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

He mentioned although nearby nations such as Sri Lanka and Bhutan were more welcoming to travelers from India, securing travel permits for visiting many nations in Europe and the West remained a challenge.

Such concerns with the limited global access of Indian passports found confirmation in recent global passport ranking, which placed India at position eighty-five out of 199 countries, five spots lower compared to the previous year.

The Indian government have not issued a statement regarding these findings so far.

Countries 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 in the seventies range, respectively.

Actually, India's rank over the last ten years has hovered in the 80s, even dipping to ninetieth place two years ago. Such standings appear poor compared to other Asian countries like Singapore, Japan and South Korea, all maintaining leading ranks.

Global Passport Power Indicates

Passport strength reflects a country's global influence and global influence. It also translates into enhanced travel freedom for its citizens, improving commercial and learning opportunities. Limited passport power results in additional documentation, higher visa costs, fewer travel privileges and extended processing periods for travel.

However, even with the drop in position, the count of nations offering visa-free access for Indian citizens has actually increased in the past decade or so.

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

A year later, it tumbled to the 85th position, then improved to 80th in 2023 and 2024, dropping again to the 85th position currently. At the same time, visa-free destinations for Indians increased from 52 in 2015 to 60 in 2023 and sixty-two this year.

Increasing Worldwide Travel Competition

The count of nations allowing visa-free entry in 2025 (57) is higher than the number eight years ago (fifty-two), yet the country's position during both periods remains at eighty-fifth. So, why is that?

Analysts note that a primary factor is the increasingly competitive landscape in international travel – indicating that nations are forming more travel partnerships for their populations' advantage and economic growth. As per a 2025 report, the worldwide mean number of destinations travellers are able to access visa-free has almost doubled from 58 in 2006 to one hundred nine currently.

For example, The Chinese passport has increased its count of visa-free destinations its citizens can travel to from fifty to eighty-two over the last ten years. As a result, its position in the ranking has improved from ninety-fourth to sixtieth in that same duration.

Meanwhile, India – which was ranked at seventy-seventh place in July – dropped to the 85th position this autumn after losing access to two countries.

Additional Factors Impacting Passport Power

An ex-diplomat from India says there are other factors influencing a nation's passport power, like economic and political conditions plus its openness to welcoming citizens from abroad.

For example, the US passport has dropped out from the top ten and now occupies twelfth place – its lowest ever – due to its increasingly insular stance in world politics.

The former ambassador mentioned how in the 1970s, Indians enjoyed visa-free access to many Western and European countries, though this shifted after the Khalistan movement during the eighties. Subsequent political upheavals have continued to damage at India's image as a stable democracy.

"Numerous nations 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."

Factors like how secure a country's passport is and its immigration procedures also play a role in gaining visa-free entry to foreign nations.

Enhanced Security Measures

India's passport remains vulnerable to security risks. In 2024, law enforcement arrested 203 people for alleged visa and passport fraud. India is also known for cumbersome immigration procedures and a slow pace of visa processing.

The former ambassador says that new technologies, like India's recently-launched digital passport or e-passport, may enhance safety and streamline immigration. This electronic document contains a small chip that stores biometric data, increasing difficulty to forge or tamper with the passport.

However, more diplomatic outreach and travel agreements remain key for enhancing the global mobility of Indians and consequently, the Indian passport's global position.