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Earlier this year, an online clip by a popular travel content creator expressing frustration over India's weak passport went viral across digital platforms.

He mentioned that while nearby nations like Sri Lanka and Bhutan offered easier access of Indian tourists, obtaining visas to travel to most Western and European countries continued to be difficult.

This dissatisfaction with India's poor passport strength was reflected in the latest Henley Passport Index, ranking India in the 85th spot out of nearly two hundred nations, a decline of five positions compared to the previous year.

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

Nations like Rwanda, Ghana and Azerbaijan with much smaller economies than India – which is the world's fifth biggest economy – hold better positions on the index in the seventies range, respectively.

Actually, the country's position over the last ten years has hovered in the 80s, falling to ninetieth place two years ago. These rankings appear poor compared to other Asian countries such as Singapore, Japan and South Korea, which have consistently held top positions.

What Passport Strength Measures

The power of a passport indicates a nation's soft power and international standing. It also translates into enhanced travel freedom for its citizens, improving commercial and learning opportunities. Limited passport power results in additional documentation, higher visa costs, reduced travel benefits and longer waiting times when journeying.

However, even with the drop in position, the count of nations offering visa-free access to Indians has actually increased in the past decade or so.

As an instance, eight years ago – the year the current administration's ruling party assumed office – 52 countries offered visa-free travel for Indian passport holders and its passport at seventy-sixth position on the index.

A year later, it tumbled to eighty-fifth place, then improved to eightieth in 2023 and 2024, dropping again to the 85th position this year. At the same time, visa-free destinations to Indian citizens grew from fifty-two eight years ago to sixty last year and sixty-two this year.

Increasing Worldwide Travel Competition

The count of nations allowing visa-free entry this year (57) is higher than what it was in 2015 (52), yet the country's position for both these years remains at eighty-fifth. So, why is that?

Experts say that a major reason is the increasingly competitive landscape in global mobility – indicating that countries are entering into additional travel agreements for their populations' advantage and economic growth. As per a 2025 report, the worldwide mean number of destinations travellers are able to access without visas has almost doubled from fifty-eight nineteen years ago to 109 in 2025.

For example, China has increased its count of visa-free countries available to its citizens from 50 to 82 in the past decade. As a result, its rank in the ranking has enhanced from ninety-fourth to sixtieth during the same time period.

Meanwhile, India – previously positioned at seventy-seventh place during summer – dropped to the 85th position in October following the loss of two nations.

Other Influences Impacting Passport Power

An ex-diplomat from India says multiple elements that affect the strength of a country's passport, like economic and political conditions plus its openness to welcoming citizens from other countries.

For example, the American passport has dropped out of the top 10 and now occupies the 12th position – a historic low – because of its increasingly insular stance in world politics.

The former ambassador mentioned how in the 1970s, Indian citizens had visa-free access to many Western and European countries, though this shifted after the Khalistan movement during the eighties. Later political disturbances have continued to damage at India's image as a stable, democratic country.

"Numerous nations are also becoming increasingly wary regarding migrants," the diplomat added. "The country possesses a high number of citizens emigrating to other countries or overstaying their visas and that interferes with the national image."

Factors such as how secure of a national passport and immigration processes also contribute in gaining visa-free entry to other countries.

Enhanced Security Measures

The Indian passport faces ongoing security risks. In 2024, law enforcement arrested 203 people for suspected visa and passport fraud. The country also has cumbersome immigration procedures and a slow pace of visa processing.

The diplomat indicated that new technologies, like India's recently-launched electronic passport or e-passport, can improve security and streamline immigration. This electronic document contains a small chip holding biometric information, increasing difficulty to forge or tamper with the passport.

However, more diplomatic outreach and travel agreements continue essential to boosting international travel freedom of Indians and, by extension, the Indian passport's global position.