🔗 Share this article

In recent months, an online clip from a popular travel content creator expressing frustration over India's weak passport gained massive traction on social media.

He mentioned although neighbouring countries such as Bhutan and Sri Lanka offered easier access of Indian tourists, obtaining visas to travel to most Western and European countries remained a challenge.

This dissatisfaction with India's poor passport strength was reflected in the latest Henley Passport Index, ranking the country at position eighty-five out of nearly two hundred nations, five spots lower compared to the previous year.

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

Nations including Rwanda, Ghana and Azerbaijan with much smaller economies compared to India – which is the fifth-largest economy globally – hold better positions in the ranking at the 78th, 74th and 72nd spots, in that order.

Actually, India's rank over the last ten years has hovered in the 80s, falling to ninetieth place two years ago. Such standings appear poor when measured against other Asian countries like Japan, South Korea and Singapore, all maintaining top positions.

Global Passport Power Measures

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 learning opportunities. A weak passport results in additional documentation, increased visa expenses, reduced travel benefits and extended processing periods when journeying.

However, even with the decline in the rank, the number of countries offering visa-free access for Indian citizens has actually increased over the last ten years.

For example, eight years ago – the year Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) assumed office – 52 countries offered visa-free travel for Indian passport holders and its passport at seventy-sixth position in the ranking.

A year later, it fell to the 85th position, then rose to eightieth over the past two years, dropping again to the eighty-fifth spot currently. At the same time, countries allowing visa-free travel for Indians grew from 52 in 2015 to 60 in 2023 and 62 in 2024.

Increasing Worldwide Travel Competition

The count of visa-free destinations this year (fifty-seven) is higher than the number in 2015 (52), but the country's position for both these years remains at eighty-fifth. What explains this situation?

Experts say that a major reason is the increasingly competitive landscape in global mobility – meaning nations are entering into additional travel agreements for their populations' advantage and economic growth. As per recent analysis, the worldwide mean count of countries travellers are able to access visa-free has almost doubled from 58 in 2006 to 109 in 2025.

As an illustration, The Chinese passport has increased the number of visa-free countries available to its citizens from fifty to eighty-two over the last ten years. As a result, its position on the index has improved from ninety-fourth to sixtieth in that same duration.

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

Additional Factors Affecting Passport Strength

An ex-diplomat from India notes multiple elements influencing the strength of a country's passport, including economic and political conditions plus its receptiveness to accepting travelers from other countries.

For example, the American passport has dropped out from the top ten currently holding twelfth place – a historic low – because of its increasingly insular stance in global affairs.

The diplomat recalls that during the seventies, Indians enjoyed visa-free travel to numerous European and Western nations, though this shifted after the Sikh separatist movement in the 1980s. Subsequent political upheavals have further chipped away the country's reputation as a stable, democratic country.

"Many countries are growing increasingly wary of immigrants," he stated. "India has a large quantity of citizens emigrating overseas or overstaying their visas affecting the national image."

Factors like how secure a country's passport is and immigration processes also contribute to obtaining visa-free entry to foreign nations.

Enhanced Security Measures

India's passport faces ongoing security risks. In 2024, law enforcement arrested 203 people for suspected passport and visa irregularities. India is also known for complex immigration processes and a slow pace of visa processing.

The former ambassador says that new technologies, such as the newly introduced digital passport or e-passport, can improve security and ease the immigration process. The e-passport includes a microchip holding biometric data, increasing difficulty to counterfeit or alter the document.

But, more diplomatic outreach and travel partnerships remain key to boosting the global mobility of Indians and, by extension, the Indian passport's global position.