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Earlier this year, an online clip from an Indian travel influencer complaining about the limited power of the Indian passport went viral across digital platforms.

He mentioned although nearby nations such as Bhutan and Sri Lanka were more welcoming of Indian tourists, obtaining visas to travel to many nations in Europe and the West remained a challenge.

Such concerns with India's poor passport strength found confirmation in the latest Henley Passport Index, ranking India at position eighty-five among nearly two hundred nations, a decline of five positions compared to the previous year.

Officials in India have not issued a statement regarding these findings so far.

Nations including Rwanda, Ghana and Azerbaijan despite smaller economic size than India – a nation that is the fifth-largest economy globally – hold better positions in the ranking at the 78th, 74th and 72nd spots, respectively.

In fact, the country's position in the past decade has remained around the eighties, falling to the 90th spot in 2021. Such standings are dismal compared to other Asian countries such as Singapore, Japan and South Korea, which have consistently held leading ranks.

Global Passport Power Indicates

The power of a passport indicates a nation's soft power and international standing. It also translates into enhanced travel freedom for passport holders, boosting business and learning opportunities. Limited passport power results in additional documentation, higher visa costs, reduced travel benefits and extended processing periods when journeying.

However, even with the decline in the rank, the number of countries providing visa-free travel to Indians has grown over the last ten years.

For example, in 2014 – the year Prime Minister Narendra Modi's ruling party assumed office – fifty-two nations provided visa-free travel to Indians and its passport at seventy-sixth position in the ranking.

The following year, it fell to eighty-fifth place, then improved to eightieth over the past two years, declining once more to the eighty-fifth spot currently. Meanwhile, visa-free destinations for Indians increased from fifty-two eight years ago to sixty last year and 62 in 2024.

The Competitive Global Mobility Landscape

The number of nations allowing visa-free entry this year (fifty-seven) is higher than what it was in 2015 (fifty-two), but the country's position for both these years remains at eighty-fifth. What explains this situation?

Analysts note that a major reason involves growing competition in global mobility – indicating that countries are entering into more travel partnerships for their populations' advantage and their economies. As per recent analysis, the global average number of destinations people can visit without visas has nearly doubled from 58 in 2006 to 109 in 2025.

As an illustration, China has increased the number of visa-free countries its citizens can travel to from 50 to 82 over the last ten years. Consequently, its position on the index has improved from 94th to 60th in that same duration.

Meanwhile, India – which was ranked 77th on the index in July – fell 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, including economic and political conditions as well as its receptiveness to welcoming citizens from abroad.

For instance, the American passport has fallen from the top ten currently holding twelfth place – its lowest ever – because of its increasingly insular stance in global affairs.

The former ambassador mentioned that during the seventies, Indians enjoyed visa-free access to numerous European and Western nations, but that changed following Khalistan movement in the 1980s. Later political disturbances have continued to damage the country's reputation as a stable, democratic country.

"Numerous nations are growing increasingly wary regarding migrants," the diplomat added. "The country possesses a high number of people migrating overseas or remaining beyond visa limits affecting the national image."

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

Enhanced Security Measures

The Indian passport faces ongoing security risks. In 2024, authorities arrested over two hundred individuals for suspected passport and visa irregularities. The country also has cumbersome immigration procedures and a slow pace of visa processing.

The former ambassador says that technological advances, such as the newly introduced digital passport or e-passport, may enhance safety and ease the immigration process. The e-passport includes a small chip that stores biometric information, increasing difficulty to forge or tamper with the passport.

But, increased diplomatic efforts and travel partnerships continue essential for enhancing the global mobility of Indians and, by extension, India's passport ranking.