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In recent months, an online clip by a popular travel content creator complaining about India's weak passport gained massive traction across digital platforms.

The influencer stated although neighbouring countries like Sri Lanka and Bhutan offered easier access to travelers from India, securing travel permits 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, which placed the country in the 85th spot among 199 countries, five spots lower compared to the previous year.

The Indian government have not issued a statement regarding these findings yet.

Nations like Ghana, Rwanda 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, in that order.

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

Global Passport Power Indicates

The power of a passport reflects a nation's soft power and global influence. This leads to better mobility for passport holders, improving commercial and learning opportunities. Limited passport power means additional documentation, higher visa costs, fewer travel privileges and longer waiting times when journeying.

However, even with the drop in position, the count of nations providing visa-free travel to Indians has actually increased over the last ten years.

As an instance, eight years ago – the year Prime Minister Narendra Modi's ruling party came to power – fifty-two nations offered visa-free travel to Indians and its passport at seventy-sixth position on the index.

The following year, it tumbled to the 85th position, then improved to eightieth over the past two years, declining once more to the 85th position currently. Meanwhile, countries allowing visa-free travel for Indians grew from fifty-two eight years ago to sixty last year and sixty-two this year.

The Competitive Global Mobility Landscape

The number of visa-free destinations in 2025 (fifty-seven) exceeds what it was eight years ago (fifty-two), yet India's rank during both periods remains at eighty-fifth. What explains this situation?

Experts say that a major reason is the increasingly competitive landscape in global mobility – indicating that nations are forming more travel partnerships for their populations' advantage and their economies. As per recent analysis, the worldwide mean count of countries people can visit visa-free has nearly doubled from fifty-eight nineteen years ago to one hundred nine currently.

For example, The Chinese passport has expanded its count of visa-free destinations available to its citizens from fifty to eighty-two in the past decade. Consequently, its rank in the ranking has enhanced from 94th to 60th during the same time period.

In comparison, India – which was ranked 77th on the index during summer – fell to eighty-fifth place this autumn after losing access to two countries.

Other Influences Affecting Passport Strength

A former Indian ambassador notes multiple elements influencing a nation's passport power, like economic and political conditions as well as its openness to accepting travelers from abroad.

For instance, the US 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 diplomat mentioned that during the seventies, Indian citizens had visa-free travel to numerous European and Western nations, though this shifted 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 also becoming more cautious of immigrants," the diplomat added. "The country possesses a large quantity of citizens emigrating to other countries or overstaying their visas and that interferes with the country's reputation."

Elements like how secure of a national passport and its immigration procedures also play a role in gaining visa-free access to other countries.

Enhanced Security Measures

India's passport faces ongoing security risks. In 2024, law enforcement arrested over two hundred individuals for suspected visa and passport fraud. India is also known for complex immigration processes with lengthy timelines of visa processing.

The diplomat indicated that technological advances, such as the newly introduced electronic passport or e-passport, can improve security and streamline immigration. The e-passport contains a microchip that stores biometric information, increasing difficulty to forge or tamper with the document.

But, increased diplomatic efforts and travel agreements continue essential to boosting the global mobility for Indian citizens and consequently, India's passport ranking.