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Earlier this year, a video by an Indian travel influencer expressing frustration over India's weak passport gained massive traction on social media.

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 remained a challenge.

This dissatisfaction with India's poor passport strength found confirmation in recent Henley Passport Index, which placed India at position eighty-five among nearly two hundred nations, five spots lower than last year.

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

Countries including Rwanda, Ghana and Azerbaijan despite smaller economic size than India – which is the fifth-largest economy globally – hold better positions on the index in the seventies range, respectively.

Actually, India's rank over the last ten years has remained around the eighties, even dipping to ninetieth place two years ago. Such standings are dismal compared to Asian nations such as Singapore, Japan and South Korea, which have consistently held leading ranks.

What Passport Strength Indicates

The power of a passport reflects a nation's soft power and global influence. This leads to better mobility for its citizens, improving commercial and learning opportunities. A weak passport results in more paperwork, increased visa expenses, fewer travel privileges and longer waiting times for travel.

But despite the decline in the rank, the number of countries offering visa-free access to Indians has actually increased in the past decade or so.

As an instance, in 2014 – the year the current administration's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) came to power – fifty-two nations offered visa-free travel for Indian passport holders and its passport ranked 76th in the ranking.

A year later, it tumbled to eighty-fifth place, then rose to eightieth over the past two years, declining once more to the 85th position currently. At the same time, countries allowing visa-free travel to Indian citizens 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 in 2025 (fifty-seven) is higher than what it was eight years ago (52), yet the country's position during both periods is 85. What explains this situation?

Analysts note that a major reason is the increasingly competitive landscape in global mobility – indicating that nations are entering into additional travel agreements for their populations' advantage and economic growth. According to a 2025 report, the global average count of countries people can visit without visas has nearly doubled from fifty-eight nineteen years ago to one hundred nine currently.

As an illustration, The Chinese passport has expanded 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 rank in the ranking has enhanced from ninety-fourth to sixtieth during the same time period.

In comparison, India – which was ranked 77th on the index during summer – dropped to the 85th position in October after losing access of two nations.

Other Influences Impacting Passport Power

A former Indian ambassador says there are other factors that affect the strength of a country's passport, including economic and political conditions as well as its receptiveness to accepting travelers from other countries.

For instance, the US passport has dropped out of the top 10 currently holding twelfth place – its lowest ever – due to its more inward-looking approach in global affairs.

The diplomat mentioned that during the seventies, Indians enjoyed visa-free travel to many Western and European countries, though this shifted following Sikh separatist movement in the 1980s. Subsequent political upheavals have continued to damage the country's reputation as a stable democracy.

"Many countries are also becoming increasingly wary regarding migrants," the diplomat added. "India has a large quantity of citizens emigrating overseas or overstaying their visas affecting the country's reputation."

Factors like the security level a country's passport is and its immigration procedures also play a role to obtaining visa-free entry to foreign nations.

Security and Technological Improvements

India's passport faces ongoing security threats. In 2024, authorities arrested 203 people for alleged visa and passport fraud. The country also has cumbersome immigration procedures and a slow pace for visa approvals.

The former ambassador says that technological advances, like India's recently-launched electronic passport or e-passport, can improve security and streamline immigration. This electronic document includes a microchip that stores biometric information, making it harder to counterfeit or alter the document.

However, increased diplomatic efforts and travel agreements remain key to boosting international travel freedom for Indian citizens and consequently, India's passport ranking.