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In recent months, a video by an Indian travel influencer expressing frustration over India's weak passport gained massive traction across digital platforms.

He mentioned that while nearby nations like Bhutan and Sri Lanka were more welcoming to Indian tourists, obtaining visas to travel to most Western and European countries remained a challenge.

Such concerns regarding India's poor passport strength was reflected in recent Henley Passport Index, ranking the country in the 85th spot among nearly two hundred nations, a decline of five positions compared to the previous year.

Officials in India have not issued a statement regarding these findings yet.

Countries including Ghana, Rwanda and Azerbaijan with much smaller economies than India – a nation that is the fifth-largest economy globally – are ranked higher on the index at the 78th, 74th and 72nd spots, in that order.

Actually, India's rank over the last ten years has remained around the eighties, even dipping to the 90th spot in 2021. These rankings appear poor when measured against other Asian countries such as Japan, South Korea and Singapore, which have consistently held top positions.

Global Passport Power Measures

Passport strength indicates a nation's soft power and international standing. It also translates into enhanced travel freedom for its citizens, improving commercial and learning opportunities. A weak passport means additional documentation, increased visa expenses, fewer travel privileges and longer waiting times when journeying.

But despite the drop in position, the count of nations 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 Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) came to power – fifty-two nations provided visa-free travel for Indian passport holders with the passport ranked 76th in the ranking.

The following year, it fell to eighty-fifth place, then improved to eightieth over the past two years, dropping again to the 85th position currently. Meanwhile, countries allowing visa-free travel for Indians grew from 52 in 2015 to 60 in 2023 and 62 in 2024.

Increasing Worldwide Travel Competition

The count of nations allowing visa-free entry in 2025 (57) exceeds what it was in 2015 (52), yet the country's position 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 – meaning countries are entering into additional travel agreements to benefit their citizens and their economies. According to recent analysis, the global average number of destinations travellers are able to access visa-free has almost doubled from fifty-eight nineteen years ago to one hundred nine currently.

For example, China has expanded its count of visa-free destinations available to its citizens from fifty to eighty-two in the past decade. As a result, its position in the ranking has enhanced from ninety-fourth to sixtieth in that same duration.

In comparison, India – previously positioned 77th on the index during summer – fell to eighty-fifth place in October following the loss to two countries.

Additional Factors Affecting Passport Strength

A former Indian ambassador notes multiple elements that affect a nation's passport power, like economic and political conditions plus its receptiveness to accepting travelers from abroad.

For instance, the US passport has dropped out of the top 10 currently holding twelfth place – its lowest ever – because of its increasingly insular stance in global affairs.

The diplomat recalls how in the 1970s, Indians enjoyed visa-free access to many Western and European countries, though this shifted following Sikh separatist movement during the eighties. Later political disturbances have continued to damage at India's image as a stable, democratic country.

"Many countries are also becoming increasingly wary regarding migrants," the diplomat added. "India has a large quantity of citizens emigrating to other countries or remaining beyond visa limits and that interferes with the national image."

Factors such as how secure of a national passport and its immigration procedures also play a role to obtaining visa-free access to foreign nations.

Security and Technological Improvements

The Indian passport faces ongoing security threats. Last year, authorities detained over two hundred individuals for alleged visa and passport fraud. The country also has cumbersome immigration procedures and a slow pace of visa processing.

The diplomat says that technological advances, such as the newly introduced digital passport or e-passport, may enhance safety and ease the immigration process. This electronic document contains a microchip holding biometric information, increasing difficulty to forge or tamper with the document.

But, increased diplomatic efforts and travel agreements remain key to boosting international travel freedom of Indians and, by extension, India's passport ranking.