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Earlier this year, a video by a popular travel content creator expressing frustration over the limited power of the Indian passport gained massive traction on social media.

He mentioned that while nearby nations like Bhutan and Sri Lanka were more welcoming to travelers from India, securing travel permits for visiting many nations in Europe and the West continued to be difficult.

Such concerns regarding the limited global access of Indian passports found confirmation in recent global passport ranking, ranking the country in the 85th spot among 199 countries, five spots lower than last year.

The Indian government have not issued a statement regarding these findings yet.

Nations including Rwanda, Ghana and Azerbaijan despite smaller economic size compared to India – which 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 over the last ten years has remained in the 80s, even dipping to the 90th spot in 2021. These rankings appear poor when measured against Asian nations like Singapore, Japan and South Korea, all maintaining leading ranks.

Global Passport Power Measures

Passport strength reflects a nation's soft power and international standing. It also translates into better mobility for its citizens, boosting business and learning opportunities. Limited passport power means more paperwork, increased visa expenses, reduced travel benefits and longer waiting times for travel.

However, even with the drop in position, the count of nations providing visa-free travel for Indian citizens has actually increased over the last ten years.

For example, eight years ago – when Prime Minister Narendra Modi's ruling party assumed office – 52 countries provided visa-free access to Indians and its passport ranked 76th on the index.

The following year, it tumbled to eighty-fifth place, then improved to 80th over the past two years, declining once more to the 85th position currently. Meanwhile, visa-free destinations for Indians grew from fifty-two eight years ago to 60 in 2023 and sixty-two this year.

The Competitive Global Mobility Landscape

The number of visa-free destinations in 2025 (fifty-seven) exceeds what it was eight years ago (52), yet the country's position during both periods is 85. So, why is that?

Experts say that a primary factor involves growing competition in international travel – meaning countries are forming additional travel agreements to benefit their citizens and their economies. As per a 2025 report, the global average count of countries travellers are able to access visa-free has nearly doubled from fifty-eight nineteen years ago to one hundred nine currently.

For example, The Chinese passport has increased the number of visa-free destinations its citizens can travel to from fifty to eighty-two over the last ten years. As a result, its rank in the ranking has enhanced from ninety-fourth to sixtieth in that same duration.

In comparison, India – which was ranked 77th on the index in July – dropped to eighty-fifth place in October after losing access of two nations.

Additional Factors Affecting Passport Strength

A former Indian ambassador notes multiple elements that affect a nation's passport power, like its economic and political stability as well as its openness to welcoming citizens from abroad.

For example, the American passport has dropped out of the top 10 currently holding twelfth place – its lowest ever – due to its more inward-looking approach in global affairs.

The former ambassador recalls that during the seventies, Indians enjoyed visa-free travel to numerous European and Western nations, but that changed following Sikh separatist movement during the eighties. Subsequent political upheavals have continued to damage at India's image as a stable, democratic country.

"Numerous nations are growing increasingly wary regarding migrants," he stated. "India has 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 to obtaining visa-free access to other countries.

Security and Technological Improvements

The Indian passport faces ongoing security threats. In 2024, authorities detained over two hundred individuals for alleged visa and passport fraud. India is also known for complex immigration processes and a slow pace of visa processing.

The diplomat says that technological advances, such as the newly introduced digital passport or e-passport, may enhance safety and streamline immigration. This electronic document includes a microchip holding biometric data, making it harder to counterfeit or alter the passport.

But, more diplomatic outreach and travel partnerships remain key for enhancing international travel freedom for Indian citizens and, by extension, India's passport ranking.