In recent months, an online clip by a popular travel content creator complaining about the limited power of the Indian passport went viral across digital platforms.
He mentioned that while nearby nations like Bhutan and Sri Lanka were more welcoming to travelers from India, obtaining visas to travel to many nations in Europe and the West continued to be difficult.
Such concerns with India's poor passport strength was reflected in recent Henley Passport Index, which placed India in the 85th spot among nearly two hundred nations, a decline of five positions compared to the previous year.
The Indian government has not commented on the report so far.
Countries like Ghana, Rwanda and Azerbaijan despite smaller economic size than India – a nation that is the world's fifth biggest economy – hold better positions in the ranking at the 78th, 74th and 72nd spots, in that order.
In fact, the country's position in the past decade has hovered around the eighties, even dipping to ninetieth place in 2021. These rankings appear poor when measured against Asian nations such as Singapore, Japan and South Korea, which have consistently held top positions.
Passport strength reflects a country's global influence and international standing. It also translates into better mobility for its citizens, improving commercial and educational prospects. Limited passport power means more paperwork, higher visa costs, reduced travel benefits and longer waiting times when journeying.
But despite the drop in position, the number of countries offering visa-free access for Indian citizens has grown over the last ten years.
As an instance, eight years ago – when 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 fell to eighty-fifth place, then rose to 80th over the past two years, dropping again to the 85th position currently. Meanwhile, visa-free destinations to Indian citizens grew from 52 in 2015 to 60 in 2023 and 62 in 2024.
The count of nations allowing visa-free entry this year (fifty-seven) is higher than what it was in 2015 (fifty-two), but India's rank for both these years is 85. So, why is that?
Analysts note that a major reason involves growing competition in international travel – meaning countries are forming additional travel agreements to benefit their citizens and their economies. As per a 2025 report, the global average number of destinations travellers are able to access without visas has almost doubled from 58 in 2006 to 109 in 2025.
For example, The Chinese passport has expanded the number of visa-free countries its citizens can travel to from 50 to 82 in the past decade. As a result, its position on the index has improved from ninety-fourth to sixtieth in that same duration.
Meanwhile, India – previously positioned 77th on the index during summer – fell to the 85th position in October following the loss of two nations.
A former Indian ambassador notes there are other factors that affect a nation's passport power, like its economic and political stability as well as its openness to welcoming citizens from other countries.
For example, the American passport has fallen from the top ten and now occupies twelfth place – its lowest ever – because of its more inward-looking approach in world politics.
The diplomat mentioned that during the seventies, Indians enjoyed visa-free travel to numerous European and Western nations, though this shifted after the Khalistan movement during the eighties. Later political disturbances have further chipped away at India's image as a stable democracy.
"Numerous nations are also becoming increasingly wary of immigrants," the diplomat added. "The country possesses a large quantity of citizens emigrating overseas or overstaying their visas and that interferes with the national image."
Factors such as the security level of a national passport and immigration processes also play a role in gaining visa-free entry to other countries.
India's passport faces ongoing security risks. Last year, law enforcement arrested over two hundred individuals for alleged visa and passport fraud. India is also known for complex immigration processes with lengthy timelines of visa processing.
The former ambassador indicated that new technologies, like India's recently-launched electronic passport or e-passport, can improve security and streamline immigration. The e-passport contains a small chip holding biometric data, increasing difficulty to counterfeit or alter the document.
But, more diplomatic outreach and travel partnerships continue essential to boosting the global mobility of Indians and consequently, the Indian passport's global position.
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