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In recent months, a video by a popular travel content creator expressing frustration over the limited power of the Indian passport went viral on social media.

The influencer stated although neighbouring countries like Bhutan and Sri Lanka were more welcoming to Indian tourists, securing travel permits to travel to most Western and European countries remained a challenge.

Such concerns regarding the limited global access of Indian passports was reflected in the latest Henley Passport Index, which placed India at position eighty-five among 199 countries, five spots lower compared to the previous year.

Officials in India has not commented regarding these findings yet.

Nations like Rwanda, Ghana and Azerbaijan despite smaller economic size than India – a nation that is the fifth-largest economy globally – are ranked higher on the index at the 78th, 74th and 72nd spots, in that order.

Actually, the country's position over the last ten years has hovered in the 80s, even dipping to the 90th spot two years ago. Such standings are dismal when measured against other Asian countries like Singapore, Japan and South Korea, all maintaining top positions.

What Passport Strength Measures

The power of a passport indicates a nation's soft power and international standing. This leads to enhanced travel freedom for its citizens, improving commercial and educational prospects. Limited passport power results in more paperwork, higher visa costs, fewer travel privileges and longer waiting times when journeying.

But despite the decline in the rank, the count of nations offering visa-free access to Indians has actually increased over the last ten years.

For example, in 2014 – when Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) came to power – fifty-two nations offered visa-free travel to Indians and its passport ranked 76th on the index.

The following year, it tumbled to the 85th position, then improved to 80th over the past two years, declining once more to the 85th position this year. Meanwhile, countries allowing visa-free travel for Indians grew from 52 in 2015 to 60 in 2023 and sixty-two this year.

The Competitive Global Mobility Landscape

The number of visa-free destinations in 2025 (57) exceeds the number eight years ago (fifty-two), but India's rank for both these years is 85. What explains this situation?

Analysts note that a major reason is the increasingly competitive landscape in international travel – indicating that countries are entering into additional travel agreements to benefit their citizens and their economies. As per recent analysis, the worldwide mean number of destinations travellers are able to access without visas has almost doubled from 58 in 2006 to 109 in 2025.

As an illustration, The Chinese passport has increased its count of visa-free countries available to its citizens from 50 to 82 in the past decade. Consequently, its position in the ranking has enhanced from 94th to 60th in that same duration.

Meanwhile, India – which was ranked 77th on the index in July – dropped to the 85th position in October after losing access to two countries.

Other Influences Affecting Passport Strength

An ex-diplomat from India notes there are other factors that affect 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 dropped out from the top ten and now occupies the 12th position – its lowest ever – due to its more inward-looking approach in world politics.

The former ambassador mentioned that during the seventies, Indians enjoyed visa-free access to numerous European and Western nations, though this shifted following Khalistan movement in the 1980s. Later political disturbances have continued to damage at India's image as a stable democracy.

"Many countries are also becoming more cautious of immigrants," the diplomat added. "The country possesses a high number of citizens emigrating to other countries or remaining beyond visa limits 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 access to foreign nations.

Enhanced Security Measures

The Indian passport faces ongoing security risks. In 2024, law enforcement detained over two hundred individuals for suspected passport and visa irregularities. The country also has complex immigration processes and a slow pace for visa approvals.

The former ambassador indicated that new technologies, such as the newly introduced electronic passport or e-passport, may enhance safety and streamline immigration. This electronic document contains a small chip holding biometric information, making it harder to forge or tamper with the document.

But, increased diplomatic efforts and travel partnerships remain key to boosting the global mobility for Indian citizens and, by extension, India's passport ranking.