🔗 Share this article

Earlier this year, a video from an Indian travel influencer complaining about India's weak passport went viral across digital platforms.

The influencer stated although nearby nations 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.

This dissatisfaction regarding the limited global access of Indian passports was reflected in the latest Henley Passport Index, which placed the country at position eighty-five among 199 countries, a decline of five positions than last year.

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

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

Actually, the country's position in the past decade has hovered in the 80s, even dipping to ninetieth place in 2021. These rankings appear poor when measured against Asian nations such as Japan, South Korea and Singapore, which have consistently held leading ranks.

Global Passport Power Measures

Passport strength reflects a nation's soft power and international standing. It also translates into enhanced travel freedom for its citizens, improving commercial and learning opportunities. A weak passport means more paperwork, increased visa expenses, reduced travel benefits and extended processing periods when journeying.

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

For example, eight years ago – when the current administration's ruling party came to power – 52 countries provided visa-free travel for Indian passport holders with the passport ranked 76th on the index.

A year later, it fell to the 85th position, then improved to eightieth over the past two years, dropping again to the 85th position this year. Meanwhile, visa-free destinations for Indians increased from fifty-two eight years ago to 60 in 2023 and 62 in 2024.

Increasing Worldwide Travel Competition

The number of visa-free destinations this year (fifty-seven) exceeds what it was in 2015 (52), but India's rank during both periods is 85. What explains this situation?

Analysts note that a major reason involves growing competition in international travel – indicating that countries are forming more travel partnerships for their populations' advantage and their economies. According to a 2025 report, the worldwide mean number of destinations people can visit visa-free has almost doubled from 58 in 2006 to one hundred nine currently.

As an illustration, China has expanded its count of visa-free destinations its citizens can travel to from fifty to eighty-two in the past decade. Consequently, its position in the ranking has improved from ninety-fourth to sixtieth in that same duration.

In comparison, The Indian passport – previously positioned at seventy-seventh place during summer – fell to eighty-fifth place this autumn following the loss to two countries.

Other Influences Affecting Passport Strength

An ex-diplomat from India notes multiple elements influencing the strength of a country's passport, like its economic and political stability as well as its openness to accepting travelers from other countries.

For instance, the US passport has dropped out of the top 10 and now occupies the 12th position – its lowest ever – due to its more inward-looking approach in global affairs.

The diplomat mentioned how in the 1970s, Indians enjoyed visa-free travel to many Western and European countries, though this shifted after the Khalistan movement in the 1980s. Later political disturbances have further chipped away the country's reputation as a stable, democratic country.

"Numerous nations are growing increasingly wary of immigrants," he stated. "India has a large quantity of citizens emigrating to other countries or overstaying their visas and that interferes with the country's reputation."

Factors like the security level a country's passport is and immigration processes also play a role in gaining visa-free entry to other countries.

Security and Technological Improvements

India's passport faces ongoing security risks. In 2024, law enforcement arrested over two hundred individuals for alleged visa and passport fraud. The country also has complex immigration processes and a slow pace of visa processing.

The diplomat says that new technologies, like India's recently-launched electronic passport or e-passport, may enhance safety and ease the immigration process. The e-passport contains a small chip holding biometric information, increasing difficulty to forge or tamper with the passport.

However, increased diplomatic efforts and travel agreements remain key to boosting the global mobility of Indians and consequently, India's passport ranking.