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Earlier this year, a video from an Indian travel influencer expressing frustration over India's weak passport went viral on social media.

He mentioned although nearby nations such as Bhutan and Sri Lanka were more welcoming of Indian tourists, obtaining visas to travel to 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, ranking the country at position eighty-five among nearly two hundred nations, a decline of five positions than last year.

The Indian government has not commented on the report so far.

Countries 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 on the index in the seventies range, respectively.

Actually, the country's position over the last ten years has hovered in the 80s, falling to the 90th spot in 2021. These rankings appear poor when measured against Asian nations like Japan, South Korea and Singapore, which have consistently held top positions.

Global Passport Power 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 means more paperwork, higher visa costs, reduced travel benefits and extended processing periods for travel.

However, even with the decline in the rank, the count of nations offering visa-free access for Indian citizens has grown over the last ten years.

As an instance, in 2014 – the year Prime Minister Narendra Modi's ruling party came to power – fifty-two nations provided visa-free travel for Indian passport holders and its passport at seventy-sixth position in the ranking.

A year later, it fell to eighty-fifth place, then rose to eightieth over the past two years, declining once more to the 85th position this year. At the same time, visa-free destinations to Indian citizens increased from fifty-two eight years ago to sixty last year and sixty-two this year.

The Competitive Global Mobility Landscape

The number of nations allowing visa-free entry in 2025 (fifty-seven) exceeds the number eight years ago (fifty-two), but India's rank for both these years is 85. So, why is that?

Experts say that a major reason is the increasingly competitive landscape in global mobility – indicating that countries are forming additional travel agreements to benefit their citizens and economic growth. According to recent analysis, the worldwide mean count of countries people can visit visa-free has nearly doubled from 58 in 2006 to one hundred nine currently.

For example, China has increased its count of visa-free countries available to its citizens from 50 to 82 over the last ten years. As a result, its rank on the index has enhanced from 94th to 60th in that same duration.

In comparison, India – which was ranked at seventy-seventh place during summer – fell to the 85th position this autumn after losing access to two countries.

Additional Factors Impacting Passport Power

A former Indian ambassador says there are other factors that affect a nation's passport power, like economic and political conditions as well as its receptiveness to accepting travelers from abroad.

For instance, the US passport has dropped out from the top ten and now occupies twelfth place – its lowest ever – because of its more inward-looking approach in world politics.

The former ambassador mentioned how in the 1970s, Indians enjoyed visa-free travel to numerous European and Western nations, though this shifted following Sikh separatist movement during the eighties. Subsequent political upheavals have further chipped away at India's image as a stable democracy.

"Numerous nations are also becoming more cautious regarding migrants," he stated. "India has a large quantity of citizens emigrating overseas or overstaying their visas and that interferes with the national image."

Elements such as how secure of a national passport and immigration processes also contribute in gaining visa-free access to foreign nations.

Enhanced Security Measures

The Indian passport faces ongoing security risks. In 2024, law enforcement detained 203 people for alleged passport and visa irregularities. India is also known for cumbersome immigration procedures and a slow pace of visa processing.

The former ambassador indicated that new technologies, like India's recently-launched digital passport or e-passport, can improve security and streamline immigration. The e-passport includes a microchip that stores biometric data, increasing difficulty to counterfeit or alter the passport.

However, increased diplomatic efforts and travel partnerships remain key to boosting the global mobility of Indians and, by extension, the Indian passport's global position.