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Earlier this year, an online clip from an Indian travel influencer expressing frustration over the limited power of the Indian passport went viral on social media.

He mentioned that while nearby nations like Bhutan and Sri Lanka were more welcoming to travelers from India, securing travel permits for visiting many nations in Europe and the West continued to be difficult.

This dissatisfaction regarding India's poor passport strength was reflected in recent Henley Passport Index, ranking India at position eighty-five out of 199 countries, a decline of five positions than last year.

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

Nations including Rwanda, Ghana and Azerbaijan with much smaller economies compared to India – a nation that is the world's fifth biggest economy – hold better positions in the ranking at the 78th, 74th and 72nd spots, in that order.

In fact, the country's position over the last ten years has remained around the eighties, even dipping to the 90th spot in 2021. Such standings are dismal compared to other Asian countries like Singapore, Japan and South Korea, which have consistently held leading ranks.

What Passport Strength Indicates

The power of a passport reflects a country's global influence and international standing. It also translates into enhanced travel freedom for its citizens, boosting business and learning opportunities. Limited passport power results in additional documentation, increased visa expenses, fewer travel privileges and extended processing periods when journeying.

However, even with the drop in position, the number of countries offering visa-free access to Indians has actually increased in the past decade or so.

For example, eight years ago – the year the current administration's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) came to power – 52 countries offered visa-free travel to Indians with the passport ranked 76th on the index.

A year later, it tumbled to eighty-fifth place, then improved to 80th over the past two years, dropping again to the eighty-fifth spot this year. At the same time, visa-free destinations for Indians increased from 52 in 2015 to 60 in 2023 and 62 in 2024.

The Competitive Global Mobility Landscape

The number of nations allowing visa-free entry in 2025 (fifty-seven) is higher than what it was eight years ago (52), but India's rank for both these years is 85. So, why is that?

Experts say that a primary factor involves growing competition in international travel – meaning nations are forming more travel partnerships to benefit their citizens and economic growth. As per recent analysis, the worldwide mean number of destinations people can visit without visas has nearly doubled from 58 in 2006 to one hundred nine currently.

For example, The Chinese passport has increased the number of visa-free destinations available to its citizens from fifty to eighty-two in the past decade. As a result, its rank on the index has improved from ninety-fourth to sixtieth during the same time period.

In comparison, The Indian passport – previously positioned 77th on the index during summer – fell to eighty-fifth place in October following the loss of two nations.

Additional Factors Affecting Passport Strength

An ex-diplomat from India notes multiple elements that affect the strength of a country's passport, including economic and political conditions plus its openness to accepting travelers from other countries.

For example, the American passport has fallen of the top 10 currently holding twelfth place – its lowest ever – because of its more inward-looking approach in global affairs.

The diplomat mentioned that during the seventies, Indian citizens had visa-free travel to numerous European and Western nations, but that changed after the Khalistan movement during the eighties. Later political disturbances have further chipped away at India's image as a stable democracy.

"Numerous nations are also becoming increasingly wary of immigrants," he stated. "The country possesses a high number of citizens emigrating overseas or overstaying their visas and that interferes with the national image."

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

Security and Technological Improvements

The Indian passport remains vulnerable to security threats. Last year, law enforcement detained 203 people for alleged passport and visa irregularities. The country also has complex immigration processes with lengthy timelines of visa processing.

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

However, increased diplomatic efforts and travel partnerships remain key for enhancing the global mobility of Indians and, by extension, the Indian passport's global position.