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Earlier this year, a video by a popular travel content creator expressing frustration over India's weak passport gained massive traction across digital platforms.

The influencer stated although 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 continued to be difficult.

This dissatisfaction with the limited global access of Indian passports was reflected in the latest Henley Passport Index, ranking India in the 85th spot among 199 countries, five spots lower compared to the previous year.

Officials in India has not commented on the report so far.

Nations including Ghana, Rwanda and Azerbaijan with much smaller economies compared to India – which is the fifth-largest economy globally – hold better positions in the ranking in the seventies range, respectively.

Actually, India's rank over the last ten years has remained in the 80s, even dipping to the 90th spot two years ago. Such standings appear poor compared to other Asian countries like Singapore, Japan and South Korea, which have consistently held leading ranks.

What Passport Strength Indicates

Passport strength indicates a nation's soft power and global influence. This leads to better mobility for passport holders, improving commercial and educational prospects. A weak passport means more paperwork, higher visa costs, fewer travel privileges and extended processing periods for travel.

However, even with the decline in the rank, the count of nations offering visa-free access for Indian citizens has grown in the past decade or so.

As an instance, in 2014 – when Prime Minister Narendra Modi's ruling party assumed office – 52 countries offered visa-free access to Indians and its passport ranked 76th in the ranking.

A year later, it tumbled to the 85th position, then improved to eightieth in 2023 and 2024, dropping again to the 85th position this year. At the same time, countries allowing visa-free travel to Indian citizens increased from 52 in 2015 to sixty last year and sixty-two this year.

Increasing Worldwide Travel Competition

The count of nations allowing visa-free entry in 2025 (fifty-seven) is higher than the number eight years ago (52), but the country's position during both periods remains at eighty-fifth. So, why is that?

Analysts note that a primary factor is the increasingly competitive landscape in global mobility – meaning nations are forming more travel partnerships for their populations' advantage and economic growth. As per recent analysis, the worldwide mean number of destinations people can visit without visas has almost doubled from 58 in 2006 to 109 in 2025.

As an illustration, The Chinese passport has increased the number of visa-free countries available to its citizens from 50 to 82 over the last ten years. As a result, its position on the index has improved from ninety-fourth to sixtieth in that same duration.

In comparison, The Indian passport – which was ranked 77th on the index during summer – dropped to eighty-fifth place in October following the loss of two nations.

Other Influences Affecting Passport Strength

An ex-diplomat from India notes there are other factors that affect the strength of a country's passport, like economic and political conditions as well as its openness to welcoming citizens from other countries.

For instance, the US passport has dropped out from the top ten and now occupies twelfth place – a historic low – due to its increasingly insular stance in world politics.

The diplomat mentioned how in the 1970s, Indian citizens had visa-free access to many Western and European countries, though this shifted following Sikh separatist movement in the 1980s. Subsequent political upheavals have further chipped away the country's reputation as a stable, democratic country.

"Numerous nations are also becoming more cautious of immigrants," he stated. "The country possesses a high number of citizens emigrating overseas or remaining beyond visa limits affecting the country's reputation."

Factors like how secure of a national passport and its immigration procedures also contribute in gaining visa-free access to foreign nations.

Security and Technological Improvements

India's passport faces ongoing security risks. In 2024, authorities arrested over two hundred individuals for suspected visa and passport fraud. India is also known for cumbersome immigration procedures with lengthy timelines of visa processing.

The diplomat says that new technologies, like India's recently-launched digital passport or e-passport, may enhance safety and streamline immigration. The e-passport includes a small chip holding biometric information, making it harder to counterfeit or alter the passport.

But, more diplomatic outreach and travel partnerships remain key to boosting international travel freedom of Indians and consequently, India's passport ranking.