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Earlier this year, an online clip from an Indian travel influencer complaining about the limited power of the Indian passport gained massive traction across digital platforms.

He mentioned that while nearby nations such as Bhutan and Sri Lanka were more welcoming of Indian tourists, securing travel permits for visiting most Western and European countries remained a challenge.

This dissatisfaction regarding the limited global access of Indian passports was reflected in recent global passport ranking, ranking the country in the 85th spot among nearly two hundred nations, a decline of five positions compared to the previous year.

The Indian government has not commented on the report yet.

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

In fact, India's rank over the last ten years has remained in the 80s, falling to ninetieth place in 2021. Such standings are dismal compared to Asian nations like Singapore, Japan and South Korea, all maintaining top positions.

Global Passport Power Measures

The power of a passport reflects a country's global influence and international standing. This leads to better mobility for passport holders, improving commercial and educational prospects. A weak passport means additional documentation, higher visa costs, reduced travel benefits and longer waiting times for travel.

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.

For example, eight years ago – when Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) assumed office – 52 countries offered visa-free travel to Indians with the passport at seventy-sixth position on the index.

The following year, it tumbled to the 85th position, then rose to eightieth over the past two years, declining once more to the eighty-fifth spot this year. At the same time, countries allowing visa-free travel to Indian citizens grew from fifty-two eight years ago to 60 in 2023 and sixty-two this year.

The Competitive Global Mobility Landscape

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?

Experts say that a major reason involves growing competition in international travel – indicating that nations are forming additional travel agreements to benefit their citizens and their economies. According to a 2025 report, the global average count of countries travellers are able to access visa-free has almost doubled from 58 in 2006 to one hundred nine currently.

As an illustration, The Chinese passport has expanded its count of visa-free countries its citizens can travel to from 50 to 82 over the last ten years. Consequently, its rank on the index has enhanced from ninety-fourth to sixtieth in that same duration.

In comparison, India – 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 notes there are other factors influencing the strength of a country's passport, like economic and political conditions as well as its receptiveness to accepting travelers from other countries.

For instance, the US passport has fallen from the top ten and now occupies twelfth place – a historic low – because of its increasingly insular stance in global affairs.

The diplomat mentioned that during the seventies, Indians enjoyed visa-free access to many Western and European countries, though this shifted after the Sikh separatist movement in the 1980s. Subsequent political upheavals have continued to damage the country's reputation as a stable, democratic country.

"Many countries are growing increasingly wary regarding migrants," he stated. "The country possesses a high number of citizens emigrating overseas or remaining beyond visa limits affecting the national image."

Elements like the security level a country's passport is and its immigration procedures also contribute to obtaining visa-free access to foreign nations.

Security and Technological Improvements

India's passport faces ongoing security threats. Last year, law enforcement detained over two hundred individuals for suspected passport and visa irregularities. The country also has cumbersome immigration procedures and a slow pace for visa approvals.

The diplomat indicated that technological advances, like India's recently-launched electronic passport or e-passport, can improve security and ease the immigration process. This electronic document contains a small chip that stores biometric information, making it harder to counterfeit or alter the document.

But, increased diplomatic efforts and travel agreements continue essential for enhancing international travel freedom of Indians and consequently, India's passport ranking.