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Earlier this year, a video from a popular travel content creator complaining about India's weak passport went viral across digital platforms.

He mentioned although neighbouring countries like Sri Lanka and Bhutan were more welcoming of Indian tourists, securing travel permits to travel to most Western and European countries remained a challenge.

Such concerns with India's poor passport strength was reflected in recent Henley Passport Index, which placed the country at position eighty-five among nearly two hundred nations, five spots lower compared to the previous year.

The Indian government has not commented regarding these findings so far.

Countries including Rwanda, Ghana and Azerbaijan with much smaller economies than India – which is the fifth-largest economy globally – are ranked higher in the ranking in the seventies range, in that order.

In fact, the country's position over the last ten years has remained around the eighties, falling to the 90th spot in 2021. Such standings are dismal when measured against Asian nations like Japan, South Korea and Singapore, all maintaining leading ranks.

What Passport Strength Measures

The power of a passport reflects a nation's soft power and international standing. This leads to enhanced travel freedom for its citizens, boosting business and educational prospects. A weak passport results in additional documentation, higher visa costs, reduced travel benefits and longer waiting times when journeying.

But despite the drop in position, the count of nations offering visa-free access to Indians has grown over the last ten years.

For example, eight years ago – when Prime Minister Narendra Modi's ruling party assumed office – fifty-two nations provided visa-free access for Indian passport holders with the passport ranked 76th on the index.

A year later, it fell to the 85th position, then rose to 80th over the past two years, declining once more to the 85th position currently. Meanwhile, countries allowing visa-free travel to Indian citizens grew from fifty-two eight years ago to 60 in 2023 and sixty-two this year.

The Competitive Global Mobility Landscape

The count of visa-free destinations in 2025 (fifty-seven) exceeds the number eight years ago (52), but India's rank for both these years is 85. What explains this situation?

Experts say that a major reason is the increasingly competitive landscape in international travel – meaning countries are entering into additional travel agreements to benefit their citizens and their economies. As per a 2025 report, the global average count of countries travellers are able to access visa-free has almost doubled from 58 in 2006 to 109 in 2025.

As an illustration, China has increased the number of visa-free destinations available to its citizens from 50 to 82 in the past decade. As a result, its rank in the ranking has enhanced from ninety-fourth to sixtieth during the same time period.

Meanwhile, The Indian passport – which was ranked at seventy-seventh place during summer – fell to the 85th position in October following the loss of two nations.

Additional Factors Affecting Passport Strength

An ex-diplomat from India notes there are other factors influencing the strength of a country's passport, like economic and political conditions plus its receptiveness to accepting travelers from abroad.

For example, the US passport has dropped out from the top ten and now occupies the 12th position – its lowest ever – because of its more inward-looking approach in world politics.

The former ambassador recalls how in the 1970s, Indian citizens had visa-free travel to numerous European and Western nations, but that changed after the Khalistan movement in the 1980s. Later political disturbances have further chipped away the country's reputation as a stable, democratic country.

"Many countries are growing more cautious of immigrants," the diplomat added. "India has a large quantity of people migrating overseas or remaining beyond visa limits and that interferes with the country's reputation."

Factors such as the security level a country's passport is and its immigration procedures also contribute in gaining visa-free access to foreign nations.

Enhanced Security Measures

India's passport faces ongoing security risks. Last year, authorities detained 203 people for alleged visa and passport fraud. The country also has complex immigration processes with lengthy timelines for visa approvals.

The former ambassador indicated that new technologies, such as the newly introduced electronic passport or e-passport, can improve security and streamline immigration. The e-passport contains a microchip that stores biometric information, increasing difficulty to forge or tamper with the passport.

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