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In recent months, an online clip from a popular travel content creator complaining about the limited power of the Indian passport gained massive traction across digital platforms.

He mentioned although nearby nations such as Sri Lanka and Bhutan offered easier access to travelers from India, obtaining visas for visiting most Western and European countries continued to be difficult.

Such concerns with the limited global access of Indian passports was reflected in recent Henley Passport Index, which placed the country at position eighty-five out of nearly two hundred nations, a decline of five positions than last year.

The Indian government has not commented on the report so far.

Countries like Ghana, Rwanda and Azerbaijan with much smaller economies compared to India – a nation that is the world's fifth biggest economy – are ranked higher in the ranking at the 78th, 74th and 72nd spots, respectively.

In fact, the country's position over the last ten years has remained around the eighties, falling to ninetieth place in 2021. Such standings are dismal when measured against Asian nations such as Japan, South Korea and Singapore, which have consistently held leading ranks.

What Passport Strength Measures

Passport strength reflects a nation's soft power and international standing. This leads to better mobility for passport holders, improving commercial and educational prospects. Limited passport power means additional documentation, increased visa expenses, fewer travel privileges and extended processing periods for travel.

However, even with the drop in position, the count of nations 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 assumed office – 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 eighty-fifth place, then rose to eightieth in 2023 and 2024, dropping again to the 85th position currently. Meanwhile, countries allowing visa-free travel to Indian citizens grew from 52 in 2015 to sixty last year and sixty-two this year.

The Competitive Global Mobility Landscape

The number of nations allowing visa-free entry this year (fifty-seven) exceeds what it was eight years ago (fifty-two), but India's rank for both these years is 85. So, why is that?

Experts say that a major reason involves growing competition in international travel – indicating that nations are entering into more travel partnerships to benefit their citizens and economic growth. As per recent analysis, the global average number of destinations travellers are able to access visa-free has nearly doubled from 58 in 2006 to 109 in 2025.

As an illustration, The Chinese passport has increased its count of visa-free destinations available to its citizens from 50 to 82 over the last ten years. Consequently, its rank on the index has improved from 94th to 60th in that same duration.

In comparison, India – previously positioned at seventy-seventh place in July – fell to the 85th position in October after losing access to two countries.

Other Influences Affecting Passport Strength

An ex-diplomat from India says there are other factors that affect a nation's passport power, including economic and political conditions plus its openness to welcoming citizens from abroad.

For instance, the US passport has fallen of the top 10 and now occupies the 12th position – a historic low – due to its more inward-looking approach in world politics.

The diplomat mentioned that during the seventies, Indian citizens had visa-free access to numerous European and Western nations, though this shifted following Sikh separatist movement during the eighties. Later political disturbances have continued to damage the country's reputation as a stable, democratic country.

"Many countries are growing increasingly wary of immigrants," the diplomat added. "The country possesses a large quantity of people migrating overseas or overstaying their visas affecting the country's reputation."

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

Security and Technological Improvements

India's passport remains vulnerable to security threats. Last year, law enforcement arrested 203 people for suspected visa and passport fraud. India is also known for cumbersome immigration procedures with lengthy timelines of visa processing.

The former ambassador indicated that technological advances, like India's recently-launched digital passport or e-passport, can improve security and streamline immigration. The e-passport includes a microchip holding biometric data, increasing difficulty to counterfeit or alter the document.

However, more diplomatic outreach and travel agreements continue essential for enhancing the global mobility of Indians and, by extension, the Indian passport's global position.