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In recent months, an online clip from a popular travel content creator expressing frustration over India's weak passport went viral across digital platforms.

The influencer stated although nearby nations like Bhutan and Sri Lanka were more welcoming to 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 was reflected in the latest Henley Passport Index, ranking the country at position eighty-five out of nearly two hundred nations, five spots lower compared to the previous year.

The Indian government have not issued a statement regarding these findings so far.

Countries like Ghana, Rwanda and Azerbaijan with much smaller economies than India – which is the fifth-largest economy globally – are ranked higher on the index at the 78th, 74th and 72nd spots, respectively.

In fact, the country's position over the last ten years has hovered around the eighties, even dipping to ninetieth place in 2021. These rankings appear poor 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 nation's soft power and international standing. This leads to enhanced travel freedom for its citizens, boosting business and educational prospects. A weak passport means more paperwork, higher visa costs, reduced travel benefits and extended processing periods when journeying.

However, even with the decline in the rank, the number of countries providing visa-free travel to Indians has grown in the past decade or so.

For example, eight years ago – when the current administration's ruling party assumed office – 52 countries offered visa-free access to Indians and its passport at seventy-sixth position on the index.

The following year, it tumbled to the 85th position, then rose to 80th in 2023 and 2024, 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.

Increasing Worldwide Travel Competition

The count of nations allowing visa-free entry in 2025 (fifty-seven) is higher than the number eight years ago (fifty-two), but the country's position for both these years remains at eighty-fifth. What explains this situation?

Experts say that a major reason is the increasingly competitive landscape in global mobility – indicating that nations are forming more travel partnerships to benefit their citizens and economic growth. According to a 2025 report, the global average number of destinations travellers are able to access without visas has almost doubled from 58 in 2006 to 109 in 2025.

For example, China has increased its count of visa-free countries available to its citizens from 50 to 82 in the past decade. As a result, its position in the ranking has enhanced from 94th to 60th in that same duration.

Meanwhile, India – which was ranked at seventy-seventh place during summer – fell to eighty-fifth place this autumn after losing access of two nations.

Additional Factors Affecting Passport Strength

A former Indian ambassador notes multiple elements influencing a nation's passport power, including its economic and political stability plus its receptiveness to welcoming citizens from abroad.

For example, the US passport has dropped out of the top 10 and now occupies twelfth place – a historic low – due to its increasingly insular stance in world politics.

The diplomat recalls that during the seventies, Indians enjoyed visa-free travel to many Western and European countries, but that changed after the Sikh separatist movement in the 1980s. Subsequent political upheavals have continued to damage at India's image as a stable, democratic country.

"Numerous nations are also becoming more cautious regarding migrants," the diplomat added. "The country possesses a large quantity of people migrating overseas or remaining beyond visa limits and that interferes with the country's reputation."

Elements such as the security level of a national passport and immigration processes also contribute to obtaining visa-free entry to other countries.

Enhanced Security Measures

India's passport remains vulnerable to security risks. In 2024, authorities arrested over two hundred individuals for suspected visa and passport fraud. The country also has complex immigration processes and a slow pace of visa processing.

The former ambassador says that technological advances, such as the newly introduced digital passport or e-passport, can improve security and ease the immigration process. The e-passport includes a microchip holding biometric information, making it harder to counterfeit or alter the document.

But, increased diplomatic efforts and travel partnerships continue essential to boosting international travel freedom for Indian citizens and, by extension, the Indian passport's global position.