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In recent months, a video from an Indian travel influencer complaining about the limited power of the Indian passport gained massive traction on social media.

He mentioned although nearby nations such as Sri Lanka and Bhutan were more welcoming to travelers from India, obtaining visas for visiting most Western and European countries remained a challenge.

Such concerns regarding India's poor passport strength found confirmation in the latest Henley Passport Index, ranking the country in the 85th spot among nearly two hundred nations, a decline of five positions than last year.

Officials in India have not issued a statement on the report so far.

Countries like Rwanda, Ghana and Azerbaijan despite smaller economic size compared to India – a nation that is the fifth-largest economy globally – are ranked higher on the index in the seventies range, respectively.

In fact, India's rank in the past decade has hovered in the 80s, even dipping to the 90th spot in 2021. These rankings are dismal when measured against Asian nations like Singapore, Japan and South Korea, which have consistently held leading ranks.

Global Passport Power Indicates

Passport strength reflects a nation's soft power and global influence. This leads to better mobility for passport holders, boosting business and educational prospects. A weak passport results in additional documentation, higher visa costs, reduced travel benefits and extended processing periods when journeying.

But despite the decline in the rank, the count of nations offering visa-free access to Indians has grown in the past decade or so.

As an instance, eight years ago – the year Prime Minister Narendra Modi's ruling party came to power – 52 countries provided visa-free travel to Indians and its passport ranked 76th on the index.

The following year, it tumbled to eighty-fifth place, then rose to 80th in 2023 and 2024, dropping again to the eighty-fifth spot currently. Meanwhile, visa-free destinations for Indians increased from 52 in 2015 to sixty last year and 62 in 2024.

Increasing Worldwide Travel Competition

The number of visa-free destinations this year (57) is higher than the number in 2015 (fifty-two), but India's rank during both periods is 85. So, why is that?

Experts say that a primary factor is the increasingly competitive landscape in global mobility – indicating that countries are forming additional travel agreements for their populations' advantage and economic growth. According to a 2025 report, the global average number of destinations people can visit without visas has nearly doubled from 58 in 2006 to 109 in 2025.

For example, China has expanded its count of visa-free countries its citizens can travel to from 50 to 82 in the past decade. Consequently, its rank on the index has enhanced from 94th to 60th during the same time period.

Meanwhile, India – previously positioned at seventy-seventh place in July – dropped to the 85th position this autumn after losing access of two nations.

Other Influences Affecting Passport Strength

An ex-diplomat from India says there are other factors influencing a nation's passport power, including economic and political conditions as well as its receptiveness to accepting travelers from abroad.

For instance, the American passport has fallen from the top ten and now occupies the 12th position – a historic low – due to its more inward-looking approach in world politics.

The diplomat mentioned that during the seventies, Indians enjoyed visa-free access to numerous European and Western nations, but that changed following Sikh separatist movement in the 1980s. Subsequent political upheavals have further chipped away the country's reputation as a stable, democratic country.

"Many countries are growing more cautious of immigrants," the diplomat added. "India has a large quantity of people migrating overseas or remaining beyond visa limits and that interferes with the country's reputation."

Factors such as how secure a country's passport is and its immigration procedures also contribute in gaining visa-free entry to other countries.

Security and Technological Improvements

The Indian passport remains vulnerable to security risks. Last year, law enforcement arrested over two hundred individuals for suspected visa and passport fraud. India is also known for complex immigration processes with lengthy timelines for visa approvals.

The former ambassador indicated that new technologies, such as the newly introduced digital passport or e-passport, may enhance safety and ease the immigration process. The e-passport includes a microchip holding biometric data, making it harder to counterfeit or alter the passport.

But, increased diplomatic efforts and travel partnerships remain key to boosting international travel freedom for Indian citizens and consequently, the Indian passport's global position.