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Earlier this year, an online clip by an Indian travel influencer expressing frustration over India's weak passport went viral across digital platforms.

The influencer stated that while neighbouring countries like Bhutan and Sri Lanka were more welcoming to Indian tourists, securing travel permits for visiting many nations in Europe and the West continued to be difficult.

This dissatisfaction with India's poor passport strength found confirmation in recent Henley Passport Index, ranking India in the 85th spot among nearly two hundred nations, five spots lower compared to the previous year.

The Indian government has not commented regarding these findings so far.

Countries like Rwanda, Ghana and Azerbaijan despite smaller economic size compared to India – which is the fifth-largest economy globally – hold better positions on the index at the 78th, 74th and 72nd spots, in that order.

In fact, the country's position in the past decade has remained around the eighties, even dipping to ninetieth place in 2021. Such standings appear poor when measured against other Asian countries such as Japan, South Korea and Singapore, all maintaining top positions.

What Passport Strength Indicates

The power of a passport reflects a country's global influence and international standing. This leads to enhanced travel freedom for passport holders, improving commercial and educational prospects. Limited passport power results in additional documentation, higher visa costs, reduced travel benefits and extended processing periods when journeying.

However, even with the drop in position, the number of countries providing visa-free travel to Indians has grown over the last ten years.

For example, eight years ago – when Prime Minister Narendra Modi's ruling party came to power – 52 countries offered visa-free access for Indian passport holders and its passport ranked 76th in the ranking.

The following year, it tumbled to the 85th position, then rose to 80th over the past two years, dropping again to the eighty-fifth spot currently. Meanwhile, visa-free destinations to Indian citizens grew from fifty-two eight years ago to 60 in 2023 and 62 in 2024.

The Competitive Global Mobility Landscape

The count of visa-free destinations this year (fifty-seven) is higher than what it was in 2015 (fifty-two), yet India's rank for both these years remains at eighty-fifth. So, why is that?

Experts say that a major reason is the increasingly competitive landscape in international travel – indicating that countries are forming more travel partnerships for their populations' advantage and economic growth. 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, China has increased the number of visa-free countries its citizens can travel to from 50 to 82 in the past decade. Consequently, its rank in the ranking has improved from ninety-fourth to sixtieth in that same duration.

In comparison, The Indian passport – previously positioned 77th on the index during summer – fell to eighty-fifth place this autumn after losing access of two nations.

Additional Factors 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 plus its openness to accepting travelers from abroad.

For instance, the American passport has fallen from the top ten and now occupies twelfth place – its lowest ever – because of its more inward-looking approach in world politics.

The diplomat recalls that during the seventies, Indian citizens had visa-free access to many Western and European countries, but that changed after the Sikh separatist movement in the 1980s. Subsequent political upheavals have continued to damage the country's reputation as a stable democracy.

"Many countries are growing increasingly wary of immigrants," the diplomat added. "India has a high number of people migrating overseas or remaining beyond visa limits and that interferes with the country's reputation."

Elements such as how secure of a national passport and its immigration procedures also contribute in gaining visa-free access to other countries.

Security and Technological Improvements

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

The former ambassador says that technological advances, such as the newly introduced electronic passport or e-passport, may enhance safety and ease the immigration process. The e-passport contains a small chip holding biometric data, making it harder to forge or tamper with the document.

But, more diplomatic outreach and travel agreements remain key to boosting the global mobility for Indian citizens and consequently, India's passport ranking.