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Earlier this year, an online clip from an Indian travel influencer expressing frustration over India's weak passport went viral on social media.

The influencer stated that while neighbouring countries like Bhutan and Sri Lanka offered easier access of travelers from India, obtaining visas for visiting most Western and European countries remained a challenge.

This dissatisfaction with India's poor passport strength found confirmation in the latest Henley Passport Index, ranking the country at position eighty-five out of 199 countries, a decline of five positions compared to the previous year.

Officials in India have not issued a statement regarding these findings so far.

Nations including Rwanda, Ghana and Azerbaijan with much smaller economies compared to India – which is the world's fifth biggest economy – are ranked higher in the ranking at the 78th, 74th and 72nd spots, in that order.

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 compared to Asian nations like Singapore, Japan and South Korea, which have consistently held top positions.

What Passport Strength Measures

The power of a passport indicates a nation's soft power and international standing. This leads to enhanced travel freedom for passport holders, improving commercial and educational prospects. Limited passport power means more paperwork, higher visa costs, fewer travel privileges and longer waiting times when journeying.

But despite the drop in position, the number of countries providing visa-free travel to Indians has actually increased in the past decade or so.

For example, eight years ago – when Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) came to power – fifty-two nations offered visa-free travel for Indian passport holders and its passport at seventy-sixth position on the index.

A year later, it tumbled to the 85th position, then rose to 80th over the past two years, declining once more to the eighty-fifth spot this year. At the same time, countries allowing visa-free travel to Indian citizens increased 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 in 2025 (fifty-seven) is higher than the number eight years ago (fifty-two), yet India's rank for both these years is 85. So, why is that?

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

As an illustration, China has increased its count of visa-free destinations available to its citizens from 50 to 82 over the last ten years. As a result, its position in the ranking has enhanced from 94th to 60th in that same duration.

In comparison, India – previously positioned 77th on the index during summer – dropped 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 that affect a nation's passport power, like its economic and political stability as well as its receptiveness to welcoming citizens from abroad.

For example, the US passport has dropped out of the top 10 and now occupies twelfth place – its lowest ever – because of its more inward-looking approach in global affairs.

The former ambassador mentioned how in the 1970s, Indians enjoyed visa-free access to numerous European and Western nations, but that changed following Sikh separatist movement during the eighties. Subsequent political upheavals have further chipped away the country's reputation as a stable, democratic country.

"Numerous nations are growing more cautious of immigrants," he stated. "India has a large quantity of people migrating to other countries or overstaying their visas and that interferes with the national image."

Elements like how secure a country's passport is and its immigration procedures also play a role to obtaining visa-free entry to foreign nations.

Enhanced Security Measures

India's passport remains vulnerable to security threats. Last year, law enforcement detained 203 people for alleged passport and visa irregularities. India is also known for complex immigration processes and a slow pace of visa processing.

The diplomat indicated that technological advances, like India's recently-launched electronic passport or e-passport, can improve security and streamline immigration. This electronic document includes a small chip that stores biometric information, making it harder to counterfeit or alter the passport.

But, increased diplomatic efforts and travel agreements continue essential to boosting international travel freedom for Indian citizens and consequently, India's passport ranking.