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

The influencer stated that while nearby nations like Sri Lanka and Bhutan offered easier access of travelers from India, securing travel permits for visiting many nations in Europe and the West remained a challenge.

Such concerns with India's poor passport strength found confirmation in recent Henley Passport Index, which placed India in the 85th spot out of nearly two hundred nations, five spots lower compared to the previous year.

The Indian government has not commented regarding these findings so far.

Nations including Rwanda, Ghana and Azerbaijan despite smaller economic size than India – a nation that is the world's fifth biggest economy – are ranked higher in the ranking in the seventies range, respectively.

In fact, the country's position over the last ten years has remained in the 80s, even dipping to ninetieth place two years ago. Such standings appear poor when measured against other Asian countries like Singapore, Japan and South Korea, which have consistently held top positions.

Global Passport Power Measures

The power of a passport indicates a nation's soft power and international standing. This leads to enhanced travel freedom for its citizens, boosting business and learning opportunities. Limited passport power results in more paperwork, higher visa costs, fewer travel privileges and extended processing periods when journeying.

However, even with the drop in position, the count of nations offering visa-free access for Indian citizens has actually increased over the last ten years.

As an instance, in 2014 – when Prime Minister Narendra Modi's ruling party came to power – 52 countries offered visa-free travel to Indians with the passport ranked 76th on the index.

The following year, it tumbled to the 85th position, then rose to 80th in 2023 and 2024, dropping again to the eighty-fifth spot this year. Meanwhile, visa-free destinations for Indians grew from 52 in 2015 to 60 in 2023 and sixty-two this year.

The Competitive Global Mobility Landscape

The number of nations allowing visa-free entry in 2025 (57) exceeds the number in 2015 (52), yet India's rank during both periods is 85. So, why is that?

Analysts note that a primary factor involves growing competition in international travel – meaning countries are entering into more travel partnerships for their populations' advantage and their economies. As per a 2025 report, the global average number of destinations people can visit visa-free has almost doubled from fifty-eight nineteen years ago to one hundred nine currently.

As an illustration, The Chinese passport has expanded its count of visa-free countries available to its citizens from fifty to eighty-two over the last ten years. As a result, its position in the ranking has enhanced from 94th to 60th in that same duration.

Meanwhile, India – previously positioned 77th on the index in July – fell to eighty-fifth place this autumn following the loss to two countries.

Additional Factors Affecting Passport Strength

A former Indian ambassador notes there are other factors influencing a nation's passport power, including its economic and political stability as well as its openness to accepting travelers from abroad.

For instance, the US passport has fallen of the top 10 currently holding twelfth place – its lowest ever – due to its more inward-looking approach in world politics.

The diplomat recalls that during the seventies, Indian citizens had visa-free access to numerous European and Western nations, but that changed after the Khalistan movement in the 1980s. Later political disturbances have continued to damage at India's image as a stable democracy.

"Numerous nations are growing increasingly wary regarding migrants," he stated. "India has a large quantity of citizens emigrating overseas or overstaying their visas and that interferes with the national image."

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

Security and Technological Improvements

The Indian passport remains vulnerable to security risks. In 2024, law enforcement detained 203 people for suspected visa and passport fraud. The country also has complex immigration processes with lengthy timelines of visa processing.

The former ambassador indicated that technological advances, such as the newly introduced electronic passport or e-passport, may enhance safety and ease the immigration process. The e-passport contains a microchip that stores biometric information, making it harder to counterfeit or alter the passport.

However, more diplomatic outreach and travel agreements continue essential to boosting international travel freedom of Indians and, by extension, India's passport ranking.