In recent months, an online clip by a popular travel content creator complaining about India's weak passport went viral across digital platforms.
The influencer stated that while nearby nations such as Bhutan and Sri Lanka were more welcoming of travelers from India, securing travel permits for visiting 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, ranking the country at position eighty-five among 199 countries, a decline of five positions compared to the previous year.
The Indian government have not issued a statement on the report yet.
Nations like Ghana, Rwanda and Azerbaijan with much smaller economies compared to India – a nation that is the fifth-largest economy globally – hold better positions in the ranking in the seventies range, in that order.
Actually, India's rank in the past decade has hovered around the eighties, falling to the 90th spot in 2021. Such standings are dismal compared to other Asian countries like Japan, South Korea and Singapore, which have consistently held top positions.
What Passport Strength Indicates
Passport strength indicates 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 more paperwork, increased visa expenses, reduced travel benefits and longer waiting times for travel.
But despite the decline in the rank, the count of nations offering visa-free access to Indians has actually increased in the past decade or so.
For example, in 2014 – when Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) assumed office – 52 countries offered visa-free access for Indian passport holders with the passport ranked 76th on the index.
The following year, it fell to the 85th position, then improved to eightieth over the past two years, declining once more to the eighty-fifth spot this year. At the same time, visa-free destinations to Indian citizens grew from 52 in 2015 to 60 in 2023 and 62 in 2024.
The Competitive Global Mobility Landscape
The count of visa-free destinations in 2025 (57) is higher than the number eight years ago (fifty-two), but India's rank 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 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 people can visit without visas has nearly doubled from fifty-eight nineteen years ago to 109 in 2025.
As an illustration, The Chinese passport has increased its count of visa-free destinations available to its citizens from fifty to eighty-two over the last ten years. As a result, its position in the ranking has enhanced from 94th to 60th during the same time period.
Meanwhile, India – previously positioned at seventy-seventh place during summer – dropped to eighty-fifth place this autumn following the loss to two countries.
Additional Factors Affecting Passport Strength
A former Indian ambassador notes multiple elements that affect a nation's passport power, including economic and political conditions plus its receptiveness to welcoming citizens from abroad.
For example, the American passport has fallen from the top ten currently holding twelfth place – its lowest ever – because of its more inward-looking approach in global affairs.
The diplomat recalls how in the 1970s, Indians enjoyed visa-free access to numerous European and Western nations, 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, democratic country.
"Numerous nations are also becoming increasingly wary regarding migrants," he stated. "The country possesses a large quantity of people migrating overseas or overstaying their visas and that interferes with the national image."
Factors like the security level a country's passport is 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 alleged visa and passport fraud. India is also known for cumbersome immigration procedures with lengthy timelines of visa processing.
The diplomat indicated that technological advances, like India's recently-launched electronic passport or e-passport, can improve security and streamline immigration. The e-passport includes a small chip that stores biometric data, making it harder to forge or tamper with the document.
But, increased diplomatic efforts and travel partnerships continue essential for enhancing the global mobility of Indians and consequently, the Indian passport's global position.
