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In recent months, a video by a popular travel content creator complaining about India's weak passport gained massive traction on social media.

He mentioned although neighbouring countries like Bhutan and Sri Lanka offered easier access to travelers from India, obtaining visas to travel to many nations in Europe and the West continued to be difficult.

Such concerns with India's poor passport strength found confirmation in the latest global passport ranking, which placed the country in the 85th spot out of 199 countries, a decline of five positions than last year.

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

Countries like Ghana, Rwanda and Azerbaijan despite smaller economic size compared to India – which is the fifth-largest economy globally – hold better positions in the ranking at the 78th, 74th and 72nd spots, respectively.

In fact, India's rank in the past decade has remained around the eighties, falling to the 90th spot in 2021. Such standings appear poor compared to other Asian countries such as Singapore, Japan and South Korea, which have consistently held top positions.

Global Passport Power Indicates

The power of a passport indicates a country's global influence and international standing. This leads to better mobility for passport holders, improving commercial and educational prospects. Limited passport power results in additional documentation, higher visa costs, fewer travel privileges and longer waiting times for travel.

But despite the drop in position, the count of nations providing visa-free travel for Indian citizens has actually increased in the past decade or so.

For example, eight years ago – the year the current administration's ruling party came to power – 52 countries offered visa-free access for Indian passport holders and its passport at seventy-sixth position on the index.

The following year, it fell to eighty-fifth place, then rose to 80th in 2023 and 2024, declining once more to the 85th position currently. At the same time, visa-free destinations to Indian citizens increased from 52 in 2015 to sixty last year and 62 in 2024.

The Competitive Global Mobility Landscape

The number of visa-free destinations in 2025 (fifty-seven) is higher than what it was eight years ago (52), yet the country's position for both these years is 85. So, why is that?

Experts say that a major reason involves growing competition in global mobility – indicating that countries are entering into more travel partnerships for their populations' advantage and their economies. As per a 2025 report, the global average number of destinations travellers are able to access without visas has nearly doubled from 58 in 2006 to 109 in 2025.

For example, China has expanded its count of visa-free destinations available to its citizens from 50 to 82 over the last ten years. Consequently, its position on the index has improved from ninety-fourth to sixtieth in that same duration.

Meanwhile, India – previously positioned 77th on the index during summer – fell to eighty-fifth place in October after losing access of two nations.

Other Influences Affecting Passport Strength

An ex-diplomat from India says there are other factors influencing a nation's passport power, like economic and political conditions as well as its receptiveness to welcoming citizens from other countries.

For example, the American passport has fallen from the top ten and now occupies twelfth place – a historic low – due to its more inward-looking approach in world politics.

The diplomat 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 further chipped away at India's image as a stable, democratic country.

"Numerous nations are growing increasingly wary regarding migrants," he stated. "The country possesses a high number of people migrating to other countries or overstaying their visas affecting the country's reputation."

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

Enhanced Security Measures

The Indian passport faces ongoing security threats. Last year, authorities detained 203 people for alleged visa and passport fraud. India is also known for complex immigration processes with lengthy timelines of visa processing.

The former ambassador says that technological advances, like India's recently-launched electronic passport or e-passport, can improve security and ease the immigration process. The e-passport includes a small chip holding biometric information, making it harder to forge or tamper with the passport.

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