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Earlier this year, a video from a popular travel content creator expressing frustration over the limited power of the Indian passport gained massive traction across digital platforms.

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

This dissatisfaction regarding India's poor passport strength was reflected in the latest Henley Passport Index, which placed India in the 85th spot among 199 countries, a decline of five positions than last year.

The Indian government has not commented on the report so far.

Nations like Ghana, Rwanda and Azerbaijan with much smaller economies compared to India – a nation that is the fifth-largest economy globally – are ranked higher in the ranking at the 78th, 74th and 72nd spots, in that order.

In fact, the country's position over the last ten years has hovered in the 80s, falling to the 90th spot two years ago. Such standings appear poor compared to other Asian countries such as Singapore, Japan and South Korea, which have consistently held top positions.

What Passport Strength Indicates

The power of a passport reflects a nation's soft power and international standing. It also translates into better mobility for its citizens, improving commercial and learning opportunities. A weak passport results in more paperwork, higher visa costs, reduced travel benefits and longer waiting times when journeying.

However, even with the decline in the rank, the number of countries offering visa-free access for Indian citizens has actually increased in the past decade or so.

For example, in 2014 – when the current administration's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) assumed office – 52 countries provided visa-free travel for Indian passport holders and its passport at seventy-sixth position on the index.

A year later, it fell to the 85th position, then improved to 80th in 2023 and 2024, declining once more to the 85th position currently. At the same time, visa-free destinations to Indian citizens increased from 52 in 2015 to sixty last year and sixty-two this year.

The Competitive Global Mobility Landscape

The number of nations allowing visa-free entry in 2025 (fifty-seven) exceeds what it was eight years ago (fifty-two), but the country's position for both these years remains at eighty-fifth. So, why is that?

Analysts note that a major reason is the increasingly competitive landscape in international travel – meaning countries are entering into additional travel agreements for their populations' advantage and their economies. As per recent analysis, the global average count of countries people can visit without visas has nearly doubled from 58 in 2006 to 109 in 2025.

As an illustration, China has expanded the number of visa-free destinations its citizens can travel to from fifty to eighty-two over the last ten years. Consequently, its position in the ranking has improved from ninety-fourth to sixtieth in that same duration.

Meanwhile, The Indian passport – which was ranked at seventy-seventh place during summer – dropped to the 85th position in October following the loss of two nations.

Other Influences Affecting Passport Strength

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

For example, the American passport has dropped out from the top ten currently holding twelfth place – its lowest ever – because of its more inward-looking approach in global affairs.

The former ambassador recalls that during the seventies, Indian citizens had visa-free access to numerous European and Western nations, though this shifted following Khalistan movement during the eighties. Subsequent political upheavals have further chipped away the country's reputation as a stable, democratic country.

"Numerous nations are growing increasingly wary of immigrants," he stated. "The country possesses a high number of citizens emigrating overseas or overstaying their visas and that interferes with the national image."

Elements like the security level a country's passport is and its immigration procedures also play a role to obtaining visa-free access to foreign nations.

Enhanced Security Measures

India's passport remains vulnerable to security risks. In 2024, law enforcement arrested 203 people for suspected visa and passport fraud. India is also known for cumbersome immigration procedures and a slow pace of visa processing.

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 includes a microchip that stores biometric information, increasing difficulty to counterfeit or alter the document.

However, more diplomatic outreach and travel partnerships continue essential for enhancing the global mobility of Indians and, by extension, India's passport ranking.