🔗 Share this article

Earlier this year, a video by a popular travel content creator complaining about the limited power of the Indian passport gained massive traction across digital platforms.

The influencer stated although nearby nations such as Bhutan and Sri Lanka were more welcoming to Indian tourists, securing travel permits to travel to most Western and European countries remained a challenge.

Such concerns regarding India's poor passport strength found confirmation in recent global passport ranking, ranking the country in the 85th spot among 199 countries, five spots lower compared to the previous year.

Officials in India has not commented regarding these findings so far.

Nations including Rwanda, Ghana and Azerbaijan with much smaller economies compared to India – a nation that is the world's fifth biggest economy – hold better positions in the ranking at the 78th, 74th and 72nd spots, respectively.

Actually, the country's position over the last ten years has hovered around the eighties, falling to ninetieth place two years ago. Such standings appear poor compared to other Asian countries such as Japan, South Korea and Singapore, which have consistently held top positions.

Global Passport Power Indicates

Passport strength indicates a country's global influence and international standing. This leads to better mobility for passport holders, boosting business and educational prospects. Limited passport power means more paperwork, higher visa costs, reduced travel benefits and extended processing periods for travel.

But despite the decline in the rank, the number of countries offering visa-free access for Indian citizens has actually increased over the last ten years.

For example, eight years ago – when Prime Minister Narendra Modi's ruling party assumed office – 52 countries offered visa-free travel to Indians and its passport at seventy-sixth position on the index.

A year later, it tumbled to the 85th position, then rose to eightieth over the past two years, declining once more to the eighty-fifth spot currently. At the same time, visa-free destinations for Indians grew from 52 in 2015 to sixty last year and 62 in 2024.

Increasing Worldwide Travel Competition

The number of visa-free destinations this year (57) is higher than the number in 2015 (52), but India's rank for both these years is 85. So, why is that?

Analysts note that a major reason is the increasingly competitive landscape in global mobility – indicating that nations are entering into additional travel agreements for their populations' advantage and economic growth. According to recent analysis, the worldwide mean number of destinations people can visit visa-free has nearly doubled from fifty-eight nineteen years ago to 109 in 2025.

For example, China has expanded its count of visa-free destinations available to its citizens from fifty to eighty-two over the last ten years. Consequently, its position in the ranking has enhanced from ninety-fourth to sixtieth during the same time period.

In comparison, India – which was ranked 77th on the index during summer – dropped to the 85th position in October after losing access of two nations.

Additional Factors Affecting Passport Strength

An ex-diplomat from India notes there are other factors influencing the strength of a country's passport, including its economic and political stability plus its openness to welcoming citizens from other countries.

For instance, the American passport has dropped out from the top ten and now occupies the 12th position – its lowest ever – because of its more inward-looking approach in global affairs.

The diplomat recalls how in the 1970s, Indian citizens had visa-free travel to many Western and European countries, though this shifted following Sikh separatist movement during the eighties. Subsequent political upheavals have continued to damage the country's reputation as a stable, democratic country.

"Many countries are also becoming more cautious regarding migrants," the diplomat added. "India has a high number of people migrating to other countries or remaining beyond visa limits affecting the national image."

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

Security and Technological Improvements

The Indian passport remains vulnerable to security risks. Last year, authorities arrested over two hundred individuals for suspected visa and passport fraud. India is also known for cumbersome immigration procedures with lengthy timelines for visa approvals.

The former ambassador indicated that technological advances, such as the newly introduced electronic passport or e-passport, can improve security and ease the immigration process. This electronic document contains a microchip that stores biometric data, increasing difficulty to counterfeit or alter the document.

But, increased diplomatic efforts and travel partnerships continue essential for enhancing international travel freedom of Indians and, by extension, India's passport ranking.