🔗 Share this article

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

The influencer stated that while nearby nations such as Bhutan and Sri Lanka offered easier access of travelers from India, securing travel permits to travel to most Western and European countries remained a challenge.

Such concerns with India's poor passport strength was reflected in recent Henley Passport Index, which placed the country at position eighty-five among 199 countries, five spots lower compared to the previous year.

The Indian government has not commented regarding these findings yet.

Countries including Rwanda, Ghana and Azerbaijan with much smaller economies than India – which is the fifth-largest economy globally – are ranked higher in the ranking at the 78th, 74th and 72nd spots, in that order.

In fact, India's rank in the past decade has remained in the 80s, even dipping to the 90th spot two years ago. These rankings are dismal when measured against Asian nations such as Japan, South Korea and Singapore, all maintaining leading ranks.

What Passport Strength Measures

The power of a passport reflects a country's global influence and global influence. It also translates into better mobility for passport holders, improving commercial and learning opportunities. A weak passport results in additional documentation, increased visa expenses, reduced travel benefits and longer waiting times when journeying.

But despite the drop in position, the count of nations providing visa-free travel to Indians has grown in the past decade or so.

For example, in 2014 – when Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) assumed office – fifty-two nations offered visa-free travel for Indian passport holders with the passport ranked 76th on the index.

A year later, it tumbled to eighty-fifth place, then improved to eightieth over the past two years, dropping again to the 85th position this year. At the same time, visa-free destinations for Indians grew from fifty-two eight years ago to sixty last year and 62 in 2024.

Increasing Worldwide Travel Competition

The count of nations allowing visa-free entry in 2025 (57) exceeds what it was in 2015 (52), but the country's position for both these years is 85. So, why is that?

Analysts note that a major reason is the increasingly competitive landscape in international travel – indicating that nations are entering into additional travel agreements to benefit their citizens and their economies. As per a 2025 report, the worldwide mean count of countries travellers are able to access visa-free has nearly doubled from 58 in 2006 to 109 in 2025.

For example, China has expanded its count of visa-free destinations its citizens can travel to from fifty to eighty-two over the last ten years. Consequently, its position in the ranking has improved from 94th to 60th during the same time period.

In comparison, The Indian passport – previously positioned at seventy-seventh place in July – dropped to eighty-fifth place in October after losing access to two countries.

Other Influences Affecting Passport Strength

An ex-diplomat from India says multiple elements that affect the strength of a country's passport, including economic and political conditions as well as its receptiveness to accepting travelers from other countries.

For instance, the US passport has fallen of the top 10 currently holding the 12th position – its lowest ever – because of its increasingly insular stance in global affairs.

The former ambassador mentioned that during the seventies, Indian citizens had visa-free travel to numerous European and Western nations, but that changed following Khalistan movement during the eighties. Subsequent political upheavals have continued to damage at India's image as a stable democracy.

"Numerous nations are also becoming increasingly wary regarding migrants," the diplomat added. "The country possesses a high number of people migrating overseas or overstaying their visas affecting the national image."

Factors like how secure of a national passport and its immigration procedures also play a role in gaining visa-free access to other countries.

Security and Technological Improvements

India's passport remains vulnerable to security risks. Last year, authorities arrested over two hundred individuals for alleged visa and passport fraud. India is also known for complex immigration processes with lengthy timelines of visa processing.

The former ambassador indicated that new technologies, like India's recently-launched digital passport or e-passport, can improve security and ease the immigration process. This electronic document includes a microchip holding biometric data, increasing difficulty to forge or tamper with the document.

But, increased diplomatic efforts and travel agreements remain key to boosting international travel freedom for Indian citizens and consequently, the Indian passport's global position.