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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 neighbouring countries such as Bhutan and Sri Lanka offered easier access to travelers from India, obtaining visas to travel to many nations in Europe and the West continued to be difficult.

This dissatisfaction with India's poor passport strength was reflected in the latest Henley Passport Index, which placed the country in the 85th spot among 199 countries, a decline of five positions than last year.

The Indian government have not issued a statement on the report yet.

Countries including Ghana, Rwanda and Azerbaijan despite smaller economic size than India – a nation that is the world's fifth biggest economy – hold better positions on the index in the seventies range, respectively.

In fact, India's rank over the last ten years has remained around the eighties, even dipping to the 90th spot two years ago. Such standings appear poor when measured against other Asian countries like Singapore, Japan and South Korea, all maintaining top positions.

Global Passport Power Indicates

The power of a passport indicates a nation's soft power and international standing. It also translates into better mobility for its citizens, boosting business and educational prospects. Limited passport power means additional documentation, higher visa costs, reduced travel benefits and extended processing periods when journeying.

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

For example, in 2014 – the year the current administration's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) assumed office – fifty-two nations provided visa-free access to Indians with the passport ranked 76th in the ranking.

The following year, it fell to the 85th position, 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 60 in 2023 and sixty-two this year.

Increasing Worldwide Travel Competition

The number of visa-free destinations this year (fifty-seven) exceeds the number in 2015 (52), yet the country's position for both these years is 85. So, why is that?

Experts say that a major reason is the increasingly competitive landscape in international travel – indicating that nations are entering into additional travel agreements for their populations' advantage and their economies. As per a 2025 report, the worldwide mean number of destinations people can visit visa-free has almost doubled from 58 in 2006 to 109 in 2025.

For example, The Chinese passport has expanded the number of visa-free countries available to its citizens from fifty to eighty-two over the last ten years. Consequently, its position on the index has improved from 94th to 60th during the same time period.

In comparison, India – which was ranked 77th on the index in July – fell to eighty-fifth place in October following the loss to two countries.

Additional Factors Impacting Passport Power

A former Indian ambassador notes there are other factors that affect a nation's passport power, including economic and political conditions plus its openness to welcoming citizens from other countries.

For instance, the US passport has dropped out from the top ten currently holding the 12th position – its lowest ever – due to its more inward-looking approach in world politics.

The diplomat mentioned that during the seventies, Indian citizens had visa-free access to numerous European and Western nations, though this shifted following Khalistan movement in the 1980s. Later political disturbances have further chipped away the country's reputation as a stable democracy.

"Many countries are also becoming increasingly wary of immigrants," he stated. "India has a high number of citizens emigrating overseas or overstaying their visas and that interferes with the national image."

Factors like how secure a country's passport is and immigration processes also play a role in gaining visa-free access to foreign nations.

Security and Technological Improvements

The Indian passport faces ongoing security threats. Last year, authorities detained over two hundred individuals for suspected visa and passport fraud. India is also known for cumbersome immigration procedures with lengthy timelines for visa approvals.

The diplomat says that technological advances, like India's recently-launched electronic passport or e-passport, may enhance safety and ease the immigration process. The e-passport 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 international travel freedom for Indian citizens and, by extension, India's passport ranking.