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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.

He mentioned that while neighbouring countries such as Bhutan and Sri Lanka were more welcoming of Indian tourists, obtaining visas to travel to many nations in Europe and the West remained a challenge.

Such concerns regarding the limited global access of Indian passports was reflected in recent global passport ranking, which placed India at position eighty-five among 199 countries, five spots lower compared to the previous year.

Officials in India have not issued a statement regarding these findings yet.

Countries like Ghana, Rwanda and Azerbaijan with much smaller economies compared to India – a nation that is the fifth-largest economy globally – are ranked higher on the index 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 appear poor when measured against Asian nations such as Japan, South Korea and Singapore, which have consistently held top positions.

Global Passport Power Measures

Passport strength reflects a nation's soft power and international standing. This leads to better mobility for its citizens, boosting business and educational prospects. Limited passport power results in additional documentation, higher visa costs, fewer travel privileges and extended processing periods when journeying.

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 – when Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) came to power – 52 countries provided visa-free travel to Indians and its passport at seventy-sixth position in the ranking.

A year later, it tumbled to the 85th position, then rose to 80th over the past two years, declining once more to the eighty-fifth spot currently. Meanwhile, visa-free destinations to Indian citizens grew from fifty-two eight years ago to sixty last year and 62 in 2024.

The Competitive Global Mobility Landscape

The count of visa-free destinations this year (57) is higher than what it was eight years ago (52), but the country's position for both these years remains at eighty-fifth. So, why is that?

Experts say that a primary factor is the increasingly competitive landscape in international travel – meaning countries are forming more travel partnerships for their populations' advantage and economic growth. According to a 2025 report, the worldwide mean count of countries travellers are able to access without visas has nearly doubled from 58 in 2006 to one hundred nine currently.

As an illustration, China has expanded the number of visa-free countries available to its citizens from 50 to 82 over the last ten years. Consequently, its rank on the index has improved from ninety-fourth to sixtieth in that same duration.

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

Other Influences Impacting Passport Power

An ex-diplomat from India notes multiple elements that affect a nation's passport power, including economic and political conditions as well as its openness to accepting travelers from abroad.

For instance, the American passport has fallen of the top 10 currently holding twelfth place – its lowest ever – due to its increasingly insular stance in world politics.

The diplomat mentioned how in the 1970s, Indians enjoyed visa-free access to many Western and European countries, but that changed after the Sikh separatist movement in the 1980s. Subsequent political upheavals have further chipped away at India's image as a stable, democratic country.

"Numerous nations are also becoming more cautious of immigrants," he stated. "India has a large quantity of people migrating overseas or overstaying their visas affecting the country's reputation."

Elements such as how secure of a national passport and immigration processes 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 203 people for suspected passport and visa irregularities. The country also has complex immigration processes and a slow pace of visa processing.

The former ambassador indicated that new technologies, like India's recently-launched digital passport or e-passport, may enhance safety and streamline immigration. The e-passport contains a microchip holding biometric data, increasing difficulty to counterfeit or alter the document.

But, more diplomatic outreach and travel agreements remain key to boosting the global mobility for Indian citizens and, by extension, the Indian passport's global position.