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

The influencer stated although neighbouring countries such as Bhutan and Sri Lanka were more welcoming to travelers from India, obtaining visas for visiting most Western and European countries remained a challenge.

This dissatisfaction regarding the limited global access of Indian passports was reflected in the latest global passport ranking, which placed the country in the 85th spot among nearly two hundred nations, a decline of five positions than last year.

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

Countries like Rwanda, Ghana 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, respectively.

Actually, the country's position in the past decade has remained in the 80s, falling to the 90th spot two years ago. Such standings appear poor when measured against Asian nations such as Singapore, Japan and South Korea, all maintaining top positions.

What Passport Strength Indicates

Passport strength reflects a country's global influence and global influence. It also translates into better mobility for its citizens, boosting business and educational prospects. A weak passport means more paperwork, increased visa expenses, fewer travel privileges and extended processing periods for travel.

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

As an instance, in 2014 – when Prime Minister Narendra Modi's ruling party came to power – fifty-two nations provided visa-free access for Indian passport holders with the passport ranked 76th in the ranking.

A year later, it fell to eighty-fifth place, then rose to eightieth over the past two years, declining once more to the 85th position this year. Meanwhile, visa-free destinations for Indians grew from fifty-two eight years ago to 60 in 2023 and sixty-two this year.

The Competitive Global Mobility Landscape

The count of visa-free destinations in 2025 (57) exceeds the number eight years ago (fifty-two), but the country's position for both these years is 85. What explains this situation?

Experts say that a primary factor involves growing competition in international travel – indicating that countries are entering into additional travel agreements to benefit their citizens and their economies. According to a 2025 report, the global average number of destinations people can visit visa-free has almost doubled from fifty-eight nineteen years ago to one hundred nine currently.

As an illustration, The Chinese passport has increased the number of visa-free countries its citizens can travel to from 50 to 82 in the past decade. As a result, its rank in the ranking has enhanced from 94th to 60th during the same time period.

Meanwhile, India – previously positioned at seventy-seventh place in July – dropped to eighty-fifth place in October following the loss to two countries.

Other Influences Impacting Passport Power

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

For example, the American passport has dropped out from the top ten currently holding twelfth place – a historic low – because of its increasingly insular stance in world politics.

The diplomat recalls that during the seventies, Indians enjoyed visa-free access to numerous European and Western nations, though this shifted following Khalistan movement in the 1980s. Later political disturbances have further chipped away the country's reputation as a stable democracy.

"Numerous nations are also becoming more cautious of immigrants," he stated. "The country possesses a high number of people migrating overseas or remaining beyond visa limits and that interferes with the national image."

Factors such as how secure a country's passport is and its immigration procedures also play a role to obtaining visa-free entry to foreign nations.

Security and Technological Improvements

India's passport faces ongoing security risks. Last year, law enforcement detained 203 people for suspected visa and passport fraud. India is also known for complex immigration processes with lengthy timelines of visa processing.

The former ambassador says that technological advances, such as the newly introduced digital passport or e-passport, may enhance safety and streamline immigration. The e-passport includes a microchip that stores biometric information, making it harder to counterfeit or alter the passport.

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