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In recent months, an online clip by a popular travel content creator expressing frustration over the limited power of the Indian passport gained massive traction on social media.

The influencer stated that while neighbouring countries such as Bhutan and Sri Lanka offered easier access of Indian tourists, securing travel permits for visiting many nations in Europe and the West remained a challenge.

Such concerns with India's poor passport strength found confirmation in recent Henley Passport Index, which placed India at position eighty-five among nearly two hundred nations, a decline of five positions than last year.

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

Countries including Ghana, Rwanda and Azerbaijan despite smaller economic size than India – a nation that is the world's fifth biggest economy – hold better positions on the index in the seventies range, in that order.

Actually, the country's position in the past decade has hovered in the 80s, even dipping to ninetieth place two years ago. Such standings are dismal compared to Asian nations like Japan, South Korea and Singapore, which have consistently held leading ranks.

Global Passport Power Indicates

Passport strength indicates a country's global influence and international standing. This leads to enhanced travel freedom for passport holders, improving commercial and learning opportunities. Limited passport power means more paperwork, increased visa expenses, fewer travel privileges and extended processing periods for travel.

But despite the decline in the rank, the count of nations offering visa-free access for Indian citizens has actually increased over the last ten years.

For example, in 2014 – the year Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) came to power – fifty-two nations offered visa-free access to Indians with the passport ranked 76th on the index.

A year later, it fell to the 85th position, then rose to eightieth over the past two years, dropping again to the eighty-fifth spot currently. Meanwhile, countries allowing visa-free travel to Indian citizens grew from fifty-two eight years ago to sixty last year and 62 in 2024.

Increasing Worldwide Travel Competition

The count of visa-free destinations in 2025 (57) is higher than the number in 2015 (52), but India's rank during both periods remains at eighty-fifth. What explains this situation?

Analysts note that a major reason involves growing competition in international travel – indicating that nations are forming more travel partnerships for their populations' advantage and their economies. According to recent analysis, the global average number of destinations travellers are able to access without visas has almost doubled from fifty-eight nineteen years ago to one hundred nine currently.

For example, The Chinese passport has increased its count of visa-free countries its citizens can travel to from 50 to 82 in the past decade. Consequently, its rank on the index has enhanced from ninety-fourth to sixtieth in that same duration.

In comparison, India – which was ranked 77th on the index in July – fell to eighty-fifth place this autumn after losing access of two nations.

Other Influences Affecting Passport Strength

An ex-diplomat from India says there are other factors that affect a nation's passport power, like economic and political conditions plus its receptiveness to accepting travelers from other countries.

For example, the US passport has fallen from the top ten and now occupies the 12th position – its lowest ever – due to its more inward-looking approach in world politics.

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

"Many countries are growing more cautious of immigrants," he stated. "India has a large quantity of people migrating to other countries or overstaying their visas and that interferes with the country's reputation."

Elements like how secure a country's passport is and immigration processes also contribute in gaining visa-free access to other countries.

Enhanced Security Measures

The Indian passport faces ongoing security threats. Last year, law enforcement detained 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 indicated that new technologies, such as the newly introduced digital passport or e-passport, can improve security and streamline immigration. The e-passport includes a microchip that stores biometric data, making it harder to counterfeit or alter the document.

But, increased diplomatic efforts and travel agreements continue essential for enhancing the global mobility of Indians and, by extension, India's passport ranking.