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In recent months, an online clip from a popular travel content creator complaining about India's weak passport went viral across digital platforms.

He mentioned although nearby nations like Bhutan and Sri Lanka were more welcoming of Indian tourists, securing travel permits to travel to many nations in Europe and the West remained a challenge.

This dissatisfaction regarding India's poor passport strength was reflected in recent Henley Passport Index, which placed India in the 85th spot out of nearly two hundred nations, a decline of five positions than last year.

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

Nations like Ghana, Rwanda and Azerbaijan with much smaller economies than India – which is the fifth-largest economy globally – are ranked higher on the index in the seventies range, respectively.

Actually, India's rank over the last ten years has hovered in the 80s, even dipping to ninetieth place in 2021. Such standings are dismal compared to Asian nations like Singapore, Japan and South Korea, all maintaining leading ranks.

What Passport Strength Measures

Passport strength reflects a nation's soft power and global influence. This leads to enhanced travel freedom for passport holders, improving commercial and learning opportunities. A weak passport means more paperwork, higher visa costs, reduced travel benefits and extended processing periods for travel.

But despite the decline in the rank, the count of nations providing visa-free travel for Indian citizens has grown over the last ten years.

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

A year later, it tumbled to eighty-fifth place, then improved to eightieth over the past two years, declining once more to the 85th position currently. Meanwhile, visa-free destinations for Indians grew from 52 in 2015 to sixty last year and sixty-two this year.

The Competitive Global Mobility Landscape

The count of nations allowing visa-free entry in 2025 (fifty-seven) is higher than the number eight years ago (52), but the country's position for both these years remains at eighty-fifth. So, why is that?

Experts say that a primary factor involves growing competition in global mobility – meaning nations are entering into more travel partnerships for their populations' advantage and economic growth. As per recent analysis, the worldwide mean number of destinations travellers are able to access without visas has almost doubled from 58 in 2006 to one hundred nine currently.

For example, China has expanded its count of visa-free destinations available to its citizens from 50 to 82 over the last ten years. As a result, its position on the index has improved from 94th to 60th during the same time period.

Meanwhile, The Indian passport – which was ranked 77th on the index during summer – fell to eighty-fifth place this autumn after losing access to two countries.

Other Influences Impacting Passport Power

A former Indian ambassador notes multiple elements influencing the strength of a country's passport, like economic and political conditions plus its receptiveness to accepting travelers from abroad.

For example, the US passport has dropped out from the top ten and now occupies the 12th position – a historic low – because of its more inward-looking approach in world politics.

The diplomat mentioned that during the seventies, Indians enjoyed visa-free travel to numerous European and Western nations, but that changed after the Khalistan movement during the eighties. Subsequent political upheavals have continued to damage the country's reputation as a stable, democratic country.

"Many countries are growing increasingly wary regarding migrants," he stated. "India has a high number of people migrating to other countries or overstaying their visas and that interferes with the national image."

Factors such as how secure of a national passport and its immigration procedures also play a role in gaining visa-free access to other countries.

Enhanced Security Measures

India's passport faces ongoing security risks. Last year, authorities detained over two hundred individuals for alleged visa and passport fraud. India is also known for complex immigration processes and a slow pace for visa approvals.

The former ambassador indicated that technological advances, such as the newly introduced digital passport or e-passport, can improve security and ease the immigration process. This electronic document includes a microchip holding biometric information, making it harder to counterfeit or alter the passport.

But, increased diplomatic efforts and travel agreements continue essential for enhancing the global mobility of Indians and consequently, India's passport ranking.