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Earlier this year, a video from a popular travel content creator complaining about India's weak passport went viral on social media.

The influencer stated although neighbouring countries such as Bhutan and Sri Lanka were more welcoming to travelers from India, securing travel permits to travel to many nations in Europe and the West continued to be difficult.

This dissatisfaction regarding the limited global access of Indian passports found confirmation in the latest global passport ranking, ranking India in the 85th spot out of 199 countries, a decline of five positions compared to the previous year.

Officials in India have not issued a statement on the report so far.

Nations like Ghana, Rwanda and Azerbaijan despite smaller economic size compared to India – a nation that is the fifth-largest economy globally – hold better positions on the index at the 78th, 74th and 72nd spots, in that order.

Actually, India's rank over the last ten years has hovered around the eighties, even dipping to ninetieth place two years ago. Such standings are dismal when measured against Asian nations like Japan, South Korea and Singapore, which have consistently held top positions.

Global Passport Power Indicates

The power of a passport reflects a nation's soft power and global influence. It also translates into better mobility for passport holders, boosting business and learning opportunities. Limited passport power means additional documentation, higher visa costs, reduced travel benefits and extended processing periods when journeying.

However, even with the decline in the rank, the count of nations offering visa-free access for Indian citizens has grown in the past decade or so.

For example, in 2014 – when Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) came to power – 52 countries offered visa-free access for Indian passport holders with the passport ranked 76th in the ranking.

A year later, it fell to the 85th position, then rose to eightieth over the past two years, declining once more to the 85th position this year. At the same time, visa-free destinations to Indian citizens increased from fifty-two eight years ago to sixty last year and 62 in 2024.

Increasing Worldwide Travel Competition

The number of nations allowing visa-free entry this year (57) exceeds what it was eight years ago (fifty-two), yet India's rank during both periods remains at eighty-fifth. What explains this situation?

Analysts note that a major reason is the increasingly competitive landscape in international travel – meaning nations are forming additional travel agreements for their populations' advantage and their economies. As per a 2025 report, the global average number of destinations travellers are able to access visa-free has nearly doubled from 58 in 2006 to 109 in 2025.

For example, The Chinese passport has increased its count of visa-free destinations available to its citizens from fifty to eighty-two over the last ten years. As a result, its rank on the index has enhanced from 94th to 60th in that same duration.

Meanwhile, The Indian passport – which was ranked 77th on the index in July – fell to eighty-fifth place this autumn after losing access to two countries.

Other Influences Impacting Passport Power

A former Indian ambassador notes there are other factors that affect the strength of a country's passport, like economic and political conditions plus its openness to accepting travelers from other countries.

For instance, the American passport has fallen of the top 10 currently holding the 12th position – a historic low – due to its increasingly insular stance in global affairs.

The former ambassador mentioned how in the 1970s, Indians enjoyed 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 democracy.

"Numerous nations are growing increasingly wary of immigrants," he stated. "India has a large quantity of citizens emigrating overseas or overstaying their visas affecting the national image."

Factors like the security level of a national passport and its immigration procedures also play a role to obtaining visa-free entry to foreign nations.

Enhanced Security Measures

The Indian passport faces ongoing security risks. Last year, law enforcement arrested over two hundred individuals for alleged passport and visa irregularities. The country also has complex immigration processes with lengthy timelines of visa processing.

The diplomat says that new technologies, like India's recently-launched electronic passport or e-passport, may enhance safety and ease the immigration process. This electronic document contains a small chip that stores biometric information, increasing difficulty to forge or tamper with the passport.

However, more diplomatic outreach and travel agreements remain key to boosting international travel freedom of Indians and consequently, India's passport ranking.