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In recent months, a video by an Indian travel influencer complaining about India's weak passport gained massive traction across digital platforms.

He mentioned that while neighbouring countries like Sri Lanka and Bhutan offered easier access of Indian tourists, obtaining visas to travel to most Western and European countries continued to be difficult.

Such concerns with India's poor passport strength found confirmation in recent Henley Passport Index, which placed India at position eighty-five out of nearly two hundred nations, five spots lower compared to the previous year.

The Indian government has not commented on the report yet.

Countries like Ghana, Rwanda and Azerbaijan with much smaller economies than India – which is the fifth-largest economy globally – hold better positions in the ranking in the seventies range, in that order.

Actually, the country's position over the last ten years has hovered around the eighties, falling to ninetieth place in 2021. These rankings are dismal compared to Asian nations like Japan, South Korea and Singapore, all maintaining leading ranks.

What Passport Strength Measures

The power of a passport indicates a nation's soft power and international standing. It also translates into enhanced travel freedom for its citizens, boosting business and educational prospects. A weak passport results in more paperwork, increased visa expenses, fewer travel privileges and extended processing periods when journeying.

But despite the drop in position, the number of countries 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 ruling party came to power – fifty-two nations offered visa-free access for Indian passport holders with the passport ranked 76th on the index.

A year later, it fell to eighty-fifth place, then rose to eightieth over the past two years, declining once more to the eighty-fifth spot currently. Meanwhile, countries allowing visa-free travel 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 count of visa-free destinations this year (57) is higher than what it was in 2015 (fifty-two), yet India's rank during both periods is 85. So, why is that?

Experts say that a major reason is the increasingly competitive landscape in global mobility – indicating that nations are forming additional travel agreements to benefit their citizens and their economies. According to a 2025 report, the worldwide mean count of countries travellers are able to access visa-free has nearly doubled from fifty-eight nineteen years ago to 109 in 2025.

As an illustration, China 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 ninety-fourth to sixtieth during the same time period.

Meanwhile, India – which was ranked at seventy-seventh place during summer – dropped to the 85th position in October following the loss to two countries.

Other Influences Impacting Passport Power

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

For instance, the American passport has fallen of the top 10 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 many Western and European countries, but that changed following Sikh separatist movement during the eighties. Subsequent political upheavals have further chipped away the country's reputation as a stable, democratic country.

"Many countries are also becoming more cautious regarding migrants," he stated. "India has a high number of people migrating overseas or overstaying their visas and that interferes with the country's reputation."

Elements like the security level a country's passport is and its immigration procedures also contribute in gaining visa-free entry to other countries.

Enhanced Security Measures

The Indian passport remains vulnerable to security threats. Last year, authorities detained 203 people for alleged visa and passport fraud. India is also known for complex immigration processes with lengthy timelines for visa approvals.

The former ambassador indicated that technological advances, such as the newly introduced electronic passport or e-passport, may enhance safety and streamline immigration. This electronic document includes a small chip holding biometric information, making it harder to forge or tamper with the document.

But, increased diplomatic efforts and travel partnerships continue essential for enhancing the global mobility for Indian citizens and consequently, the Indian passport's global position.