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Earlier this year, a video by a popular travel content creator 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, securing travel permits for visiting most Western and European countries remained a challenge.

This dissatisfaction with India's poor passport strength was reflected in recent Henley Passport Index, which placed the country at position eighty-five out of 199 countries, five spots lower compared to the previous year.

The Indian government has not commented regarding these findings yet.

Countries like Ghana, Rwanda and Azerbaijan with much smaller economies compared to 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 over the last ten years has hovered around the eighties, even dipping to ninetieth place in 2021. These rankings are dismal compared to other Asian countries like Japan, South Korea and Singapore, all maintaining leading ranks.

What Passport Strength Measures

Passport strength reflects a country's global influence and global influence. This leads to better mobility for its citizens, improving commercial and educational prospects. A weak passport results in additional documentation, higher visa costs, reduced travel benefits and extended processing periods when journeying.

But despite the decline in the rank, 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 Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) assumed office – fifty-two nations provided visa-free access for Indian passport holders with the passport ranked 76th on the index.

The following year, it tumbled to the 85th position, then rose to 80th over the past two years, declining once more to the eighty-fifth spot this year. At the same time, countries allowing visa-free travel to Indian citizens 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 what it was eight years ago (fifty-two), but the country's position for both these years is 85. So, why is that?

Experts say that a major reason involves growing competition in international travel – indicating that countries are entering into additional travel agreements to benefit their citizens and economic growth. As per recent analysis, the worldwide mean count of countries travellers are able to access without visas has nearly doubled from fifty-eight nineteen years ago to one hundred nine currently.

For example, China has increased the number of visa-free destinations its citizens can travel to from fifty to eighty-two in the past decade. Consequently, its rank on the index has improved from ninety-fourth to sixtieth during the same time period.

In comparison, India – previously positioned 77th on the index in July – dropped to the 85th position this autumn following the loss 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 its economic and political stability plus its receptiveness to welcoming citizens from other countries.

For instance, the US passport has fallen of the top 10 currently holding the 12th position – a historic low – because of its more inward-looking approach in world politics.

The former ambassador recalls how in the 1970s, Indian citizens had visa-free travel to many Western and European countries, but that changed following Khalistan movement in the 1980s. Later political disturbances have continued to damage at India's image as a stable democracy.

"Many countries are growing increasingly wary regarding migrants," the diplomat added. "The country possesses a large quantity of people migrating to other countries or remaining beyond visa limits affecting the country's reputation."

Elements like the security level of a national passport and immigration processes also contribute in gaining visa-free access to foreign nations.

Security and Technological Improvements

India's passport remains vulnerable to security threats. In 2024, law enforcement detained 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 former ambassador says that new technologies, like India's recently-launched digital passport or e-passport, can improve security and streamline immigration. This electronic document contains a small chip that stores biometric data, making it harder to forge or tamper with the document.

However, more diplomatic outreach and travel agreements continue essential for enhancing international travel freedom for Indian citizens and consequently, India's passport ranking.