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In recent months, a video by a popular travel content creator expressing frustration over India's weak passport went viral across digital platforms.

The influencer stated that while nearby nations like Bhutan and Sri Lanka offered easier access to Indian tourists, obtaining visas to travel to many nations in Europe and the West continued to be difficult.

Such concerns regarding the limited global access of Indian passports found confirmation in recent Henley Passport Index, which placed India at position eighty-five among 199 countries, five spots lower than last year.

The Indian government has not commented regarding these findings yet.

Nations like Ghana, Rwanda and Azerbaijan despite smaller economic size than India – a nation that is the fifth-largest economy globally – are ranked higher in the ranking at the 78th, 74th and 72nd spots, in that order.

Actually, India's rank over the last ten years has remained around the eighties, even dipping to the 90th spot two years ago. Such standings are dismal when measured against Asian nations such as Japan, South Korea and Singapore, which have consistently held leading ranks.

Global Passport Power Indicates

The power of a passport indicates a nation's soft power and global influence. It also translates into better mobility for passport holders, boosting business and educational prospects. A weak passport means more paperwork, higher visa costs, fewer travel privileges and longer waiting times when journeying.

But despite the drop in position, the number of countries offering visa-free access for Indian citizens has grown over the last ten years.

As an instance, eight years ago – the year Prime Minister Narendra Modi's ruling party came to power – 52 countries provided visa-free access to Indians with the passport ranked 76th in the ranking.

The following year, it tumbled to eighty-fifth place, then improved to eightieth in 2023 and 2024, dropping again to the eighty-fifth spot this year. Meanwhile, countries allowing visa-free travel for Indians increased from fifty-two eight years ago to sixty last year 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 in 2015 (fifty-two), but the country's position for both these years is 85. So, why is that?

Experts say that a primary factor involves growing competition in global mobility – meaning countries are forming more travel partnerships to benefit their citizens 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, China has expanded the number of visa-free destinations its citizens can travel to from fifty to eighty-two in the past decade. Consequently, its rank in the ranking has improved from ninety-fourth to sixtieth in that same duration.

Meanwhile, India – which was ranked 77th on the index in July – dropped 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 the strength of a country's passport, like its economic and political stability as well as its receptiveness to welcoming citizens from other countries.

For instance, the American passport has dropped out of the top 10 currently holding twelfth place – its lowest ever – due to its more inward-looking approach in global affairs.

The former ambassador mentioned that during the seventies, Indian citizens had visa-free access to many Western and European countries, but that changed after the Sikh separatist movement during the eighties. Later political disturbances have further chipped away the country's reputation as a stable democracy.

"Many countries are growing 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 such as the security level of a national passport and immigration processes also play a role to obtaining visa-free entry to foreign nations.

Enhanced Security Measures

India's passport faces ongoing security risks. In 2024, authorities arrested over two hundred individuals for alleged passport and visa irregularities. India is also known for complex immigration processes with lengthy timelines of visa processing.

The diplomat 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 microchip that stores biometric data, making it harder to forge or tamper with the document.

But, more diplomatic outreach and travel agreements remain key for enhancing the global mobility for Indian citizens and, by extension, the Indian passport's global position.