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In recent months, a video from an Indian travel influencer complaining about India's weak passport went viral on social media.

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

Such concerns with India's poor passport strength found confirmation in the latest Henley Passport Index, ranking India in the 85th spot among 199 countries, a decline of five positions compared to the previous year.

Officials in India has not commented regarding these findings so far.

Countries like Ghana, Rwanda and Azerbaijan despite smaller economic size compared to India – which is the fifth-largest economy globally – are ranked higher on the index at the 78th, 74th and 72nd spots, respectively.

Actually, India's rank in the past decade has remained in the 80s, even dipping to ninetieth place in 2021. These rankings appear poor compared to Asian nations like Japan, South Korea and Singapore, all maintaining leading ranks.

Global Passport Power Measures

The power of a passport indicates a country's global influence and international standing. This leads to enhanced travel freedom for its citizens, boosting business and educational prospects. Limited passport power means more paperwork, increased visa expenses, fewer travel privileges and longer waiting times when journeying.

But despite the drop in position, the count of nations offering visa-free access for Indian citizens has grown over the last ten years.

For example, in 2014 – the year Prime Minister Narendra Modi's ruling party came to power – fifty-two nations provided visa-free access to Indians with the passport ranked 76th on the index.

A year later, it tumbled to eighty-fifth place, then improved to eightieth in 2023 and 2024, declining once more to the 85th position currently. At the same time, visa-free destinations to Indian citizens increased from 52 in 2015 to 60 in 2023 and sixty-two this year.

Increasing Worldwide Travel Competition

The number of visa-free destinations this year (57) is higher than what it was in 2015 (52), yet the country's position during both periods remains at eighty-fifth. What explains this situation?

Experts say that a primary factor involves growing competition in international travel – meaning countries are forming more travel partnerships to benefit their citizens and economic growth. According to a 2025 report, the global average number of destinations people can visit visa-free has nearly doubled from 58 in 2006 to 109 in 2025.

For example, China 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 during the same time period.

Meanwhile, India – previously positioned 77th on the index in July – dropped to the 85th position in October after losing access of two nations.

Other Influences Impacting Passport Power

An ex-diplomat from India notes multiple elements that affect the strength of a country's passport, including its economic and political stability as well as its receptiveness to accepting travelers from abroad.

For example, the US passport has fallen from the top ten and now occupies twelfth place – 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 Sikh separatist movement during the eighties. Subsequent political upheavals have further chipped away at India's image as a stable democracy.

"Numerous nations are growing more cautious regarding migrants," the diplomat added. "India has a large quantity of people migrating overseas or overstaying their visas affecting the national image."

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

Security and Technological Improvements

The Indian passport faces ongoing security risks. Last year, authorities 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 former ambassador indicated that new technologies, 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 data, increasing difficulty to forge or tamper with the passport.

However, more diplomatic outreach and travel partnerships remain key for enhancing international travel freedom of Indians and, by extension, the Indian passport's global position.