The Reasons Behind India's Indian Passport Is Falling in Worldwide Standing

In recent months, a video from an Indian travel influencer complaining about the limited power of the Indian passport went viral across digital platforms.

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

Such concerns with the limited global access of Indian passports was reflected in recent global passport ranking, which placed the country at position eighty-five among 199 countries, five spots lower than last year.

The Indian government has not commented regarding these findings yet.

Countries including Ghana, Rwanda and Azerbaijan with much smaller economies than 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 hovered around the eighties, even dipping to the 90th spot two years ago. These rankings appear poor when measured against Asian nations such as Japan, South Korea and Singapore, which have consistently held leading ranks.

What Passport Strength Indicates

Passport strength indicates a nation's soft power and international standing. It also translates into enhanced travel freedom for passport holders, boosting business and educational prospects. A weak passport results in more paperwork, increased visa expenses, reduced travel benefits and extended processing periods when journeying.

However, even with the decline in the rank, the count of nations providing visa-free travel for Indian citizens has grown 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 for Indian passport holders with the passport at seventy-sixth position on the index.

The following year, it fell to eighty-fifth place, then improved to eightieth in 2023 and 2024, dropping again to the 85th position currently. Meanwhile, visa-free destinations to Indian citizens grew from 52 in 2015 to sixty last year and 62 in 2024.

Increasing Worldwide Travel Competition

The number of nations allowing visa-free entry in 2025 (fifty-seven) is higher than the number eight years ago (fifty-two), yet India's rank during both periods is 85. What explains this situation?

Experts say that a primary factor is the increasingly competitive landscape in global mobility – meaning nations are forming additional travel agreements to benefit their citizens and economic growth. As per a 2025 report, the worldwide mean count of countries people can visit without visas has almost doubled from fifty-eight nineteen years ago to 109 in 2025.

For example, China has expanded the number of visa-free countries its citizens can travel to from fifty to eighty-two in the past decade. Consequently, its position on the index has improved from ninety-fourth to sixtieth in that same duration.

Meanwhile, India – which was ranked 77th on the index during summer – fell to the 85th position in October following the loss to two countries.

Additional Factors Impacting Passport Power

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

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

The former ambassador recalls that during the seventies, Indians enjoyed visa-free travel to numerous European and Western nations, though this shifted after the Sikh separatist movement during the eighties. Subsequent political upheavals have further chipped away the country's reputation as a stable, democratic country.

"Many countries are also becoming more cautious regarding migrants," he stated. "India has a high number of people migrating to other countries or remaining beyond visa limits affecting the country's reputation."

Factors such as the security level of a national passport and immigration processes also play a role in gaining visa-free entry to other countries.

Security and Technological Improvements

The Indian passport faces ongoing security risks. Last year, law enforcement arrested 203 people for alleged passport and visa irregularities. India is also known for cumbersome immigration procedures with lengthy timelines for visa approvals.

The former ambassador says that technological advances, such as the newly introduced electronic passport or e-passport, may enhance safety and ease the immigration process. This electronic document contains a microchip holding biometric information, increasing difficulty to forge or tamper with the passport.

However, increased diplomatic efforts and travel partnerships remain key to boosting international travel freedom of Indians and consequently, the Indian passport's global position.