🔗 Share this article

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

The influencer stated that while nearby nations like Bhutan and Sri Lanka were more welcoming of Indian tourists, obtaining visas to travel to many nations in Europe and the West remained a challenge.

Such concerns regarding India's poor passport strength was reflected in recent Henley Passport Index, which placed India at position eighty-five out of 199 countries, five spots lower compared to the previous year.

Officials in India has not commented on the report yet.

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 on the index at the 78th, 74th and 72nd spots, in that order.

Actually, India's rank over the last ten years has remained in the 80s, even dipping to ninetieth place two years ago. Such standings are dismal when measured against other Asian countries 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 better mobility for passport holders, boosting business and learning opportunities. A weak passport results in additional documentation, increased visa expenses, fewer travel privileges and longer waiting times for travel.

However, even with the drop in position, the count of nations offering visa-free access to Indians has actually increased in the past decade or so.

For example, eight years ago – when the current administration's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) came to power – 52 countries provided visa-free travel for Indian passport holders with the passport ranked 76th on the index.

A year later, it tumbled to eighty-fifth place, then rose to eightieth over the past two years, dropping again to the eighty-fifth spot this year. Meanwhile, countries allowing visa-free travel for Indians increased from fifty-two eight years ago to 60 in 2023 and sixty-two this year.

The Competitive Global Mobility Landscape

The number of nations allowing visa-free entry in 2025 (fifty-seven) exceeds the number in 2015 (fifty-two), but India's rank during both periods remains at eighty-fifth. So, why is that?

Analysts note that a primary factor is the increasingly competitive landscape in global mobility – meaning nations are entering into more travel partnerships to benefit their citizens and economic growth. As per recent analysis, the global average count of countries travellers are able to access visa-free has nearly doubled from 58 in 2006 to 109 in 2025.

For example, The Chinese passport has expanded its count of visa-free destinations its citizens can travel to from fifty to eighty-two in the past decade. Consequently, its position in the ranking has enhanced from ninety-fourth to sixtieth during the same time period.

In comparison, The Indian passport – which was ranked at seventy-seventh place in July – fell to the 85th position this autumn after losing access of two nations.

Additional Factors Impacting Passport Power

A former Indian ambassador notes multiple elements influencing a nation's passport power, including economic and political conditions plus its openness to accepting travelers from other countries.

For instance, the US passport has fallen from the top ten and now occupies twelfth place – a historic low – due to its increasingly insular stance in world politics.

The diplomat mentioned how in the 1970s, Indian citizens had visa-free access to many Western and European countries, but that changed after the Sikh separatist movement during the eighties. Later political disturbances have continued to damage at India's image as a stable democracy.

"Many countries are also becoming increasingly wary regarding migrants," the diplomat added. "India has a high number of people migrating to other countries or overstaying their visas affecting 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

The Indian 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 with lengthy timelines for visa approvals.

The former ambassador indicated that new technologies, like India's recently-launched digital passport or e-passport, may enhance safety and streamline immigration. This electronic document contains a small chip holding biometric data, increasing difficulty to forge or tamper with the passport.

However, increased diplomatic efforts and travel agreements remain key for enhancing international travel freedom of Indians and consequently, India's passport ranking.