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

The influencer stated although neighbouring countries such as Sri Lanka and Bhutan were more welcoming of Indian tourists, obtaining visas for visiting most Western and European countries continued to be difficult.

This dissatisfaction with the limited global access of Indian passports found confirmation in the latest Henley Passport Index, ranking India in the 85th spot among nearly two hundred nations, five spots lower than last year.

The Indian government has not commented regarding these findings so far.

Countries including Ghana, Rwanda and Azerbaijan with much smaller economies compared to India – which is the world's fifth biggest economy – 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 two years ago. These rankings are dismal compared to other Asian countries like Singapore, Japan and South Korea, all maintaining leading ranks.

What Passport Strength Measures

Passport strength reflects a nation's soft power and international standing. It also translates into better mobility for its citizens, boosting business and learning opportunities. Limited passport power results in more paperwork, higher visa costs, fewer travel privileges and extended processing periods when journeying.

However, even with the drop in position, the count of nations offering visa-free access to Indians has grown in the past decade or so.

For example, eight years ago – the year the current administration's ruling party assumed office – fifty-two nations offered visa-free access to Indians with the passport at seventy-sixth position on the index.

A year later, it tumbled to eighty-fifth place, then improved to eightieth in 2023 and 2024, declining once more to the eighty-fifth spot currently. Meanwhile, visa-free destinations for Indians increased from fifty-two eight years ago to sixty last year and 62 in 2024.

Increasing Worldwide Travel Competition

The count of visa-free destinations this year (fifty-seven) is higher than the number in 2015 (52), but India's rank for both these years remains at eighty-fifth. What explains this situation?

Experts say that a major reason is the increasingly competitive landscape in international travel – indicating that countries are forming more travel partnerships to benefit their citizens and their economies. According to recent analysis, the global average count of countries travellers are able to access visa-free has almost doubled from 58 in 2006 to 109 in 2025.

As an illustration, China has increased its count of visa-free countries its citizens can travel to from fifty to eighty-two over the last ten years. Consequently, its rank on the index has improved from 94th to 60th during the same time period.

In comparison, The Indian passport – which was ranked at seventy-seventh place during summer – dropped to eighty-fifth place this autumn after losing access of two nations.

Other Influences Impacting Passport Power

An ex-diplomat from India notes there are other factors that affect the strength of a country's passport, including its economic and political stability as well as its openness to welcoming citizens from other countries.

For instance, the American passport has fallen from the top ten and now occupies twelfth place – its lowest ever – because of its increasingly insular stance in global affairs.

The diplomat recalls how in the 1970s, Indian citizens had visa-free access to numerous European and Western nations, though this shifted following Sikh separatist movement in the 1980s. Later political disturbances have continued to damage at India's image as a stable democracy.

"Numerous nations are growing increasingly wary regarding migrants," the diplomat added. "The country possesses a large quantity of citizens emigrating overseas or overstaying their visas affecting the national image."

Elements like how secure of a national passport and immigration processes also contribute to obtaining visa-free access to foreign nations.

Security and Technological Improvements

The Indian passport remains vulnerable to security threats. Last year, authorities detained 203 people for alleged passport and visa irregularities. The country also has complex immigration processes and a slow pace for visa approvals.

The diplomat says that new technologies, like India's recently-launched electronic passport or e-passport, may enhance safety and ease the immigration process. The e-passport contains a microchip holding biometric information, making it harder to counterfeit or alter the document.

However, more diplomatic outreach and travel partnerships remain key for enhancing international travel freedom for Indian citizens and consequently, India's passport ranking.