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

The influencer stated that while neighbouring countries like Bhutan and Sri Lanka offered easier access of travelers from India, obtaining visas for visiting many nations in Europe and the West continued to be difficult.

This dissatisfaction with India's poor passport strength was reflected in recent global passport ranking, which placed the country in the 85th spot among nearly two hundred nations, a decline of five positions compared to the previous year.

The Indian government have not issued a statement on the report yet.

Nations including Ghana, Rwanda and Azerbaijan with much smaller economies compared to India – which is the fifth-largest economy globally – hold better positions on the index at the 78th, 74th and 72nd spots, in that order.

Actually, the country's position in the past decade has hovered in the 80s, even dipping to ninetieth place two years ago. Such standings appear poor compared to Asian nations such as Singapore, Japan and South Korea, which have consistently held leading ranks.

Global Passport Power Indicates

Passport strength indicates a nation's soft power and global influence. It also translates into better mobility for its citizens, improving commercial and educational prospects. A weak passport means additional documentation, increased visa expenses, reduced travel benefits and longer waiting times when journeying.

But despite the drop in position, the count of nations providing visa-free travel for Indian citizens has actually increased in the past decade or so.

For example, in 2014 – when Prime Minister Narendra Modi's ruling party came to power – 52 countries provided visa-free access for Indian passport holders and its passport at seventy-sixth position in the ranking.

The following year, it fell to eighty-fifth place, then improved to 80th in 2023 and 2024, declining once more to the eighty-fifth spot currently. Meanwhile, visa-free destinations for Indians grew from fifty-two eight years ago to 60 in 2023 and 62 in 2024.

Increasing Worldwide Travel Competition

The count of visa-free destinations in 2025 (57) is higher than what it was eight years ago (52), yet the country's position during both periods remains at eighty-fifth. So, why is that?

Experts say that a primary factor is the increasingly competitive landscape in global mobility – meaning countries are forming additional travel agreements for their populations' advantage and their economies. As per recent analysis, the global average count of countries people can visit without visas has almost doubled from 58 in 2006 to 109 in 2025.

For example, The Chinese passport has increased the number of visa-free destinations its citizens can travel to from 50 to 82 in the past decade. Consequently, its position in the ranking has enhanced from ninety-fourth to sixtieth during the same time period.

In comparison, The Indian passport – previously positioned 77th on the index during summer – fell to the 85th position in October after losing access of two nations.

Other Influences Impacting Passport Power

An ex-diplomat from India says there are other factors that affect a nation's passport power, like economic and political conditions as well as its receptiveness to accepting travelers from other countries.

For instance, the US passport has dropped out of the top 10 currently holding twelfth place – a historic low – due to its more inward-looking approach in global affairs.

The former ambassador mentioned how in the 1970s, Indian citizens had visa-free travel to numerous European and Western nations, but that changed after the Khalistan movement in the 1980s. Subsequent political upheavals have continued to damage the country's reputation as a stable democracy.

"Many countries are growing increasingly wary regarding migrants," the diplomat added. "India has a high number of people migrating to other countries or remaining beyond visa limits affecting the country's reputation."

Elements such as how secure a country's passport is and immigration processes also contribute in gaining visa-free access to foreign nations.

Security and Technological Improvements

The Indian passport remains vulnerable to security threats. Last year, law enforcement arrested 203 people for suspected visa and passport fraud. The country also has complex immigration processes and a slow pace for visa approvals.

The former ambassador says that technological advances, like India's recently-launched electronic passport or e-passport, may enhance safety and ease the immigration process. This electronic document contains a small chip that stores biometric data, increasing difficulty to counterfeit or alter the passport.

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