🔗 Share this article

Earlier this year, a video from a popular travel content creator complaining about India's weak passport went viral across digital platforms.

He mentioned that while neighbouring countries like Bhutan and Sri Lanka were more welcoming of Indian tourists, obtaining visas to travel to most Western and European countries remained a challenge.

Such concerns regarding the limited global access of Indian passports found confirmation in recent global passport ranking, which placed India at position eighty-five out of 199 countries, a decline of five positions compared to the previous year.

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

Countries including Rwanda, Ghana and Azerbaijan with much smaller economies than India – which is the fifth-largest economy globally – are ranked higher on the index at the 78th, 74th and 72nd spots, respectively.

In fact, India's rank over the last ten years has remained around the eighties, falling to ninetieth place two years ago. Such standings appear poor when measured against other Asian countries such as Singapore, Japan and South Korea, all maintaining top positions.

What Passport Strength Indicates

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

But despite the drop in position, the count of nations providing visa-free travel to Indians has actually increased over the last ten years.

As an instance, in 2014 – when Prime Minister Narendra Modi's ruling party came to power – fifty-two nations provided visa-free access for Indian passport holders with the passport ranked 76th on the index.

The following year, it tumbled to eighty-fifth place, then improved to eightieth over the past two years, dropping again to the eighty-fifth spot currently. Meanwhile, countries allowing visa-free travel to Indian citizens grew from 52 in 2015 to 60 in 2023 and sixty-two this year.

Increasing Worldwide Travel Competition

The number of visa-free destinations in 2025 (57) is higher than the number eight years ago (fifty-two), but the country's position during both periods remains at eighty-fifth. What explains this situation?

Experts say that a primary factor is the increasingly competitive landscape in global mobility – indicating that nations are forming additional travel agreements to benefit their citizens and their economies. As per a 2025 report, the worldwide mean number of destinations people can visit without visas has nearly doubled from 58 in 2006 to one hundred nine currently.

As an illustration, The Chinese passport has expanded the number of visa-free countries its citizens can travel to from 50 to 82 over the last ten years. As a result, its position in the ranking has enhanced from 94th to 60th during the same time period.

Meanwhile, India – which was ranked at seventy-seventh place in July – dropped to the 85th position this autumn after losing access of two nations.

Additional Factors Impacting Passport Power

A former Indian ambassador notes multiple elements influencing the strength of a country's passport, including its economic and political stability as well as its openness to accepting travelers from other countries.

For instance, the American passport has fallen from the top ten currently holding the 12th position – a historic low – because of its more inward-looking approach in world politics.

The diplomat recalls how in the 1970s, Indian citizens had visa-free access to numerous European and Western nations, though this shifted after the Sikh separatist movement in the 1980s. Later political disturbances have continued to damage the country's reputation as a stable democracy.

"Numerous nations are growing increasingly wary of immigrants," the diplomat added. "India has a high number of citizens emigrating overseas or remaining beyond visa limits affecting the country's reputation."

Factors such as the security level 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 faces ongoing security threats. In 2024, authorities arrested 203 people for suspected visa and passport fraud. India is also known for complex immigration processes and a slow pace for visa approvals.

The diplomat says that technological advances, like India's recently-launched electronic passport or e-passport, can improve security and streamline immigration. The e-passport includes a microchip that stores biometric data, making it harder to counterfeit or alter the passport.

However, more diplomatic outreach and travel agreements remain key for enhancing the global mobility of Indians and consequently, India's passport ranking.