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In recent months, an online clip from a popular travel content creator complaining about the limited power of the Indian passport went viral on social media.

The influencer stated although nearby nations like Bhutan and Sri Lanka were more welcoming to travelers from India, obtaining visas to travel to many nations in Europe and the West continued to be difficult.

Such concerns regarding India's poor passport strength was reflected in the latest global passport ranking, ranking India at position eighty-five out of 199 countries, five spots lower than last year.

Officials in India has not commented on the report so far.

Nations including Ghana, Rwanda and Azerbaijan despite smaller economic size compared to India – a nation that is the fifth-largest economy globally – hold better positions in the ranking in the seventies range, respectively.

Actually, the country's position over the last ten years has remained around the eighties, falling to ninetieth place in 2021. Such standings are dismal compared to Asian nations like Japan, South Korea and Singapore, which have consistently held leading ranks.

Global Passport Power Indicates

The power of a passport indicates a nation's soft power and global influence. It also translates into better mobility for its citizens, boosting business and educational prospects. Limited passport power means additional documentation, increased visa expenses, fewer travel privileges and longer waiting times for travel.

However, even with the decline in the rank, the count of nations offering visa-free access for Indian citizens has grown in the past decade or so.

As an instance, in 2014 – the year Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) came to power – 52 countries offered visa-free access to Indians and its passport ranked 76th in the ranking.

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

Increasing Worldwide Travel Competition

The number of visa-free destinations in 2025 (57) is higher than the number eight years ago (fifty-two), yet 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 nations are forming more travel partnerships for their populations' advantage and their economies. According to recent analysis, the global average count of countries people can visit without visas has almost doubled from fifty-eight nineteen years ago to one hundred nine currently.

As an illustration, China has expanded the number of visa-free destinations its citizens can travel to from fifty to eighty-two over the last ten years. Consequently, its rank in the ranking has improved from ninety-fourth to sixtieth in that same duration.

In comparison, The Indian passport – which was ranked 77th on the index during summer – dropped to eighty-fifth place in October following the loss to two countries.

Other Influences Affecting Passport Strength

An ex-diplomat from India says there are other factors that affect a nation's passport power, including its economic and political stability as well as its receptiveness to accepting travelers from other countries.

For instance, the American passport has fallen of the top 10 and now occupies the 12th position – its lowest ever – due to its more inward-looking approach in world politics.

The diplomat mentioned that during the seventies, Indians enjoyed visa-free access to numerous European and Western nations, though this shifted following Khalistan movement during the eighties. Later political disturbances have continued to damage the country's reputation as a stable, democratic country.

"Numerous nations are growing increasingly wary regarding migrants," he stated. "India has a high number of people migrating overseas or remaining beyond visa limits affecting the national image."

Factors like how secure a country's passport is and its immigration procedures also play a role to obtaining visa-free entry to other countries.

Enhanced Security Measures

India's passport remains vulnerable to security risks. Last year, law enforcement arrested over two hundred individuals for alleged passport and visa irregularities. India is also known for cumbersome immigration procedures and a slow pace of visa processing.

The former ambassador says that technological advances, such as the newly introduced electronic 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 forge or tamper with the document.

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