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

The influencer stated although nearby nations such as Bhutan and Sri Lanka were more welcoming to travelers from India, obtaining visas to travel to most Western and European countries continued to be difficult.

This dissatisfaction with the limited global access of Indian passports was reflected in the latest global passport ranking, ranking the country at position eighty-five out of nearly two hundred nations, a decline of five positions than last year.

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

Nations including Rwanda, Ghana and Azerbaijan despite smaller economic size compared to India – a nation that is the world's fifth biggest economy – hold better positions in the ranking in the seventies range, in that order.

In fact, India's rank over the last ten years has hovered in the 80s, falling to the 90th spot 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

The power of a passport indicates a country's global influence and international standing. It also translates into better mobility for passport holders, boosting business and learning opportunities. Limited passport power results in more paperwork, increased visa expenses, fewer travel privileges and longer waiting times for travel.

However, even with the decline in the rank, the count of nations offering visa-free access to Indians has grown over the last ten years.

For example, eight years ago – the year Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) assumed office – fifty-two nations offered visa-free access to Indians with the passport at seventy-sixth position in the ranking.

A year later, it tumbled to eighty-fifth place, then improved to eightieth in 2023 and 2024, dropping again to the eighty-fifth spot currently. Meanwhile, visa-free destinations for Indians increased from 52 in 2015 to sixty last year and 62 in 2024.

Increasing Worldwide Travel Competition

The count of nations allowing visa-free entry in 2025 (57) exceeds the number eight years ago (52), yet India's rank during both periods is 85. What explains this situation?

Analysts note that a major reason involves growing competition in international travel – meaning countries are forming additional travel agreements for their populations' advantage and their economies. As per a 2025 report, the global average count of countries people can visit without visas has nearly doubled from fifty-eight nineteen years ago to 109 in 2025.

For example, The Chinese passport has expanded its count of visa-free destinations its citizens can travel to from 50 to 82 over the last ten years. As a result, its rank on the index has enhanced from 94th to 60th during the same time period.

Meanwhile, India – which was ranked at seventy-seventh place in July – dropped to eighty-fifth place in October after losing access to two countries.

Additional Factors Affecting Passport Strength

An ex-diplomat from India notes multiple elements influencing the strength of a country's passport, like economic and political conditions plus its receptiveness to accepting travelers from other countries.

For example, the US passport has dropped out from the top ten and now occupies the 12th position – a historic low – because of its more inward-looking approach in global affairs.

The diplomat recalls how in the 1970s, Indian citizens had visa-free access to many Western and European countries, though this shifted after the Khalistan movement during the eighties. Subsequent political upheavals have continued to damage at India's image as a stable, democratic country.

"Numerous nations are also becoming increasingly wary of immigrants," the diplomat added. "India has a high number of citizens emigrating to other countries or remaining beyond visa limits affecting the country's reputation."

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

Enhanced Security Measures

India's passport faces ongoing security risks. In 2024, authorities arrested 203 people for alleged visa and passport fraud. The country also has cumbersome immigration procedures with lengthy timelines for visa approvals.

The former ambassador indicated that technological advances, like India's recently-launched electronic passport or e-passport, may enhance safety and streamline immigration. The e-passport 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 to boosting international travel freedom for Indian citizens and, by extension, India's passport ranking.