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In recent months, a video from a popular travel content creator complaining about the limited power of the Indian passport gained massive traction on social media.

He mentioned that while neighbouring countries such as Sri Lanka and Bhutan were more welcoming to Indian tourists, obtaining visas for visiting many nations in Europe and the West remained a challenge.

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 nearly two hundred nations, a decline of five positions than last year.

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

Nations like Ghana, Rwanda and Azerbaijan despite smaller economic size compared to India – a nation that is the fifth-largest economy globally – hold better positions in the ranking in the seventies range, respectively.

In fact, India's rank over the last ten years has remained in the 80s, even dipping to ninetieth place in 2021. These rankings are dismal when measured against Asian nations such as Singapore, Japan and South Korea, which have consistently held top positions.

Global Passport Power Indicates

Passport strength reflects a country's global influence and international standing. This leads to better mobility for its citizens, improving commercial and learning opportunities. Limited passport power results in more paperwork, increased visa expenses, reduced travel benefits and longer waiting times for travel.

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

For example, eight years ago – the year the current administration's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) came to power – 52 countries offered visa-free access to Indians and its passport at seventy-sixth position on the index.

A year later, it fell to the 85th position, then improved to 80th over the past two years, dropping again to the 85th position this year. At the same time, visa-free destinations for Indians increased from 52 in 2015 to sixty last year and sixty-two this year.

The Competitive Global Mobility Landscape

The number of visa-free destinations this year (fifty-seven) exceeds the number in 2015 (52), yet the country's position for both these years remains at eighty-fifth. What explains this situation?

Experts say that a major reason involves growing competition in international travel – indicating that countries are entering into more travel partnerships 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.

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

In comparison, India – previously positioned 77th on the index in July – dropped to eighty-fifth place this autumn following the loss to two countries.

Other Influences Affecting Passport Strength

A former Indian ambassador says multiple elements that affect a nation's passport power, like economic and political conditions plus its openness to welcoming citizens from other countries.

For instance, the US passport has dropped out from the top ten and now occupies twelfth place – a historic low – due to its more inward-looking approach in world politics.

The former ambassador recalls how in the 1970s, Indian citizens had visa-free access to numerous European and Western nations, though this shifted after the Khalistan movement in the 1980s. Subsequent political upheavals have continued to damage the country's reputation as a stable, democratic country.

"Many countries are also becoming more cautious regarding migrants," the diplomat added. "The country possesses a large quantity of citizens emigrating to other countries or remaining beyond visa limits affecting the country's reputation."

Factors such as the security level of a national passport and its immigration procedures also contribute in gaining visa-free entry to other countries.

Enhanced Security Measures

India's passport remains vulnerable to security threats. Last year, authorities detained over two hundred individuals for suspected passport and visa irregularities. The country also has cumbersome immigration procedures with lengthy timelines of visa processing.

The diplomat indicated that new technologies, such as the newly introduced digital passport or e-passport, can improve security and streamline immigration. This electronic document contains a microchip holding biometric data, making it harder to counterfeit or alter the document.

However, increased diplomatic efforts and travel agreements continue essential to boosting the global mobility of Indians and consequently, the Indian passport's global position.