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Earlier this year, a video from a popular travel content creator expressing frustration over the limited power of the Indian passport went viral across digital platforms.

The influencer stated that while neighbouring countries such as Bhutan and Sri Lanka offered easier access to travelers from India, securing travel permits for visiting many nations in Europe and the West continued to be difficult.

Such concerns with India's poor passport strength was reflected in the latest Henley Passport Index, which placed India in the 85th spot among nearly two hundred nations, five spots lower compared to the previous year.

Officials in India have not issued a statement on the report yet.

Countries including Ghana, Rwanda and Azerbaijan with much smaller economies than India – a nation that is the fifth-largest economy globally – are ranked higher in the ranking at the 78th, 74th and 72nd spots, in that order.

Actually, India's rank over the last ten years has hovered around the eighties, even dipping to ninetieth place two years ago. These rankings are dismal when measured against other Asian countries like Singapore, Japan and South Korea, which have consistently held leading ranks.

What Passport Strength Indicates

The power of a passport indicates a nation's soft power and international standing. This leads to enhanced travel freedom for its citizens, boosting business and educational prospects. A weak passport means additional documentation, higher visa costs, reduced travel benefits and extended processing periods when journeying.

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

As an instance, eight years ago – when the current administration's ruling party assumed office – 52 countries provided visa-free travel for Indian passport holders and its passport at seventy-sixth position in the ranking.

The following year, it tumbled to the 85th position, then rose to 80th over the past two years, dropping again to the 85th position currently. Meanwhile, visa-free destinations for Indians increased from fifty-two eight years ago to sixty last year and sixty-two this year.

The Competitive Global Mobility Landscape

The number of visa-free destinations in 2025 (57) exceeds what it was in 2015 (fifty-two), yet the country's position during both periods remains at eighty-fifth. What explains this situation?

Analysts note that a major reason is the increasingly competitive landscape in global mobility – indicating that countries are forming more travel partnerships to benefit their citizens and their economies. According to a 2025 report, the worldwide mean count of countries travellers are able to access visa-free has almost doubled from 58 in 2006 to one hundred nine currently.

As an illustration, China has increased the number of visa-free countries its citizens can travel to from fifty to eighty-two over the last ten years. As a result, its position in the ranking has improved from ninety-fourth to sixtieth in that same duration.

In comparison, The Indian passport – previously positioned 77th on the index during summer – dropped to eighty-fifth place this autumn following the loss to two countries.

Other Influences Affecting Passport Strength

An ex-diplomat from India says multiple elements 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 US passport has fallen from the top ten and now occupies the 12th position – its lowest ever – because of its increasingly insular stance in global affairs.

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 during the eighties. Subsequent political upheavals have further chipped away the country's reputation as a stable democracy.

"Numerous nations are also becoming increasingly wary of immigrants," the diplomat added. "India has a high number of citizens emigrating to other countries or remaining beyond visa limits and that interferes with the country's reputation."

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

Security and Technological Improvements

The Indian passport faces ongoing security threats. In 2024, authorities arrested over two hundred individuals for alleged visa and passport fraud. India is also known for cumbersome immigration procedures with lengthy timelines of visa processing.

The former ambassador says that technological advances, like India's recently-launched electronic passport or e-passport, may enhance safety and streamline immigration. The e-passport includes a microchip holding biometric data, increasing difficulty to forge or tamper with the document.

But, more diplomatic outreach and travel agreements continue essential for enhancing international travel freedom for Indian citizens and, by extension, India's passport ranking.