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In recent months, an online clip by a popular travel content creator complaining about the limited power of the Indian passport gained massive traction on social media.

The influencer stated that while nearby nations such as Sri Lanka and Bhutan were more welcoming to Indian tourists, obtaining visas to travel to many nations in Europe and the West remained a challenge.

This dissatisfaction regarding the limited global access of Indian passports was reflected in recent global passport ranking, which placed India in the 85th spot out of 199 countries, five spots lower than last year.

Officials in India has not commented on the report yet.

Nations like Rwanda, Ghana and Azerbaijan despite smaller economic size compared to India – which is the fifth-largest economy globally – are ranked higher in the ranking at the 78th, 74th and 72nd spots, in that order.

Actually, the country's position in the past decade has hovered around the eighties, falling to ninetieth place in 2021. These rankings appear poor compared to other Asian countries like Singapore, Japan and South Korea, which have consistently held top positions.

Global Passport Power Measures

The power of a passport reflects a nation's soft power and international standing. It also translates into enhanced travel freedom for passport holders, improving commercial and educational prospects. Limited passport power means additional documentation, higher visa costs, fewer travel privileges and longer waiting times for travel.

But despite the decline in the rank, the number of countries offering visa-free access to Indians has grown in the past decade or so.

As an instance, in 2014 – when the current administration's ruling party assumed office – 52 countries provided visa-free access to Indians with the passport ranked 76th on the index.

A year later, it tumbled to the 85th position, then improved to eightieth in 2023 and 2024, dropping again to the 85th position this year. At the same time, countries allowing visa-free travel 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 nations allowing visa-free entry this year (fifty-seven) is higher than what it was eight years ago (52), yet the country's position for both these years remains at eighty-fifth. What explains this situation?

Experts say that a major reason involves growing competition in international travel – indicating that nations are entering into additional travel agreements for their populations' advantage and their economies. As per a 2025 report, the global average count of countries travellers are able to access visa-free has nearly doubled from fifty-eight nineteen years ago to one hundred nine currently.

As an illustration, The Chinese passport has expanded its count of visa-free destinations available to its citizens from fifty to eighty-two over the last ten years. As a result, its rank in the ranking has improved from ninety-fourth to sixtieth during the same time period.

In comparison, The Indian passport – previously positioned at seventy-seventh place during summer – fell to the 85th position in October after losing access of two nations.

Other Influences Affecting Passport Strength

An ex-diplomat from India says multiple elements influencing the strength of a country's passport, including economic and political conditions as well as its receptiveness to welcoming citizens from other countries.

For instance, the US passport has fallen from the top ten currently holding twelfth place – a historic low – because of its increasingly insular stance in world politics.

The diplomat recalls that during the seventies, Indian citizens had visa-free travel to many Western and European countries, but that changed following Khalistan movement in the 1980s. Subsequent political upheavals have further chipped away the country's reputation as a stable democracy.

"Many countries are also becoming increasingly wary of immigrants," the diplomat added. "The country possesses a large quantity of citizens emigrating to other countries or overstaying their visas and that interferes with the country's reputation."

Factors like how secure of a national passport and immigration processes also contribute to obtaining visa-free entry to foreign nations.

Security and Technological Improvements

India's passport remains vulnerable to security risks. Last year, law enforcement detained 203 people for suspected visa and passport fraud. India is also known for cumbersome immigration procedures with lengthy timelines of visa processing.

The former ambassador indicated that new technologies, such as the newly introduced electronic passport or e-passport, may enhance safety and ease the immigration process. The e-passport contains a small chip holding biometric data, increasing difficulty to forge or tamper with the passport.

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