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In recent months, a video from an Indian travel influencer complaining about India's weak passport gained massive traction across digital platforms.

The influencer stated that while nearby nations like Bhutan and Sri Lanka were more welcoming of travelers from India, securing travel permits for visiting most Western and European countries remained a challenge.

Such concerns regarding India's poor passport strength was reflected in the latest Henley Passport Index, ranking India at position eighty-five out of nearly two hundred nations, five spots lower than last year.

The Indian government have not issued a statement regarding these findings so far.

Nations like Rwanda, Ghana and Azerbaijan with much smaller economies than India – a nation that is the world's fifth biggest economy – hold better positions on the index at the 78th, 74th and 72nd spots, respectively.

Actually, the country's position in the past decade has hovered around the eighties, falling to the 90th spot two years ago. These rankings appear poor compared to Asian nations such as Singapore, Japan and South Korea, all maintaining top positions.

Global Passport Power Indicates

Passport strength indicates a nation's soft power and global influence. This leads to enhanced travel freedom for its citizens, boosting business and learning opportunities. A weak passport means more paperwork, increased visa expenses, reduced travel benefits and longer waiting times when journeying.

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

For example, eight years ago – the year the current administration's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) assumed office – 52 countries provided visa-free access to Indians with the passport ranked 76th in the ranking.

The following year, it tumbled to eighty-fifth place, then rose to eightieth over the past two years, dropping again to the eighty-fifth spot this year. Meanwhile, countries allowing visa-free travel for Indians increased from 52 in 2015 to 60 in 2023 and sixty-two this year.

The Competitive Global Mobility Landscape

The count of nations allowing visa-free entry this year (57) exceeds what it was eight years ago (52), yet the country's position for both these years remains at eighty-fifth. What explains this situation?

Experts say that a primary factor is the increasingly competitive landscape in international travel – meaning countries are entering into additional travel agreements for their populations' advantage and their economies. According to recent analysis, the global average number of destinations travellers are able to access visa-free has almost doubled from 58 in 2006 to 109 in 2025.

For example, The Chinese passport has increased its count of visa-free countries available to its citizens from fifty to eighty-two in the past decade. As a result, its position on the index has improved from ninety-fourth to sixtieth during the same time period.

In comparison, The Indian passport – which was ranked 77th on the index in July – dropped to the 85th position this autumn following the loss to two countries.

Other Influences Impacting Passport Power

An ex-diplomat from India notes multiple elements influencing a nation's passport power, including economic and political conditions as well as its openness to accepting travelers from abroad.

For example, the US passport has fallen from the top ten currently holding the 12th position – its lowest ever – because of its more inward-looking approach in world politics.

The diplomat recalls how in the 1970s, Indians enjoyed visa-free travel to numerous European and Western nations, but that changed following Sikh separatist movement during the eighties. Subsequent political upheavals have continued to damage at India's image as a stable, democratic country.

"Numerous nations are also becoming more cautious of immigrants," he stated. "The country possesses a high number of people migrating overseas or overstaying their visas and that interferes with the national image."

Elements such as the security level of a national passport and immigration processes also contribute to obtaining visa-free entry to foreign nations.

Security and Technological Improvements

India's passport remains vulnerable to security threats. Last year, law enforcement detained 203 people for suspected visa and passport fraud. 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 electronic passport or e-passport, can improve security and ease the immigration process. The e-passport includes a microchip that stores biometric information, making it harder to counterfeit or alter the document.

But, more diplomatic outreach and travel agreements continue essential to boosting international travel freedom for Indian citizens and consequently, India's passport ranking.