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In recent months, an online clip by an Indian travel influencer complaining about the limited power of the Indian passport went viral across digital platforms.

He mentioned although neighbouring countries such as Bhutan and Sri Lanka offered easier access of travelers from India, securing travel permits for visiting many nations in Europe and the West continued to be difficult.

This dissatisfaction with the limited global access of Indian passports was reflected in recent global passport ranking, which placed India at position eighty-five out of 199 countries, five spots lower than last year.

The Indian government has not commented on the report yet.

Nations like Ghana, Rwanda and Azerbaijan with much smaller economies than India – a nation that is the fifth-largest economy globally – hold better positions in the ranking in the seventies range, respectively.

Actually, the country's position in the past decade has remained around the eighties, even dipping to the 90th spot two years ago. These rankings are dismal when measured against Asian nations like Singapore, Japan and South Korea, all maintaining leading ranks.

What Passport Strength Indicates

The power of a passport reflects a nation's soft power and international standing. This leads to better mobility for passport holders, improving commercial and educational prospects. Limited passport power means additional documentation, higher visa costs, fewer travel privileges and extended processing periods when journeying.

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

For example, in 2014 – the year Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) came to power – fifty-two nations offered visa-free travel to Indians and its passport ranked 76th in the ranking.

The following year, it fell to eighty-fifth place, then rose to 80th over the past two years, dropping again to the 85th position currently. Meanwhile, countries allowing visa-free travel for Indians grew from fifty-two eight years ago to sixty last year and sixty-two this year.

The Competitive Global Mobility Landscape

The count of visa-free destinations this year (fifty-seven) is higher than what it was eight years ago (fifty-two), yet India's rank during both periods is 85. What explains this situation?

Experts say that a primary factor involves growing competition in international travel – indicating that countries are forming additional travel agreements for their populations' advantage and their economies. As per recent analysis, the worldwide mean count of countries travellers are able to access visa-free has almost doubled from 58 in 2006 to 109 in 2025.

For example, China has expanded its count 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 improved from ninety-fourth to sixtieth during the same time period.

Meanwhile, India – which was ranked at seventy-seventh place during summer – fell to eighty-fifth place in October after losing access to two countries.

Other Influences Affecting Passport Strength

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

For instance, the US passport has fallen from the top ten currently holding the 12th position – a historic low – because of its more inward-looking approach in global affairs.

The former ambassador mentioned that during the seventies, Indian citizens had visa-free access to many Western and European countries, though this shifted after the Sikh separatist movement during the eighties. Subsequent political upheavals have further chipped away the country's reputation as a stable democracy.

"Numerous nations are growing more cautious regarding migrants," the diplomat added. "The country possesses a large quantity of citizens emigrating to other countries or remaining beyond visa limits affecting the country's reputation."

Factors such as the security level of a national passport and immigration processes also play a role in gaining visa-free entry to other countries.

Security and Technological Improvements

The Indian passport remains vulnerable to security threats. In 2024, authorities detained 203 people for suspected passport and visa irregularities. India is also known for complex immigration processes and a slow pace of visa processing.

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

But, more diplomatic outreach and travel partnerships continue essential to boosting the global mobility of Indians and, by extension, India's passport ranking.