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

He mentioned although neighbouring countries like Bhutan and Sri Lanka were more welcoming to Indian tourists, obtaining visas for visiting many nations in Europe and the West continued to be difficult.

This dissatisfaction with the limited global access of Indian passports was reflected in recent Henley Passport Index, ranking the country at position eighty-five out of 199 countries, a decline of five positions than last year.

Officials in India have not issued a statement regarding these findings so far.

Countries like Rwanda, Ghana and Azerbaijan with much smaller economies compared to India – which is the world's fifth biggest economy – hold better positions on the index at the 78th, 74th and 72nd spots, in that order.

In fact, the country's position over the last ten years has remained in the 80s, even dipping to the 90th spot in 2021. Such standings are dismal compared to other Asian countries like Singapore, Japan and South Korea, all maintaining top positions.

Global Passport Power Indicates

Passport strength indicates a nation's soft power and international standing. This leads to better mobility for passport holders, improving commercial and learning opportunities. Limited passport power results in more paperwork, higher visa costs, fewer travel privileges and longer waiting times when journeying.

However, even with the decline in the rank, the number of countries providing visa-free travel to Indians has actually increased in the past decade or so.

As an instance, in 2014 – when Prime Minister Narendra Modi's ruling party assumed office – fifty-two nations offered visa-free travel for Indian passport holders and its passport at seventy-sixth position on the index.

The following year, it fell to eighty-fifth place, then improved to eightieth over the past two years, declining once more to the eighty-fifth spot currently. At the same time, visa-free destinations to Indian citizens increased from 52 in 2015 to 60 in 2023 and 62 in 2024.

Increasing Worldwide Travel Competition

The number of nations allowing visa-free entry in 2025 (fifty-seven) is higher than what it was eight years ago (52), but India's rank during both periods is 85. So, why is that?

Analysts note that a major reason involves growing competition in international travel – indicating that countries are entering into additional travel agreements for their populations' advantage and economic growth. According to a 2025 report, the worldwide mean number of destinations people can visit without visas has nearly doubled from 58 in 2006 to 109 in 2025.

As an illustration, China has increased 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 94th to 60th in that same duration.

In comparison, The Indian passport – which was ranked at seventy-seventh place in July – fell to eighty-fifth place in October after losing access of two nations.

Additional Factors Impacting Passport Power

A former Indian ambassador says multiple elements influencing the strength of a country's passport, including economic and political conditions plus its openness to accepting travelers from other countries.

For example, the US passport has fallen from the top ten currently holding the 12th position – a historic low – because of its increasingly insular stance in world politics.

The diplomat mentioned how in the 1970s, Indian citizens had visa-free access to many Western and European countries, but that changed after the Khalistan movement in the 1980s. Subsequent political upheavals have further chipped away at India's image as a stable democracy.

"Many countries are growing more cautious of immigrants," the diplomat added. "India has a high number of people migrating overseas or overstaying their visas and that interferes with the country's reputation."

Factors like the security level a country's passport is and immigration processes also contribute in gaining visa-free access to foreign nations.

Security and Technological Improvements

The Indian passport faces ongoing security risks. In 2024, law enforcement arrested 203 people for alleged passport and visa irregularities. The country also has complex immigration processes with lengthy timelines of visa processing.

The former ambassador says that new technologies, like India's recently-launched electronic passport or e-passport, can improve security and ease the immigration process. The e-passport contains a small chip that stores biometric information, making it harder to counterfeit or alter the document.

But, increased diplomatic efforts and travel agreements remain key for enhancing international travel freedom of Indians and consequently, the Indian passport's global position.