🔗 Share this article

In recent months, an online clip by a popular travel content creator expressing frustration over the limited power of the Indian passport went viral on social media.

The influencer stated although neighbouring countries like Bhutan and Sri Lanka offered easier access to travelers from India, securing travel permits for visiting many nations in Europe and the West continued to be difficult.

Such concerns with India's poor passport strength found confirmation in recent global passport ranking, which placed the country in the 85th spot among nearly two hundred nations, a decline of five positions compared to the previous year.

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

Nations like Ghana, Rwanda and Azerbaijan despite smaller economic size than India – which is the world's fifth biggest economy – hold better positions in the ranking in the seventies range, in that order.

Actually, India's rank over the last ten years has remained in the 80s, even dipping to the 90th spot in 2021. Such standings are dismal compared to other Asian countries such as Singapore, Japan and South Korea, which have consistently held leading ranks.

Global Passport Power Indicates

Passport strength indicates a nation's soft power and international standing. It also translates into better mobility for passport holders, improving commercial and educational prospects. A weak passport means additional documentation, higher visa costs, fewer travel privileges and extended processing periods for travel.

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.

As an instance, in 2014 – when the current administration's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) came to power – 52 countries provided visa-free travel to Indians and its passport ranked 76th in the ranking.

A year later, it fell to the 85th position, then rose to 80th over the past two years, dropping again to the eighty-fifth spot currently. At the same time, countries allowing visa-free travel for Indians increased from 52 in 2015 to 60 in 2023 and 62 in 2024.

Increasing Worldwide Travel Competition

The number of visa-free destinations in 2025 (57) is higher than what it was in 2015 (52), but the country's position during both periods remains at eighty-fifth. What explains this situation?

Experts say that a major reason involves growing competition in international travel – indicating that nations are entering into additional travel agreements to benefit their citizens and their economies. As per a 2025 report, the global average count of countries people can visit visa-free has nearly doubled from 58 in 2006 to 109 in 2025.

As an illustration, The Chinese passport 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 enhanced from ninety-fourth to sixtieth during the same time period.

Meanwhile, The Indian passport – previously positioned at seventy-seventh place in July – dropped to the 85th position this autumn after losing access to two countries.

Additional Factors Impacting Passport Power

A former Indian ambassador says there are other factors influencing a nation's passport power, including its economic and political stability plus its openness to welcoming citizens from other countries.

For example, the American passport has dropped out of the top 10 currently holding twelfth place – its lowest ever – due to its increasingly insular stance in world politics.

The former ambassador mentioned how in the 1970s, Indians enjoyed visa-free access to many Western and European countries, though this shifted after the Sikh separatist movement during the eighties. Later political disturbances have further chipped away at India's image as a stable, democratic country.

"Numerous nations are also becoming more cautious regarding migrants," he stated. "India has a large quantity of people migrating overseas or remaining beyond visa limits affecting the national image."

Factors such as the security level a country's passport is and its immigration procedures also play a role to obtaining visa-free entry to foreign nations.

Security and Technological Improvements

India's passport remains vulnerable to security threats. Last year, authorities 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, such as the newly introduced electronic passport or e-passport, may enhance safety and streamline immigration. This electronic document contains a small chip holding biometric data, making it harder to counterfeit or alter the document.

However, more diplomatic outreach and travel agreements remain key for enhancing international travel freedom of Indians and consequently, the Indian passport's global position.