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Earlier this year, an online clip from an Indian travel influencer complaining about India's weak passport went viral on social media.

He mentioned although neighbouring countries like Bhutan and Sri Lanka offered easier access to Indian tourists, securing travel permits for visiting most Western and European countries continued to be difficult.

This dissatisfaction regarding India's poor passport strength found confirmation in the latest Henley Passport Index, which placed the country in the 85th spot out of nearly two hundred nations, five spots lower than last year.

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

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

In fact, India's rank in the past decade has hovered in the 80s, even dipping to ninetieth place two years ago. These rankings appear poor compared to other Asian countries like Japan, South Korea and Singapore, all maintaining top positions.

Global Passport Power Measures

The power of a passport indicates a nation's soft power and global influence. This leads to enhanced travel freedom for passport holders, boosting business and educational prospects. A weak passport results in additional documentation, increased visa expenses, reduced travel benefits and extended processing periods for travel.

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

For example, in 2014 – the year Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) assumed office – 52 countries provided visa-free travel to Indians with the passport at seventy-sixth position in the ranking.

The following year, it fell to the 85th position, then rose to eightieth over the past two years, declining once more to the 85th position currently. At the same time, 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 number of visa-free destinations in 2025 (57) is higher than the number eight years ago (52), but the country's position during both periods is 85. So, why is that?

Experts say that a major reason is the increasingly competitive landscape in international travel – indicating that nations are forming additional travel agreements to benefit their citizens and economic growth. According to a 2025 report, the worldwide mean number of destinations people can visit without visas has nearly doubled from 58 in 2006 to 109 in 2025.

For example, China has expanded its count of visa-free countries its citizens can travel to 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.

Meanwhile, India – previously positioned at seventy-seventh place in July – dropped to eighty-fifth place in October following the loss 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 its economic and political stability plus its receptiveness to accepting travelers from abroad.

For example, the US passport has fallen from the top ten and now occupies the 12th position – its lowest ever – due to its more inward-looking approach in world politics.

The diplomat recalls how in the 1970s, Indian citizens had visa-free access to many Western and European countries, but that changed following Sikh separatist movement in the 1980s. Later political disturbances have continued to damage the country's reputation as a stable democracy.

"Many countries are growing increasingly wary of immigrants," the diplomat added. "The country possesses a large quantity of people migrating overseas or remaining beyond visa limits affecting the national image."

Elements such as the security level a country's passport is and immigration processes also play a role in gaining visa-free access to foreign nations.

Security and Technological Improvements

The Indian passport faces ongoing security risks. Last year, law enforcement detained 203 people for alleged visa and passport fraud. The country also has complex immigration processes 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 streamline immigration. The e-passport contains a microchip that stores biometric information, increasing difficulty to counterfeit or alter the document.

But, increased diplomatic efforts and travel agreements continue essential to boosting the global mobility of Indians and consequently, India's passport ranking.