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In recent months, an online clip from an Indian travel influencer complaining about India's weak passport went viral across digital platforms.

He mentioned that while neighbouring countries such as Sri Lanka and Bhutan offered easier access to Indian tourists, obtaining visas for visiting many nations in Europe and the West continued to be difficult.

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

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

Countries including Ghana, Rwanda and Azerbaijan despite smaller economic size compared to India – which is the fifth-largest economy globally – are ranked higher on the index in the seventies range, in that order.

Actually, India's rank over the last ten years has hovered around the eighties, even dipping to ninetieth place in 2021. These rankings appear poor when measured against Asian nations such as Japan, South Korea and Singapore, all maintaining leading ranks.

Global Passport Power Measures

The power of a passport indicates a nation's soft power and international standing. This leads to enhanced travel freedom for its citizens, boosting business and learning opportunities. Limited passport power results in additional documentation, higher visa costs, reduced travel benefits and extended processing periods when journeying.

But despite the drop in position, the count of nations providing visa-free travel to Indians has actually increased in the past decade or so.

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

A year later, it tumbled to the 85th position, then rose to eightieth in 2023 and 2024, dropping again to the 85th position currently. Meanwhile, visa-free destinations to Indian citizens grew from 52 in 2015 to sixty last year and 62 in 2024.

The Competitive Global Mobility Landscape

The number of visa-free destinations this year (fifty-seven) exceeds the number in 2015 (fifty-two), yet India's rank during both periods remains at eighty-fifth. So, why is that?

Analysts note that a major reason involves growing competition in global mobility – meaning nations are entering into additional travel agreements to benefit their citizens and economic growth. As per a 2025 report, the global average count of countries people can visit without visas has almost doubled from fifty-eight nineteen years ago to one hundred nine currently.

For example, The Chinese passport has increased its count of visa-free countries available to its citizens from 50 to 82 over the last ten years. Consequently, its rank in the ranking has improved from 94th to 60th in that same duration.

In comparison, The Indian passport – previously positioned at seventy-seventh place during summer – fell to the 85th position in October following the loss to two countries.

Other Influences Impacting Passport Power

A former Indian ambassador notes there are other factors that affect a nation's passport power, like its economic and political stability as well as its openness to welcoming citizens from other countries.

For instance, the US passport has fallen of the top 10 and now occupies twelfth place – its lowest ever – due to its more inward-looking approach in global affairs.

The former ambassador mentioned that during the seventies, Indians enjoyed visa-free travel to numerous European and Western nations, but that changed after the Sikh separatist movement during the eighties. Later political disturbances have further chipped away the country's reputation as a stable, democratic country.

"Many countries are also becoming more cautious of immigrants," he stated. "India has a high number of people migrating to other countries or overstaying their visas and that interferes with the country's reputation."

Elements such as how secure a country's passport is and immigration processes also play a role to obtaining visa-free access to foreign nations.

Security and Technological Improvements

The Indian passport remains vulnerable to security threats. In 2024, authorities arrested 203 people for suspected passport and visa irregularities. India is also known for complex immigration processes and a slow pace of visa processing.

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

However, increased diplomatic efforts and travel partnerships continue essential to boosting international travel freedom for Indian citizens and consequently, India's passport ranking.