🔗 Share this article

Earlier this year, an online clip from a popular travel content creator expressing frustration over the limited power of the Indian passport went viral across digital platforms.

The influencer stated although neighbouring countries like Bhutan and Sri Lanka offered easier access to travelers from India, securing travel permits to travel to many nations in Europe and the West continued to be difficult.

Such concerns with India's poor passport strength found confirmation in the latest Henley Passport Index, ranking India at position eighty-five 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.

Countries including Ghana, Rwanda and Azerbaijan with much smaller economies compared to India – which is the world's fifth biggest economy – hold better positions in the ranking in the seventies range, in that order.

Actually, India's rank in the past decade has hovered in the 80s, falling to ninetieth place two years ago. Such standings are dismal when measured against other Asian countries like Singapore, Japan and South Korea, all maintaining top positions.

Global Passport Power Measures

The power of a passport reflects a nation's soft power and international standing. It also translates into better mobility 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 for travel.

But despite the decline in the rank, the count of nations offering visa-free access for Indian citizens has actually increased in the past decade or so.

For example, eight years ago – when Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) came to power – fifty-two nations provided visa-free travel to Indians and its passport ranked 76th on the index.

The following year, it tumbled to the 85th position, then rose to 80th over the past two years, declining once more to the eighty-fifth spot currently. Meanwhile, visa-free destinations to Indian citizens grew from fifty-two eight years ago to 60 in 2023 and sixty-two this year.

Increasing Worldwide Travel Competition

The count of nations allowing visa-free entry in 2025 (fifty-seven) exceeds the number in 2015 (fifty-two), but India's rank for both these years remains at eighty-fifth. What explains this situation?

Analysts note that a major reason is the increasingly competitive landscape in global mobility – indicating that countries are forming more travel partnerships to benefit their citizens and economic growth. As per recent analysis, the global average number of destinations travellers are able to access visa-free has nearly doubled from 58 in 2006 to 109 in 2025.

For example, The Chinese passport has increased its count of visa-free destinations its citizens can travel to from fifty to eighty-two over the last ten years. As a result, its position in the ranking has enhanced from ninety-fourth to sixtieth during the same time period.

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

Other Influences Affecting Passport Strength

A former Indian ambassador notes there are other factors that affect the strength of a country's passport, like economic and political conditions plus its receptiveness to welcoming citizens from abroad.

For example, the US passport has dropped out from the top ten and now occupies twelfth place – a historic low – because of its more inward-looking approach in global affairs.

The former ambassador mentioned how in the 1970s, Indian citizens had visa-free travel to many Western and European countries, but that changed following Sikh separatist movement in the 1980s. Subsequent political upheavals have continued to damage at India's image as a stable democracy.

"Many countries are growing increasingly wary of immigrants," the diplomat added. "The country possesses a high number of people migrating overseas or remaining beyond visa limits and that interferes with the national image."

Elements like how secure of a national passport and its immigration procedures also play a role to obtaining visa-free access to other countries.

Security and Technological Improvements

The Indian passport faces ongoing security risks. In 2024, authorities arrested 203 people for suspected passport and visa irregularities. India is also known for complex immigration processes and a slow pace for visa approvals.

The former ambassador says that new technologies, like India's recently-launched digital passport or e-passport, may enhance safety and streamline immigration. The e-passport contains a microchip holding biometric information, making it harder to forge or tamper with the passport.

However, increased diplomatic efforts and travel partnerships continue essential for enhancing the global mobility for Indian citizens and consequently, the Indian passport's global position.