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In recent months, a video by an Indian travel influencer expressing frustration over the limited power of the Indian passport went viral across digital platforms.

The influencer stated that while nearby nations like Sri Lanka and Bhutan offered easier access of Indian tourists, securing travel permits to travel to most Western and European countries remained a challenge.

This dissatisfaction regarding India's poor passport strength was reflected in the latest Henley Passport Index, which placed India 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.

Countries including Ghana, Rwanda and Azerbaijan despite smaller economic size compared to India – a nation that is the world's fifth biggest economy – are ranked higher in the ranking at the 78th, 74th and 72nd spots, respectively.

In fact, the country's position in the past decade has remained in the 80s, falling to the 90th spot two years ago. These rankings appear poor compared to Asian nations such as Singapore, Japan and South Korea, which have consistently held top positions.

What Passport Strength Measures

Passport strength reflects a nation's soft power and international standing. This leads to enhanced travel freedom for its citizens, boosting business and educational prospects. Limited passport power means additional documentation, higher visa costs, fewer travel privileges and extended processing periods when journeying.

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

As an instance, eight years ago – the year the current administration's ruling party came to power – 52 countries offered visa-free travel to Indians with the passport ranked 76th on the index.

The following year, it fell to eighty-fifth place, then rose to 80th over the past two years, dropping again to the eighty-fifth spot this year. Meanwhile, visa-free destinations to Indian citizens grew from fifty-two eight years ago to 60 in 2023 and sixty-two this year.

Increasing Worldwide Travel Competition

The count of nations allowing visa-free entry this year (fifty-seven) is higher than the number in 2015 (fifty-two), but India's rank during both periods is 85. What explains this situation?

Experts say that a major reason is the increasingly competitive landscape in global mobility – indicating that countries are forming additional travel agreements to benefit their citizens and economic growth. As per a 2025 report, the global average number of destinations people can visit without visas has almost doubled from 58 in 2006 to 109 in 2025.

For example, China has expanded the number of visa-free countries its citizens can travel to from 50 to 82 in the past decade. As a result, its position in the ranking has improved from 94th to 60th in that same duration.

Meanwhile, The Indian passport – previously positioned 77th on the index in July – dropped to the 85th position this autumn following the loss of two nations.

Additional Factors Impacting Passport Power

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

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

The former ambassador mentioned how in the 1970s, Indians enjoyed visa-free travel to numerous European and Western nations, but that changed after the Khalistan movement in the 1980s. Later political disturbances have further chipped away at India's image as a stable, democratic country.

"Numerous nations are growing increasingly wary of immigrants," he stated. "The country possesses a large quantity of citizens emigrating to other countries or overstaying their visas affecting the country's reputation."

Factors like the security level a country's passport is and immigration processes also contribute to obtaining visa-free entry to other countries.

Security and Technological Improvements

India's passport faces ongoing security risks. Last year, authorities arrested 203 people for suspected visa and passport fraud. India is also known for complex immigration processes and a slow pace for visa approvals.

The diplomat indicated that technological advances, such as the newly introduced electronic passport or e-passport, can improve security and ease the immigration process. The e-passport includes a microchip that stores biometric information, making it harder to counterfeit or alter the document.

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