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Earlier this year, an online clip by a popular travel content creator expressing frustration over the limited power of the Indian 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 to travel to many nations in Europe and the West continued to be difficult.

This dissatisfaction with India's poor passport strength found confirmation in recent global passport ranking, which placed the country at position eighty-five among nearly two hundred nations, a decline of five positions than last year.

Officials in India has not commented on the report yet.

Countries like Rwanda, Ghana and Azerbaijan with much smaller economies compared to India – which is the world's fifth biggest economy – hold better positions on the index at the 78th, 74th and 72nd spots, in that order.

Actually, the country's position over the last ten years has hovered in the 80s, even dipping to the 90th spot two years ago. Such standings are dismal when measured against Asian nations like Singapore, Japan and South Korea, which have consistently held leading ranks.

Global Passport Power Measures

Passport strength indicates a country's global influence and global influence. This leads to enhanced travel freedom for passport holders, boosting business and learning opportunities. Limited passport power results in more paperwork, higher visa costs, reduced travel benefits and extended processing periods for travel.

However, even with the drop in position, the number of countries offering visa-free access for Indian citizens has actually increased over the last ten years.

For example, eight years ago – when Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) assumed office – fifty-two nations offered visa-free access for Indian passport holders with the passport ranked 76th in the ranking.

The following year, it tumbled to eighty-fifth place, then improved to 80th over the past two years, declining once more to the 85th position this year. At the same time, visa-free destinations for Indians grew from 52 in 2015 to 60 in 2023 and sixty-two this year.

The Competitive Global Mobility Landscape

The count of visa-free destinations in 2025 (57) is higher than the number in 2015 (fifty-two), but the country's position for both these years is 85. So, why is that?

Experts say that a primary factor is the increasingly competitive landscape in global mobility – meaning countries are forming more travel partnerships for their populations' advantage and economic growth. According to recent analysis, the worldwide mean count of countries people can visit without visas has nearly doubled from fifty-eight nineteen years ago to one hundred nine currently.

As an illustration, China has increased the number of visa-free destinations available to its citizens from 50 to 82 over the last ten years. Consequently, its rank on the index has improved from 94th to 60th in that same duration.

In comparison, India – which was ranked at seventy-seventh place in July – fell to eighty-fifth place in October following the loss to two countries.

Additional Factors Impacting Passport Power

A former Indian ambassador notes multiple elements that affect the strength of a country's passport, including its economic and political stability as well as its openness to accepting travelers from other countries.

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

The diplomat mentioned that during the seventies, Indians enjoyed visa-free access to numerous European and Western nations, but that changed following Khalistan movement during the eighties. Later political disturbances have continued to damage the country's reputation as a stable democracy.

"Numerous nations are also becoming increasingly wary of immigrants," he stated. "The country possesses a large quantity of citizens emigrating to other countries or remaining beyond visa limits affecting the national image."

Factors like how secure of a national passport and its immigration procedures also contribute to obtaining visa-free entry to other countries.

Enhanced Security Measures

The Indian passport faces ongoing security threats. Last year, law enforcement arrested over two hundred individuals for suspected passport and visa irregularities. India is also known for cumbersome immigration procedures and a slow pace for visa approvals.

The diplomat indicated that technological advances, such as the newly introduced electronic passport or e-passport, can improve security and streamline immigration. The e-passport contains a microchip holding biometric data, increasing difficulty to counterfeit or alter the passport.

However, more diplomatic outreach and travel partnerships remain key for enhancing the global mobility of Indians and, by extension, the Indian passport's global position.