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Earlier this year, an online clip by a popular travel content creator expressing frustration over the limited power of the Indian passport gained massive traction on social media.

He mentioned although neighbouring countries like Bhutan and Sri Lanka were more welcoming of travelers from India, securing travel permits for visiting most Western and European countries continued to be difficult.

Such concerns regarding India's poor passport strength found confirmation in recent Henley Passport Index, which placed the country at position eighty-five out of nearly two hundred nations, five spots lower compared to the previous year.

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

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

In fact, the country's position in the past decade has remained in the 80s, even dipping to the 90th spot in 2021. Such standings are dismal compared to Asian nations such as Japan, South Korea and Singapore, which have consistently held leading ranks.

What Passport Strength Indicates

Passport strength reflects a country's global influence and international standing. It also translates into better mobility for its citizens, boosting business and educational prospects. Limited passport power results in additional documentation, 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 for Indian citizens has actually increased over the last ten years.

As an instance, eight years ago – the year the current administration's ruling party assumed office – fifty-two nations provided visa-free access to Indians with the passport ranked 76th in the ranking.

A year later, it tumbled to the 85th position, then improved to 80th in 2023 and 2024, declining once more to the eighty-fifth spot this year. Meanwhile, visa-free destinations to Indian citizens grew from 52 in 2015 to sixty last year and 62 in 2024.

Increasing Worldwide Travel Competition

The count of visa-free destinations in 2025 (fifty-seven) exceeds the number eight years ago (fifty-two), but the country's position during both periods is 85. So, why is that?

Experts say that a primary factor is the increasingly competitive landscape in global mobility – meaning countries are forming more travel partnerships to benefit their citizens and their economies. According to a 2025 report, the global average number of destinations people can visit without visas has nearly doubled from fifty-eight nineteen years ago to one hundred nine currently.

For example, The Chinese passport has expanded its count of visa-free destinations its citizens can travel to from 50 to 82 in the past decade. Consequently, its position in the ranking has enhanced from ninety-fourth to sixtieth in that same duration.

Meanwhile, The Indian passport – which was ranked 77th on the index during summer – dropped to eighty-fifth place in October following the loss of two nations.

Additional Factors Affecting Passport Strength

An ex-diplomat from India notes there are other factors that affect the strength of a country's passport, like its economic and political stability plus its openness to accepting travelers from other countries.

For example, the US passport has dropped out from the top ten and now occupies twelfth place – a historic low – due to its increasingly insular stance in world politics.

The diplomat recalls that during the seventies, Indians enjoyed visa-free access to many Western and European countries, but that changed after the Sikh separatist movement during the eighties. Subsequent political upheavals have further chipped away the country's reputation as a stable democracy.

"Numerous nations are growing increasingly wary regarding migrants," he stated. "India has a high number of people migrating overseas or remaining beyond visa limits and that interferes with the country's reputation."

Elements like how secure a country's passport is and its immigration procedures also contribute to obtaining visa-free entry to foreign nations.

Enhanced Security Measures

The Indian passport remains vulnerable to security risks. Last year, law enforcement detained over two hundred individuals for alleged visa and passport fraud. The country also has cumbersome immigration procedures with lengthy timelines for visa approvals.

The former ambassador indicated that new technologies, such as the newly introduced digital passport or e-passport, can improve security and streamline immigration. This electronic document includes a microchip holding biometric information, making it harder to counterfeit or alter the passport.

However, more diplomatic outreach and travel partnerships continue essential to boosting international travel freedom for Indian citizens and, by extension, the Indian passport's global position.