🔗 Share this article

Earlier this year, a video from an Indian travel influencer expressing frustration over the limited power of the Indian passport gained massive traction on social media.

The influencer stated that while nearby nations 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 India's poor passport strength found confirmation in the latest global passport ranking, which placed India at position eighty-five among 199 countries, a decline of five positions than last year.

The Indian government has not commented on the report yet.

Countries including Rwanda, Ghana and Azerbaijan with much smaller economies compared to India – which is the fifth-largest economy globally – hold better positions on the index at the 78th, 74th and 72nd spots, respectively.

In fact, India's rank in the past decade has hovered in the 80s, even dipping to ninetieth place in 2021. These rankings are dismal compared to other Asian countries such as Singapore, Japan and South Korea, which have consistently held leading ranks.

What Passport Strength Measures

Passport strength indicates a country's global influence and international standing. It also translates into enhanced travel freedom for passport holders, boosting business and educational prospects. A weak passport means 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 providing visa-free travel for Indian citizens has grown over the last ten years.

For example, in 2014 – when Prime Minister Narendra Modi's ruling party came to power – 52 countries provided visa-free access to Indians with the passport ranked 76th on the index.

The following year, it fell to the 85th position, then improved to 80th in 2023 and 2024, dropping again to the eighty-fifth spot this year. At the same time, visa-free destinations to Indian citizens grew from fifty-two eight years ago to 60 in 2023 and 62 in 2024.

Increasing Worldwide Travel Competition

The number of nations allowing visa-free entry in 2025 (57) is higher than what it was in 2015 (52), yet the country's position during both periods is 85. What explains this situation?

Experts say that a major reason is the increasingly competitive landscape in international travel – meaning countries are forming additional travel agreements to benefit their citizens and economic growth. As per recent analysis, the global average number of destinations people can visit without visas has nearly doubled from fifty-eight nineteen years ago to one hundred nine currently.

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

Meanwhile, The Indian passport – which was ranked 77th on the index during summer – dropped to the 85th position in October after losing access of two nations.

Other Influences Affecting Passport Strength

An ex-diplomat from India says there are other factors that affect the strength of a country's passport, like economic and political conditions as well as its openness to welcoming citizens from abroad.

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

The diplomat recalls how in the 1970s, Indians enjoyed visa-free travel to numerous European and Western nations, though this shifted following Khalistan movement during the eighties. Subsequent political upheavals have continued to damage the country's reputation as a stable democracy.

"Numerous nations are growing increasingly wary regarding migrants," he stated. "India has a large quantity of people migrating to other countries or remaining beyond visa limits and that interferes with the national image."

Factors such as the security level of a national passport and immigration processes also play a role to obtaining visa-free entry to foreign nations.

Security and Technological Improvements

The Indian passport faces ongoing security risks. Last year, law enforcement arrested 203 people for alleged visa and passport fraud. The country also has complex immigration processes and a slow pace of visa processing.

The former ambassador 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 information, making it harder to forge or tamper with the document.

However, more diplomatic outreach and travel agreements continue essential for enhancing the global mobility for Indian citizens and, by extension, India's passport ranking.