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Earlier this year, a video by a popular travel content creator complaining about India's weak passport gained massive traction across digital platforms.

He mentioned that while neighbouring countries like Sri Lanka and Bhutan offered easier access of Indian tourists, securing travel permits for visiting many nations in Europe and the West continued to be difficult.

This dissatisfaction regarding India's poor passport strength was reflected in the latest Henley Passport Index, which placed the country at position eighty-five out of 199 countries, a decline of five positions compared to the previous year.

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

Nations like Ghana, Rwanda and Azerbaijan with much smaller economies than India – which is the world's fifth biggest economy – are ranked higher in the ranking in the seventies range, 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. These rankings are dismal compared to Asian nations like Japan, South Korea and Singapore, all maintaining leading ranks.

What Passport Strength Measures

Passport strength reflects a nation's soft power and global influence. It also translates into better mobility for its citizens, boosting business and educational prospects. Limited passport power results in additional documentation, increased visa expenses, 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.

For example, in 2014 – the year the current administration's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) came to power – fifty-two nations provided visa-free travel to Indians and its passport at seventy-sixth position in the ranking.

The following year, it tumbled to the 85th position, then improved to eightieth over the past two years, declining once more to the 85th position this year. Meanwhile, countries allowing visa-free travel for Indians grew from fifty-two eight years ago to 60 in 2023 and sixty-two this year.

The Competitive Global Mobility Landscape

The count of visa-free destinations this year (57) is higher than the number eight years ago (52), yet India's rank during both periods remains at eighty-fifth. So, why is that?

Experts say that a major reason involves growing competition in international travel – meaning nations are entering into additional travel agreements for their populations' advantage and economic growth. According to a 2025 report, the global average count of countries travellers are able to access visa-free has nearly doubled from fifty-eight nineteen years ago to one hundred nine currently.

As an illustration, China has increased its count of visa-free destinations its citizens can travel to from 50 to 82 in the past decade. Consequently, its position on the index has enhanced from 94th to 60th during the same time period.

Meanwhile, India – previously positioned 77th on the index in July – fell to the 85th position in October after losing access of two nations.

Additional Factors Affecting Passport Strength

An ex-diplomat from India notes multiple elements that affect the strength of a country's passport, including economic and political conditions plus its openness to accepting travelers from abroad.

For example, the American passport has fallen of the top 10 currently holding twelfth place – a historic low – due to its increasingly insular stance in global affairs.

The diplomat recalls that during the seventies, Indians enjoyed visa-free access to many Western and European countries, but that changed following Sikh separatist movement during the eighties. Subsequent political upheavals have continued to damage at India's image as a stable, democratic country.

"Many countries are growing more cautious of immigrants," the diplomat added. "India has a high number of citizens emigrating overseas or overstaying their visas affecting the national image."

Elements like the security level a country's passport is and its immigration procedures also play a role to obtaining visa-free access to other countries.

Enhanced Security Measures

India's passport faces ongoing security risks. In 2024, authorities arrested over two hundred individuals for alleged passport and visa irregularities. The country also has cumbersome immigration procedures and a slow pace of visa processing.

The diplomat indicated that new technologies, such as the newly introduced digital passport or e-passport, can improve security and ease the immigration process. The e-passport contains a microchip holding biometric data, increasing difficulty to forge or tamper with the document.

However, increased diplomatic efforts and travel partnerships continue essential for enhancing international travel freedom for Indian citizens and, by extension, the Indian passport's global position.