel – meaning countries are forming additional travel agreements for their populations' advantage and economic growth. As per recent analysis, the worldwide mean number of destinations travellers are able to access visa-free has almost doubled from 58 in 2006 to 109 in 2025.

For example, The Chinese passport has increased the number of visa-free countries its citizens can travel to from 50 to 82 over the last ten years. As a result, its rank in the ranking has improved from ninety-fourth to sixtieth in that same duration.

In comparison, India – previously positioned 77th on the index in July – dropped to the 85th position this autumn following the loss to two countries.

Additional Factors Affecting Passport Strength

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

For example, the US passport has fallen of the top 10 and now occupies the 12th position – a historic low – due to its more inward-looking approach in global affairs.

The former ambassador mentioned that during the seventies, Indians enjoyed visa-free access to numerous European and Western nations, though this shifted after the Khalistan movement in the 1980s. Later political disturbances have further chipped away at India's image as a stable democracy.

"Numerous nations are also becoming more cautious of immigrants," he stated. "The country possesses a large quantity of citizens emigrating to other countries or overstaying their visas affecting the country's reputation."

Factors such as how secure a country's passport is 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, authorities detained over two hundred individuals for alleged visa and passport fraud. India is also known for complex immigration processes with lengthy timelines for visa approvals.

The diplomat says that technological advances, such as the newly introduced digital passport or e-passport, may enhance safety and ease the immigration process. This electronic document contains a small chip that stores biometric data, increasing difficulty to forge or tamper with the document.

But, more diplomatic outreach and travel agreements continue essential for enhancing international travel freedom of Indians and, by extension, the Indian passport's global position.