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In recent months, an online clip by an Indian travel influencer expressing frustration over the limited power of the Indian passport went viral on social media.

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

Such concerns regarding the limited global access of Indian passports found confirmation in the latest global passport ranking, ranking India in the 85th spot among nearly two hundred nations, five spots lower than last year.

Officials in India has not commented regarding these findings so far.

Nations like Ghana, Rwanda and Azerbaijan with much smaller economies compared to India – a nation that is the fifth-largest economy globally – hold better positions on the index at the 78th, 74th and 72nd spots, respectively.

Actually, India's rank in the past decade has remained in the 80s, even dipping to the 90th spot in 2021. Such standings appear poor when measured against Asian nations like Japan, South Korea and Singapore, which have consistently held leading ranks.

Global Passport Power Measures

The power of a passport indicates a country's global influence and international standing. This leads to better mobility for passport holders, improving commercial and learning opportunities. Limited passport power means additional documentation, increased visa expenses, fewer travel privileges and longer waiting times for travel.

But despite the decline in the rank, the count of nations offering visa-free access for Indian citizens has grown 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 access to Indians with the passport at seventy-sixth position on the index.

A year later, it fell to the 85th position, then improved to 80th over the past two years, declining once more to the 85th position this year. Meanwhile, visa-free destinations to Indian citizens grew from fifty-two eight years ago to 60 in 2023 and 62 in 2024.

The Competitive Global Mobility Landscape

The number of nations allowing visa-free entry in 2025 (57) exceeds what it was in 2015 (52), but the country's position during both periods is 85. What explains this situation?

Experts say that a major reason involves growing competition in international travel – meaning nations are forming additional travel agreements to benefit their citizens and their economies. According to a 2025 report, the worldwide mean count of countries people can visit without visas has nearly doubled from 58 in 2006 to 109 in 2025.

For example, The Chinese passport has increased the number of visa-free countries available to its citizens from 50 to 82 over the last ten years. Consequently, its position on the index has improved from ninety-fourth to sixtieth during the same time period.

In comparison, The Indian passport – previously positioned at seventy-seventh place in July – fell to eighty-fifth place in October after losing access to two countries.

Other Influences Affecting Passport Strength

A former Indian ambassador notes there are other factors influencing the strength of a country's passport, including economic and political conditions plus its openness to accepting travelers from abroad.

For example, the American passport has dropped out from the top ten and now occupies twelfth place – its lowest ever – due to its increasingly insular stance in global affairs.

The diplomat mentioned that during the seventies, Indian citizens had visa-free access to many Western and European countries, but that changed after the Sikh separatist movement in the 1980s. Subsequent political upheavals have continued to damage at India's image as a stable democracy.

"Many countries are growing increasingly wary regarding migrants," he stated. "The country possesses a high number of people migrating overseas or remaining beyond visa limits affecting the national image."

Elements such as the security level a country's passport is and its immigration procedures also contribute to obtaining visa-free access to other countries.

Security and Technological Improvements

The Indian passport remains vulnerable to security threats. In 2024, law enforcement detained over two hundred individuals for suspected visa and passport fraud. The country also has complex immigration processes and a slow pace for visa approvals.

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

However, increased diplomatic efforts and travel partnerships continue essential to boosting the global mobility for Indian citizens and, by extension, the Indian passport's global position.