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In recent months, a video by an Indian travel influencer complaining about the limited power of the Indian passport went viral on social media.

The influencer stated that while neighbouring countries such as Sri Lanka and Bhutan offered easier access to Indian tourists, obtaining visas to travel to most Western and European countries remained a challenge.

This dissatisfaction regarding India's poor passport strength was reflected in recent global passport ranking, which placed India at position eighty-five out of 199 countries, a decline of five positions compared to the previous year.

The Indian government have not issued a statement on the report yet.

Nations like Rwanda, Ghana and Azerbaijan despite smaller economic size compared to India – which 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 in the past decade has remained around the eighties, even dipping to ninetieth place two years ago. These rankings appear poor when measured against other Asian countries such as Singapore, Japan and South Korea, all maintaining leading ranks.

Global Passport Power Indicates

The power of a passport indicates a country's global influence and global influence. It also translates into enhanced travel freedom for its citizens, improving commercial and learning opportunities. Limited passport power results in more paperwork, higher visa costs, fewer travel privileges and extended processing periods when journeying.

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

As an instance, in 2014 – the year the current administration's ruling party assumed office – 52 countries offered visa-free travel to Indians and its passport at seventy-sixth position on the index.

The following year, it tumbled to eighty-fifth place, then rose to eightieth in 2023 and 2024, dropping again to the eighty-fifth spot this year. Meanwhile, visa-free destinations for Indians increased from fifty-two eight years ago to sixty last year and 62 in 2024.

The Competitive Global Mobility Landscape

The number of nations allowing visa-free entry in 2025 (fifty-seven) is higher than what it was eight years ago (52), yet India's rank for both these years is 85. What explains this situation?

Analysts note that a primary factor involves growing competition in international travel – indicating that nations are forming additional travel agreements to benefit their citizens and their economies. As per recent analysis, the global average count of countries travellers are able to access without visas has nearly doubled from 58 in 2006 to 109 in 2025.

For example, The Chinese passport has increased 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 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 eighty-fifth place in October after losing access to two countries.

Additional Factors Impacting Passport Power

An ex-diplomat from India says multiple elements that affect a nation's passport power, including economic and political conditions as well as its openness to accepting travelers from abroad.

For instance, the US passport has dropped out from the top ten currently holding twelfth place – a historic low – because of its more inward-looking approach in world politics.

The former ambassador mentioned that during the seventies, Indians enjoyed visa-free travel to numerous European and Western nations, though this shifted following Khalistan movement during the eighties. Subsequent political upheavals have further chipped away at India's image as a stable, democratic country.

"Numerous nations are growing more cautious regarding migrants," the diplomat added. "India has a large quantity of people migrating to other countries or remaining beyond visa limits and that interferes with the national image."

Factors such as the security level a country's passport is and its immigration procedures also contribute in gaining visa-free entry to other countries.

Security and Technological Improvements

The Indian passport remains vulnerable to security risks. Last year, authorities detained over two hundred individuals for suspected visa and passport fraud. India is also known for cumbersome immigration procedures and a slow pace for visa approvals.

The former ambassador indicated that new technologies, such as the newly introduced digital passport or e-passport, may enhance safety and ease the immigration process. The e-passport includes a small chip that stores biometric data, increasing difficulty to counterfeit or alter the document.

But, increased diplomatic efforts and travel agreements remain key to boosting international travel freedom for Indian citizens and, by extension, the Indian passport's global position.