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In recent months, an online clip by a popular travel content creator expressing frustration over the limited power of the Indian passport gained massive traction across digital platforms.

He mentioned although neighbouring countries like Sri Lanka and Bhutan were more welcoming to travelers from India, obtaining visas for visiting many nations in Europe and the West remained a challenge.

This dissatisfaction with the limited global access of Indian passports found confirmation in the latest global passport ranking, ranking the country at position eighty-five among 199 countries, a decline of five positions than last year.

The Indian government has not commented regarding these findings yet.

Nations including Ghana, Rwanda and Azerbaijan despite smaller economic size compared to India – a nation that is the fifth-largest economy globally – are ranked higher on the index in the seventies range, respectively.

In fact, India's rank in the past decade has hovered in the 80s, even dipping to the 90th spot in 2021. Such standings are dismal compared to Asian nations such as Japan, South Korea and Singapore, which have consistently held leading ranks.

Global Passport Power Measures

Passport strength reflects a nation's soft power and global influence. It also translates into enhanced travel freedom for passport holders, improving commercial and learning opportunities. Limited passport power means additional documentation, higher visa costs, reduced travel benefits and extended processing periods when journeying.

However, even with the drop in position, the count of nations providing visa-free travel for Indian citizens has actually increased in the past decade or so.

As an instance, eight years ago – the year the current administration's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) came to power – 52 countries provided visa-free access for Indian passport holders and its passport ranked 76th in the ranking.

A year later, it tumbled to the 85th position, then rose to eightieth over the past two years, dropping again to the 85th position currently. At the same time, visa-free destinations to Indian citizens grew from 52 in 2015 to 60 in 2023 and sixty-two this year.

The Competitive Global Mobility Landscape

The count of visa-free destinations in 2025 (57) is higher than the number eight years ago (52), but India's rank for both these years is 85. What explains this situation?

Experts say that a major reason involves growing competition in global mobility – meaning countries are forming additional travel agreements for their populations' advantage and economic growth. As per recent analysis, the global average number of destinations travellers are able to access visa-free has almost doubled from fifty-eight nineteen years ago to one hundred nine currently.

For example, China has expanded the number of visa-free destinations its citizens can travel to from fifty to eighty-two in the past decade. As a result, its position in the ranking has improved from 94th to 60th during the same time period.

In comparison, The Indian passport – previously positioned at seventy-seventh place during summer – fell to eighty-fifth place in October after losing access to two countries.

Additional Factors Affecting Passport Strength

A former Indian ambassador notes multiple elements influencing a nation's passport power, including economic and political conditions plus its receptiveness to welcoming citizens from other countries.

For example, the American passport has fallen of the top 10 and now occupies the 12th position – a historic low – because of its more inward-looking approach in global affairs.

The diplomat mentioned how in the 1970s, Indian citizens had visa-free access to many Western and European countries, but that changed following Khalistan movement during the eighties. Subsequent political upheavals have continued to damage at India's image as a stable democracy.

"Many countries are growing increasingly wary regarding migrants," the diplomat added. "India has a high number of people migrating overseas or overstaying their visas affecting the national image."

Factors like the security level of a national passport and immigration processes also contribute in gaining visa-free entry to foreign nations.

Enhanced Security Measures

India's passport faces ongoing security threats. In 2024, authorities detained over two hundred individuals for alleged visa and passport fraud. The country also has complex immigration processes with lengthy timelines for visa approvals.

The former ambassador indicated that new technologies, such as the newly introduced electronic passport or e-passport, may enhance safety and ease the immigration process. This electronic document contains a small chip holding biometric data, making it harder to counterfeit or alter the passport.

However, more diplomatic outreach and travel agreements continue essential for enhancing the global mobility for Indian citizens and consequently, the Indian passport's global position.