🔗 Share this article

Earlier this year, a video by an Indian travel influencer complaining about the limited power of the Indian passport went viral across digital platforms.

He mentioned that while neighbouring countries like Bhutan and Sri Lanka were more welcoming of travelers from India, obtaining visas for visiting many nations in Europe and the West continued to be difficult.

Such concerns regarding India's poor passport strength found confirmation in recent global passport ranking, which placed India in the 85th spot out of 199 countries, a decline of five positions compared to the previous year.

Officials in India has not commented on the report yet.

Nations including Ghana, Rwanda and Azerbaijan despite smaller economic size compared to India – which is the fifth-largest economy globally – are ranked higher on the index at the 78th, 74th and 72nd spots, respectively.

In fact, the country's position in the past decade has hovered in the 80s, falling to the 90th spot two years ago. These rankings are dismal compared to other Asian countries like Japan, South Korea and Singapore, all maintaining top positions.

What Passport Strength Measures

Passport strength reflects a nation's soft power and international standing. This leads to enhanced travel freedom for passport holders, improving commercial and educational prospects. A weak passport means additional documentation, higher visa costs, fewer travel privileges and extended processing periods when journeying.

However, even with the decline in the rank, the number of countries providing visa-free travel for Indian citizens has actually increased over the last ten years.

As an instance, eight years ago – when Prime Minister Narendra Modi's ruling party came to power – fifty-two nations provided visa-free access to Indians and its passport at seventy-sixth position on the index.

The following year, it fell to the 85th position, then rose to eightieth over the past two years, dropping again to the eighty-fifth spot this year. At the same time, visa-free destinations to Indian citizens grew from fifty-two eight years ago to sixty last year and sixty-two this year.

Increasing Worldwide Travel Competition

The count of visa-free destinations this year (57) is higher than the number in 2015 (52), yet the country's position for both these years is 85. So, why is that?

Analysts note that a primary factor involves growing competition in international travel – indicating that nations are entering into additional travel agreements to benefit their citizens and their economies. According to recent analysis, the global average number of destinations travellers are able to access visa-free has almost doubled from fifty-eight nineteen years ago to 109 in 2025.

As an illustration, The Chinese passport has expanded its count of visa-free destinations its citizens can travel to from 50 to 82 over the last ten years. As a result, its position in the ranking has enhanced from ninety-fourth to sixtieth during the same time period.

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

Other Influences Affecting Passport Strength

A former Indian ambassador notes there are other factors influencing the strength of a country's passport, like its economic and political stability plus its receptiveness to accepting travelers from other countries.

For example, the American passport has dropped out of the top 10 and now occupies twelfth place – its lowest ever – because of its increasingly insular stance in global affairs.

The former ambassador mentioned how in the 1970s, 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 of immigrants," he stated. "India has a large quantity of citizens emigrating to other countries or overstaying their visas affecting the national image."

Elements like the security level of a national passport and immigration processes also contribute to obtaining visa-free access to foreign nations.

Enhanced Security Measures

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

The diplomat indicated that new technologies, such as the newly introduced digital passport or e-passport, can improve security and ease the immigration process. The e-passport includes a microchip holding biometric information, increasing difficulty to forge or tamper with the document.

But, increased diplomatic efforts and travel partnerships continue essential for enhancing international travel freedom for Indian citizens and, by extension, the Indian passport's global position.