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In recent months, an online clip from an Indian travel influencer complaining about India's weak passport gained massive traction on social media.

The influencer stated although nearby nations like Bhutan and Sri Lanka were more welcoming to travelers from India, obtaining visas for visiting many nations in Europe and the West continued to be difficult.

Such concerns with India's poor passport strength found confirmation in recent Henley Passport Index, ranking India at position eighty-five among nearly two hundred nations, five spots lower than last year.

The Indian government has not commented regarding these findings yet.

Countries like Rwanda, Ghana and Azerbaijan with much smaller economies than India – a nation that is the fifth-largest economy globally – are ranked higher on the index in the seventies range, respectively.

Actually, the country's position over the last ten years has hovered in the 80s, even dipping to the 90th spot in 2021. These rankings appear poor when measured against Asian nations like Singapore, Japan and South Korea, which have consistently held top positions.

What Passport Strength Measures

The power of a passport reflects a country's global influence and global influence. It also translates into enhanced travel freedom for its citizens, boosting business and learning opportunities. A weak passport results in more paperwork, higher visa costs, reduced travel benefits and longer waiting times for travel.

But despite the drop in position, the count of nations offering visa-free access to Indians has actually increased in the past decade or so.

As an instance, eight years ago – when Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) assumed office – fifty-two nations offered visa-free travel for Indian passport holders with the passport at seventy-sixth position in the ranking.

The following year, it tumbled to the 85th position, then rose to eightieth in 2023 and 2024, dropping again to the 85th position this year. Meanwhile, visa-free destinations to Indian citizens increased from fifty-two eight years ago to sixty last year and 62 in 2024.

Increasing Worldwide Travel Competition

The number of visa-free destinations in 2025 (57) exceeds the number in 2015 (fifty-two), yet the country's position for both these years remains at eighty-fifth. So, why is that?

Experts say that a major reason involves growing competition in global mobility – meaning nations are entering into additional travel agreements for their populations' advantage and their economies. According to a 2025 report, the worldwide mean count of countries people can visit visa-free has nearly doubled from 58 in 2006 to 109 in 2025.

As an illustration, The Chinese passport has expanded the number of visa-free destinations its citizens can travel to from 50 to 82 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 in July – fell to eighty-fifth place this autumn following the loss of two nations.

Additional Factors Affecting Passport Strength

A former Indian ambassador notes multiple elements that affect a nation's passport power, including its economic and political stability as well as its receptiveness to accepting travelers from other countries.

For instance, the US passport has dropped out from the top ten currently holding twelfth place – its lowest ever – due to its increasingly insular stance in global affairs.

The diplomat mentioned how in the 1970s, Indians enjoyed visa-free access to many Western and European countries, but that changed following Sikh separatist movement during the eighties. Later political disturbances have further chipped away the country's reputation as a stable, democratic country.

"Many countries are growing increasingly wary of immigrants," he stated. "India has a large quantity of citizens emigrating overseas or remaining beyond visa limits affecting 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.

Security and Technological Improvements

India's passport remains vulnerable to security threats. Last year, law enforcement arrested over two hundred individuals for alleged visa and passport fraud. India is also known for cumbersome immigration procedures and a slow pace for visa approvals.

The diplomat says that technological advances, like India's recently-launched digital passport or e-passport, may enhance safety and streamline immigration. This electronic document includes a small chip holding biometric data, increasing difficulty to counterfeit or alter the passport.

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