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In recent months, an online clip from an Indian travel influencer complaining about India's weak passport went viral on social media.

He mentioned although nearby nations such as Sri Lanka and Bhutan were more welcoming of Indian tourists, obtaining visas for visiting many nations in Europe and the West continued to be difficult.

Such concerns with India's poor passport strength found confirmation in the latest global passport ranking, ranking India at position eighty-five among nearly two hundred nations, five spots lower than last year.

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

Nations like Ghana, Rwanda and Azerbaijan despite smaller economic size than India – a nation that is the fifth-largest economy globally – 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 the 90th spot in 2021. These rankings appear poor when measured against other Asian countries such as Japan, South Korea and Singapore, all maintaining top positions.

Global Passport Power Measures

The power of a passport reflects a country's global influence and international standing. It also translates into better mobility for its citizens, improving commercial and educational prospects. Limited passport power means additional documentation, increased visa expenses, reduced travel benefits and extended processing periods for travel.

However, even with the drop in position, the count of nations providing visa-free travel to Indians has actually increased over the last ten years.

As an instance, eight years ago – the year Prime Minister Narendra Modi's ruling party assumed office – fifty-two nations provided visa-free travel to Indians with the passport ranked 76th on the index.

A year later, it fell to eighty-fifth place, then improved to eightieth in 2023 and 2024, dropping again to the 85th position this year. Meanwhile, countries allowing visa-free travel to Indian citizens grew from fifty-two eight years ago to sixty last year and sixty-two this year.

The Competitive Global Mobility Landscape

The number of visa-free destinations in 2025 (fifty-seven) is higher than what it was eight years ago (52), yet the country's position for both these years is 85. So, why is that?

Analysts note that a primary factor involves growing competition in global mobility – indicating that countries are forming more travel partnerships for their populations' advantage and economic growth. According to a 2025 report, the worldwide mean count of countries people can visit without visas has nearly doubled from fifty-eight nineteen years ago to 109 in 2025.

For example, The Chinese passport has expanded its count of visa-free destinations its citizens can travel to from 50 to 82 over the last ten years. Consequently, its position in the ranking has enhanced from ninety-fourth to sixtieth in that same duration.

Meanwhile, India – which was ranked 77th on the index during summer – dropped to the 85th position this autumn after losing access of two nations.

Additional Factors Impacting Passport Power

A former Indian ambassador notes there are other factors that affect the strength of a country's passport, like economic and political conditions plus its openness to welcoming citizens from other countries.

For instance, the American passport has dropped out from the top ten and now occupies the 12th position – a historic low – because of its increasingly insular stance in global affairs.

The former ambassador recalls that during the seventies, Indian citizens had visa-free access to numerous European and Western nations, but that changed after the Khalistan movement in the 1980s. Later political disturbances have continued to damage at India's image as a stable, democratic country.

"Many countries are growing more cautious regarding migrants," the diplomat added. "The country possesses a high number of citizens emigrating to other countries or overstaying their visas and that interferes with the country's reputation."

Elements such as the security level of a national passport and its immigration procedures also contribute in gaining visa-free access to foreign nations.

Security and Technological Improvements

India's passport faces ongoing security threats. Last year, law enforcement arrested 203 people for alleged passport and visa irregularities. India is also known for cumbersome immigration procedures and a slow pace of visa processing.

The diplomat says that new technologies, like India's recently-launched electronic passport or e-passport, may enhance safety and streamline immigration. This electronic document contains a small chip holding biometric information, making it harder to forge or tamper with the document.

However, increased diplomatic efforts and travel partnerships remain key for enhancing international travel freedom for Indian citizens and, by extension, the Indian passport's global position.