Why the Indian Passport Is Falling in Worldwide Standing

Earlier this year, an online clip by a popular travel content creator expressing frustration over India's weak passport gained massive traction across digital platforms.

The influencer stated although neighbouring countries like Bhutan and Sri Lanka were more welcoming of travelers from India, obtaining visas to travel to many nations in Europe and the West remained a challenge.

This dissatisfaction regarding India's poor passport strength found confirmation in recent Henley Passport Index, which placed India in the 85th spot out of 199 countries, five spots lower than last year.

The Indian government has not commented regarding these findings so far.

Nations including Rwanda, Ghana and Azerbaijan despite smaller economic size than India – which is the fifth-largest economy globally – hold better positions on the index at the 78th, 74th and 72nd spots, in that order.

In fact, the country's position in the past decade has hovered around the eighties, even dipping to the 90th spot in 2021. Such standings appear poor when measured against Asian nations like Japan, South Korea and Singapore, which have consistently held top positions.

What Passport Strength Indicates

The power of a passport reflects a nation's soft power and global influence. This leads to better mobility for passport holders, improving commercial and learning opportunities. Limited passport power results in additional documentation, increased visa expenses, reduced travel benefits and longer waiting times when journeying.

But despite the drop in position, the number of countries offering visa-free access for Indian citizens has actually increased in the past decade or so.

For example, eight years ago – the year the current administration's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) assumed office – 52 countries provided visa-free travel to Indians with the passport ranked 76th in the ranking.

A year later, it fell to eighty-fifth place, then improved to 80th 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 increased from 52 in 2015 to 60 in 2023 and 62 in 2024.

The Competitive Global Mobility Landscape

The number of visa-free destinations this year (fifty-seven) exceeds the number in 2015 (fifty-two), yet the country's position for both these years remains at eighty-fifth. What explains this situation?

Experts say that a primary factor is the increasingly competitive landscape in global mobility – meaning countries are forming additional travel agreements for their populations' advantage and their economies. As per recent analysis, the worldwide mean number of destinations people can visit visa-free has nearly doubled from fifty-eight nineteen years ago to 109 in 2025.

For example, The Chinese passport has increased its count of visa-free countries available to its citizens from fifty to eighty-two in the past decade. As a result, its position in the ranking has enhanced from 94th to 60th during the same time period.

In comparison, India – previously positioned at seventy-seventh place during summer – fell to eighty-fifth place in October following the loss of two nations.

Other Influences Impacting Passport Power

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

For example, the American passport has dropped out from the top ten currently holding the 12th position – a historic low – because of its more inward-looking approach in world politics.

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

"Numerous nations are also becoming more cautious of immigrants," he stated. "The country possesses a large quantity of people migrating overseas or remaining beyond visa limits and that interferes with the national image."

Factors such as how secure of a national passport and immigration processes also contribute in gaining visa-free entry to other countries.

Security and Technological Improvements

India's passport remains vulnerable to security risks. In 2024, law enforcement arrested over two hundred individuals for suspected visa and passport fraud. India is also known for cumbersome immigration procedures with lengthy timelines for visa approvals.

The former ambassador says that new technologies, such as the newly introduced electronic passport or e-passport, may enhance safety and streamline immigration. The e-passport includes a microchip that stores biometric data, increasing difficulty to counterfeit or alter the document.

However, more diplomatic outreach and travel agreements remain key to boosting the global mobility for Indian citizens and consequently, India's passport ranking.