🔗 Share this article

Earlier this year, a video from an Indian travel influencer expressing frustration over India's weak passport gained massive traction across digital platforms.

He mentioned that while neighbouring countries such as Sri Lanka and Bhutan offered easier access to Indian tourists, securing travel permits to travel to most Western and European countries continued to be difficult.

This dissatisfaction regarding the limited global access of Indian passports found confirmation in the latest Henley Passport Index, which placed India in the 85th spot out of 199 countries, five spots lower compared to the previous year.

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

Countries like Rwanda, Ghana and Azerbaijan with much smaller economies than India – which is the world's fifth biggest economy – are ranked higher in the ranking at the 78th, 74th and 72nd spots, respectively.

Actually, the country's position in the past decade has remained in the 80s, falling to ninetieth place in 2021. These rankings are dismal compared to other Asian countries like Japan, South Korea and Singapore, all maintaining leading ranks.

What Passport Strength Indicates

The power of a passport reflects a nation's soft power and international standing. This leads to better mobility for its citizens, boosting business and educational prospects. Limited passport power results in more paperwork, higher visa costs, reduced travel benefits and extended processing periods when journeying.

But despite the decline in the rank, the count of nations providing visa-free travel for Indian citizens has grown over the last ten years.

As an instance, eight years ago – the year Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) came to power – 52 countries provided visa-free access for Indian passport holders with the passport ranked 76th on the index.

A year later, it tumbled to the 85th position, then improved to eightieth over the past two years, declining once more to the eighty-fifth spot this year. Meanwhile, countries allowing visa-free travel for Indians grew from 52 in 2015 to sixty last year and sixty-two this year.

Increasing Worldwide Travel Competition

The count of nations allowing visa-free entry this year (57) is higher than what it was in 2015 (fifty-two), yet the country's position during both periods remains at eighty-fifth. What explains this situation?

Experts say that a major reason is the increasingly competitive landscape in global mobility – meaning countries are forming more travel partnerships to benefit their citizens and economic growth. As per recent analysis, the worldwide mean number of destinations travellers are able to access visa-free has almost doubled from fifty-eight nineteen years ago to 109 in 2025.

For example, The Chinese passport has increased the number of visa-free destinations its citizens can travel to from 50 to 82 over the last ten years. Consequently, its position on the index has improved from 94th to 60th during the same time period.

In comparison, The Indian passport – which was ranked 77th on the index in July – fell to the 85th position in October after losing access to two countries.

Other Influences Impacting Passport Power

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

For example, the American passport has dropped out of the top 10 currently holding twelfth place – a historic low – due to its more inward-looking approach in world politics.

The diplomat mentioned how in the 1970s, Indian citizens had visa-free travel to many Western and European countries, but that changed after the Sikh separatist movement during the eighties. Later political disturbances have continued to damage at India's image as a stable democracy.

"Many countries are growing increasingly wary regarding migrants," he stated. "The country possesses a large quantity of people migrating overseas or overstaying their visas affecting the national image."

Factors such as the security level a country's passport is and its immigration procedures also contribute to obtaining visa-free access to foreign nations.

Enhanced Security Measures

The Indian passport remains vulnerable to security risks. In 2024, authorities arrested 203 people for suspected passport and visa irregularities. The country also has cumbersome immigration procedures with lengthy timelines for visa approvals.

The diplomat says that technological advances, like India's recently-launched digital passport or e-passport, can improve security and streamline immigration. The e-passport includes a microchip that stores biometric data, making it harder to forge or tamper with the document.

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