🔗 Share this article

In recent months, an online clip by an Indian travel influencer expressing frustration over the limited power of the Indian passport went viral on social media.

He mentioned that while neighbouring countries such as Bhutan and Sri Lanka were more welcoming to travelers from India, securing travel permits to travel to many nations in Europe and the West continued to be difficult.

Such concerns with India's poor passport strength found confirmation in the latest Henley Passport Index, which placed India at position eighty-five among nearly two hundred nations, a decline of five positions compared to the previous year.

The Indian government have not issued a statement on the report yet.

Countries like Ghana, Rwanda and Azerbaijan with much smaller economies compared to India – which is the world's fifth biggest economy – hold better positions in the ranking in the seventies range, respectively.

Actually, India's rank over the last ten years has remained around the eighties, even dipping to the 90th spot in 2021. Such standings appear poor compared to Asian nations like Singapore, Japan and South Korea, all maintaining top positions.

Global Passport Power Measures

The power of a passport reflects a nation's soft power and international standing. This leads to better mobility for its citizens, improving commercial and educational prospects. A weak passport means more paperwork, higher visa costs, fewer travel privileges and extended processing periods for travel.

However, even with the drop in position, the number of countries providing visa-free travel to Indians has grown in the past decade or so.

As an instance, in 2014 – when the current administration's ruling party came to power – fifty-two nations offered visa-free access for Indian passport holders with the passport at seventy-sixth position on the index.

A year later, it fell to eighty-fifth place, then improved to 80th over the past two years, dropping again to the 85th position currently. Meanwhile, visa-free destinations to Indian citizens increased from fifty-two eight years ago to 60 in 2023 and 62 in 2024.

Increasing Worldwide Travel Competition

The number of visa-free destinations in 2025 (fifty-seven) is higher than the number in 2015 (52), 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 additional travel agreements to benefit their citizens and economic growth. According to recent analysis, the global average count of countries travellers are able to access visa-free has almost doubled from fifty-eight nineteen years ago to one hundred nine currently.

For example, The Chinese passport has expanded the number of visa-free countries available to its citizens from 50 to 82 over the last ten years. As a result, its rank on the index has improved from ninety-fourth to sixtieth during the same time period.

Meanwhile, The Indian passport – which was ranked 77th on the index in July – fell to the 85th position this autumn after losing access of two nations.

Other Influences Affecting Passport Strength

A former Indian ambassador says there are other factors influencing the strength of a country's passport, like economic and political conditions as well as its receptiveness to accepting travelers from abroad.

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

The diplomat recalls that during the seventies, Indians enjoyed visa-free travel to numerous European and Western nations, but that changed after the Khalistan movement in the 1980s. Later political disturbances have continued to damage the country's reputation as a stable, democratic country.

"Numerous nations are growing more cautious regarding migrants," he stated. "The country possesses a large quantity of citizens emigrating overseas or overstaying their visas affecting the country's reputation."

Factors like how secure of a national passport and immigration processes also play a role to obtaining visa-free entry to other countries.

Enhanced Security Measures

India's passport remains vulnerable to security threats. Last year, law enforcement detained 203 people for alleged passport and visa irregularities. The country also has cumbersome immigration procedures with lengthy timelines of visa processing.

The diplomat says that new technologies, like India's recently-launched digital passport or e-passport, may enhance safety and streamline immigration. The e-passport contains a microchip holding biometric data, increasing difficulty to counterfeit or alter the document.

But, more diplomatic outreach and travel partnerships continue essential to boosting the global mobility for Indian citizens and, by extension, the Indian passport's global position.