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In recent months, a video by a popular travel content creator expressing frustration over India's weak passport went viral on social media.

The influencer stated although nearby nations like Sri Lanka and Bhutan offered easier access to Indian tourists, securing travel permits for visiting many nations in Europe and the West remained a challenge.

Such concerns with the limited global access of Indian passports found confirmation in the latest Henley Passport Index, which placed India in the 85th spot among 199 countries, a decline of five positions than last year.

Officials in India have not issued a statement regarding these findings yet.

Nations including Ghana, Rwanda and Azerbaijan with much smaller economies than India – which is the world's fifth biggest economy – are ranked higher in the ranking at the 78th, 74th and 72nd spots, in that order.

In fact, India's rank over the last ten years has remained in the 80s, falling to the 90th spot two years ago. Such standings are dismal when measured against other Asian countries such as Singapore, Japan and South Korea, all maintaining top positions.

What Passport Strength Indicates

The power of a passport indicates a nation's soft power and global influence. This leads to better mobility for its citizens, improving commercial and learning opportunities. Limited passport power means more paperwork, higher visa costs, reduced travel benefits and extended processing periods for travel.

But despite the drop in position, the number of countries offering visa-free access for Indian citizens has actually increased in the past decade or so.

For example, in 2014 – when the current administration's ruling party came to power – fifty-two nations provided visa-free travel for Indian passport holders with the passport ranked 76th in the ranking.

The following year, it tumbled to the 85th position, then improved to eightieth over the past two years, dropping again to the 85th position this year. Meanwhile, countries allowing visa-free travel to Indian citizens grew from 52 in 2015 to 60 in 2023 and sixty-two this year.

The Competitive Global Mobility Landscape

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

Experts say that a primary factor is the increasingly competitive landscape in global mobility – indicating that countries are forming more travel partnerships to benefit their citizens and their economies. As per a 2025 report, the global average count of countries travellers are able to access without visas has almost doubled from 58 in 2006 to one hundred nine currently.

As an illustration, The Chinese passport has increased the number of visa-free destinations available to its citizens from 50 to 82 in the past decade. As a result, its position in the ranking has enhanced from ninety-fourth to sixtieth in that same duration.

Meanwhile, The Indian passport – which was ranked 77th on the index in July – dropped to the 85th position in October following the loss of two nations.

Other Influences Impacting Passport Power

A former Indian ambassador says multiple elements influencing a nation's passport power, like its economic and political stability plus its receptiveness to welcoming citizens from other countries.

For example, the US passport has dropped out of the top 10 currently holding the 12th position – a historic low – because of its increasingly insular stance in global affairs.

The diplomat recalls that during the seventies, Indian citizens had visa-free access to numerous European and Western nations, though this shifted after the Khalistan movement in the 1980s. Subsequent political upheavals have continued to damage the country's reputation as a stable, democratic country.

"Many countries are also becoming more cautious of immigrants," he stated. "India has a large quantity of citizens emigrating to other countries or overstaying their visas affecting the national image."

Factors such as the security level a country's passport is and immigration processes also contribute in gaining visa-free entry to other countries.

Enhanced Security Measures

India's passport remains vulnerable to security risks. Last year, authorities arrested 203 people for suspected passport and visa irregularities. The country also has complex immigration processes and a slow pace of visa processing.

The former ambassador indicated that technological advances, like India's recently-launched digital passport or e-passport, may enhance safety and ease the immigration process. This electronic document contains a small chip holding biometric information, increasing difficulty to forge or tamper with the document.

But, more diplomatic outreach and travel agreements continue essential for enhancing international travel freedom of Indians and consequently, the Indian passport's global position.