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In recent months, an online clip by an Indian travel influencer expressing frustration over India's weak passport gained massive traction on social media.

He mentioned although nearby nations like Sri Lanka and Bhutan were more welcoming to Indian tourists, securing travel permits to travel to many nations in Europe and the West continued to be difficult.

This dissatisfaction with India's poor passport strength found confirmation in the latest Henley Passport Index, which placed India at position eighty-five out of 199 countries, 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 despite smaller economic size compared to India – a nation that is the fifth-largest economy globally – are ranked higher on the index in the seventies range, respectively.

In fact, India's rank 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 Singapore, Japan and South Korea, which have consistently held top positions.

Global Passport Power Measures

Passport strength indicates a country's global influence and global influence. This leads to enhanced travel freedom for passport holders, improving commercial and educational prospects. Limited passport power results in additional documentation, increased visa expenses, fewer travel privileges and longer waiting times for travel.

But despite the drop in position, the count of nations offering visa-free access to Indians has grown in the past decade or so.

As an instance, in 2014 – when the current administration's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) assumed office – 52 countries offered visa-free travel to Indians and its passport at seventy-sixth position in the ranking.

A year later, it tumbled to eighty-fifth place, then rose to 80th over the past two years, dropping again to the eighty-fifth spot this year. Meanwhile, visa-free destinations to Indian citizens increased from 52 in 2015 to sixty last year and sixty-two this year.

The Competitive Global Mobility Landscape

The number of nations allowing visa-free entry in 2025 (fifty-seven) is higher than the number eight years ago (fifty-two), yet India's rank for both these years remains at eighty-fifth. So, why is that?

Analysts note that a major reason is the increasingly competitive landscape in global mobility – indicating that nations are entering into additional travel agreements to benefit their citizens and their economies. According to a 2025 report, the worldwide mean count of countries travellers are able to access without visas has almost doubled from 58 in 2006 to one hundred nine currently.

For example, The Chinese passport has increased its count of visa-free countries available to its citizens from 50 to 82 over the last ten years. Consequently, its rank on the index has improved from ninety-fourth to sixtieth in that same duration.

In comparison, India – previously positioned at seventy-seventh place during summer – dropped to eighty-fifth place in October following the loss to two countries.

Other Influences Affecting Passport Strength

A former Indian ambassador notes there are other factors that affect a nation's passport power, like its economic and political stability as well as its receptiveness to welcoming citizens 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 former ambassador recalls that during the seventies, Indian citizens had visa-free access to many Western and European countries, but that changed after the Khalistan movement in the 1980s. Later political disturbances have continued to damage at India's image as a stable, democratic country.

"Many countries are growing increasingly wary of immigrants," he stated. "The country possesses a high number of people migrating to other countries or remaining beyond visa limits affecting the country's reputation."

Factors such as the security level of a national passport and its immigration procedures also play a role to obtaining visa-free entry to foreign nations.

Enhanced Security Measures

The Indian passport faces ongoing security risks. In 2024, authorities detained 203 people for suspected passport and visa irregularities. The country also has complex immigration processes with lengthy timelines of visa processing.

The diplomat indicated that new technologies, like India's recently-launched digital passport or e-passport, can improve security and streamline immigration. The e-passport contains a microchip that stores biometric data, increasing difficulty to counterfeit or alter the document.

However, increased diplomatic efforts and travel partnerships continue essential for enhancing the global mobility for Indian citizens and, by extension, India's passport ranking.