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Earlier this year, a video from a popular travel content creator complaining about the limited power of the Indian passport gained massive traction across digital platforms.

The influencer stated that while neighbouring countries like Sri Lanka and Bhutan were more welcoming of travelers from India, obtaining visas for visiting most Western and European countries continued to be difficult.

This dissatisfaction with India's poor passport strength found confirmation in the latest Henley Passport Index, ranking the country in the 85th spot among 199 countries, a decline of five positions compared to the previous year.

Officials in India have not issued a statement on the report yet.

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

In fact, India's rank over the last ten years has remained around the eighties, falling to the 90th spot in 2021. These rankings appear poor when measured against Asian nations like Singapore, Japan and South Korea, which have consistently held leading ranks.

What Passport Strength Indicates

Passport strength reflects a nation's soft power and international standing. This leads to better mobility for its citizens, boosting business and learning opportunities. Limited passport power results in additional documentation, increased visa expenses, reduced travel benefits and extended processing periods when journeying.

But despite the decline in the rank, the number of countries providing visa-free travel to Indians has grown in the past decade or so.

As an instance, in 2014 – the year the current administration's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) assumed office – 52 countries offered visa-free travel to Indians with the passport at seventy-sixth position on the index.

The following year, it fell to eighty-fifth place, then rose to 80th in 2023 and 2024, declining once more to the 85th position currently. Meanwhile, countries allowing visa-free travel to Indian citizens grew from 52 in 2015 to sixty last year and 62 in 2024.

Increasing Worldwide Travel Competition

The count of visa-free destinations in 2025 (fifty-seven) exceeds what it was eight years ago (fifty-two), but India's rank during both periods is 85. So, why is that?

Experts say that a major reason involves growing competition in global mobility – indicating that countries are forming more travel partnerships for their populations' advantage and their economies. According to recent analysis, the global average count of countries people can visit without visas has nearly doubled from 58 in 2006 to 109 in 2025.

As an illustration, China has expanded the number of visa-free countries its citizens can travel to from 50 to 82 over the last ten years. As a result, its rank in the ranking has enhanced from ninety-fourth to sixtieth during the same time period.

In comparison, The Indian passport – which was ranked 77th on the index during summer – dropped to eighty-fifth place this autumn after losing access to two countries.

Other Influences Affecting Passport Strength

A former Indian ambassador says multiple elements influencing a nation's passport power, including economic and political conditions plus its receptiveness to accepting travelers from abroad.

For example, the American passport has fallen of the top 10 and now occupies the 12th position – its lowest ever – due to its more inward-looking approach in world politics.

The former ambassador recalls that during the seventies, Indians enjoyed visa-free access to many Western and European countries, but that changed after the Khalistan movement in the 1980s. Subsequent political upheavals have further chipped away at India's image as a stable, democratic country.

"Many countries are also becoming more cautious regarding migrants," the diplomat added. "India has a large quantity of people migrating to other countries or remaining beyond visa limits and that interferes with 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.

Enhanced Security Measures

The Indian passport remains vulnerable to security threats. In 2024, law enforcement arrested over two hundred individuals for suspected visa and passport fraud. India is also known for complex immigration processes with lengthy timelines of visa processing.

The former ambassador says that technological advances, like India's recently-launched electronic passport or e-passport, may enhance safety and streamline immigration. The e-passport includes a microchip that stores biometric information, increasing difficulty to forge or tamper with the document.

But, more diplomatic outreach and travel agreements remain key to boosting international travel freedom for Indian citizens and, by extension, India's passport ranking.