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In recent months, a video by a popular travel content creator expressing frustration over India's weak passport went viral on social media.

He mentioned that while neighbouring countries such as Bhutan and Sri Lanka were more welcoming to Indian tourists, obtaining visas to travel to many nations in Europe and the West continued to be difficult.

This dissatisfaction regarding India's poor passport strength found confirmation in the latest Henley Passport Index, which placed India at position eighty-five out of nearly two hundred nations, five spots lower than last year.

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

Countries including Rwanda, Ghana and Azerbaijan despite smaller economic size compared to India – which is the world's fifth biggest economy – hold better positions in the ranking at the 78th, 74th and 72nd spots, in that order.

Actually, the country's position in the past decade has remained around the eighties, even dipping to the 90th spot two years ago. These rankings appear poor when measured against other Asian countries like Japan, South Korea and Singapore, which have consistently held leading ranks.

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 educational prospects. Limited passport power results in more paperwork, higher visa costs, reduced travel benefits and longer waiting times for travel.

However, even with the decline in the rank, the number of countries providing visa-free travel to Indians has grown in the past decade or so.

For example, eight years ago – when the current administration's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) came to power – 52 countries provided visa-free access to Indians with the passport ranked 76th in the ranking.

A year later, it fell to the 85th position, then rose to eightieth over the past two years, dropping again to the eighty-fifth spot currently. At the same time, visa-free destinations to Indian citizens increased from fifty-two eight years ago to sixty last year and 62 in 2024.

The Competitive Global Mobility Landscape

The number of nations allowing visa-free entry this year (fifty-seven) exceeds the number in 2015 (fifty-two), yet India's rank for both these years remains at eighty-fifth. So, why is that?

Experts say that a major reason is the increasingly competitive landscape in international travel – meaning nations are forming additional travel agreements for their populations' advantage 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 109 in 2025.

For example, 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 position in the ranking has improved from ninety-fourth to sixtieth in that same duration.

In comparison, India – previously positioned 77th on the index in July – fell to the 85th position this autumn after losing access to two countries.

Other Influences Impacting Passport Power

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

For example, the US passport has dropped out from the top ten currently holding the 12th position – its lowest ever – because of its increasingly insular stance in global affairs.

The former ambassador mentioned how in the 1970s, Indians enjoyed visa-free travel to numerous European and Western nations, though this shifted after the Sikh separatist movement during the eighties. Later political disturbances have further chipped away the country's reputation as a stable democracy.

"Many countries are growing more cautious of immigrants," the diplomat added. "The country possesses a high number of citizens emigrating overseas or overstaying their visas and that interferes with the country's reputation."

Factors such as the security level a country's passport is and its immigration procedures also play a role in gaining visa-free entry to other countries.

Security and Technological Improvements

The Indian passport remains vulnerable to security threats. Last year, authorities arrested 203 people for alleged passport and visa irregularities. India is also known for cumbersome immigration procedures and a slow pace for visa approvals.

The diplomat indicated that new technologies, such as the newly introduced digital passport or e-passport, can improve security and ease the immigration process. This electronic document includes a small chip holding biometric information, increasing difficulty to counterfeit or alter the passport.

However, more diplomatic outreach and travel partnerships continue essential for enhancing the global mobility for Indian citizens and consequently, the Indian passport's global position.