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In recent months, a video by an Indian travel influencer complaining about India's weak passport went viral on social media.

He mentioned although nearby nations like Sri Lanka and Bhutan were more welcoming of Indian tourists, securing travel permits for visiting most Western and European countries continued to be difficult.

Such concerns regarding India's poor passport strength was reflected in recent Henley Passport Index, ranking India at position eighty-five among 199 countries, a decline of five positions than last year.

Officials in India have not issued a statement on the report so far.

Nations including Ghana, Rwanda and Azerbaijan with much smaller economies than India – which is the fifth-largest economy globally – hold better positions on the index at the 78th, 74th and 72nd spots, respectively.

In fact, India's rank over the last ten years has remained in the 80s, even dipping to the 90th spot two years ago. These rankings are dismal compared to Asian nations such as Japan, South Korea and Singapore, which have consistently held top positions.

Global Passport Power Measures

The power of a passport indicates a nation's soft power and international standing. This leads to enhanced travel freedom for passport holders, boosting business and educational prospects. A weak passport results in more paperwork, increased visa expenses, 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 actually increased over the last ten years.

As an instance, eight years ago – when 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.

The following year, it fell to the 85th position, then rose to 80th over the past two years, declining once more to the 85th position currently. At the same time, countries allowing visa-free travel to Indian citizens increased from 52 in 2015 to sixty last year and sixty-two this year.

The Competitive Global Mobility Landscape

The number of nations allowing visa-free entry this year (57) is higher than the number in 2015 (fifty-two), yet the country's position 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 entering into more travel partnerships to benefit their citizens and their economies. As per a 2025 report, the worldwide mean count of countries travellers are able to access without visas has nearly doubled from fifty-eight nineteen years ago to 109 in 2025.

As an illustration, China has increased its count of visa-free destinations its citizens can travel to from fifty to eighty-two in the past decade. As a result, its position on the index has improved from ninety-fourth to sixtieth in that same duration.

In comparison, The Indian passport – which was ranked at seventy-seventh place during summer – dropped to eighty-fifth place this autumn following the loss to two countries.

Additional Factors Impacting Passport Power

A former Indian ambassador says multiple elements influencing a nation's passport power, like economic and political conditions as well as its openness to welcoming citizens from other countries.

For example, the American passport has fallen from the top ten currently holding the 12th position – its lowest ever – due to its more inward-looking approach in global affairs.

The diplomat recalls how in the 1970s, Indian citizens had visa-free access to numerous European and Western nations, but that changed following Khalistan movement during the eighties. Subsequent political upheavals have further chipped away at India's image as a stable democracy.

"Many countries are growing increasingly wary regarding migrants," he stated. "The country possesses a high number of people migrating overseas or overstaying their visas and that interferes with the country's reputation."

Elements like how secure of a national passport and immigration processes also contribute in gaining visa-free entry to foreign nations.

Enhanced Security Measures

The Indian passport faces ongoing security threats. In 2024, law enforcement arrested over two hundred individuals for alleged passport and visa irregularities. The country also has cumbersome immigration procedures and a slow pace of visa processing.

The former ambassador says that new technologies, such as the newly introduced digital passport or e-passport, may enhance safety and ease the immigration process. This electronic document includes a small chip holding biometric data, making it harder to forge or tamper with the document.

However, increased diplomatic efforts and travel partnerships continue essential to boosting international travel freedom of Indians and consequently, India's passport ranking.