🔗 Share this article

In recent months, an online clip by an Indian travel influencer complaining about India's weak passport gained massive traction on social media.

The influencer stated although neighbouring countries such as Bhutan and Sri Lanka offered easier access to Indian tourists, securing travel permits to travel to many nations in Europe and the West remained a challenge.

Such concerns with the limited global access of Indian passports was reflected in the latest Henley Passport Index, ranking the country in the 85th spot among nearly two hundred nations, five spots lower compared to the previous year.

The Indian government has not commented on the report yet.

Nations including Ghana, Rwanda and Azerbaijan with much smaller economies compared to India – a nation that is the world's fifth biggest economy – hold better positions in the ranking in the seventies range, respectively.

Actually, the country's position in the past decade has remained around the eighties, falling to the 90th spot in 2021. Such standings are dismal compared to other Asian countries like Singapore, Japan and South Korea, which have consistently held top positions.

Global Passport Power Measures

Passport strength reflects a nation's soft power and international standing. It also translates into enhanced travel freedom for passport holders, boosting business and learning opportunities. Limited passport power means additional documentation, 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 actually increased over the last ten years.

As an instance, eight years ago – when the current administration's ruling party assumed office – fifty-two nations offered visa-free access for Indian passport holders and its passport ranked 76th in the ranking.

A year later, it fell to eighty-fifth place, then rose to 80th in 2023 and 2024, declining once more to the eighty-fifth spot currently. At the same time, countries allowing visa-free travel to Indian citizens grew from fifty-two eight years ago to 60 in 2023 and sixty-two this year.

Increasing Worldwide Travel Competition

The number of visa-free destinations this year (57) is higher than what it was eight years ago (fifty-two), yet the country's position for both these years is 85. What explains this situation?

Analysts note that a primary factor involves growing competition in global mobility – indicating that countries are forming additional travel agreements to benefit their citizens and economic growth. As per 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, The Chinese passport has expanded the number of visa-free destinations available to its citizens from 50 to 82 in the past decade. Consequently, its rank on the index has enhanced from 94th to 60th during the same time period.

In comparison, The Indian passport – previously positioned at seventy-seventh place in July – fell to eighty-fifth place in October after losing access of two nations.

Other Influences Impacting Passport Power

An ex-diplomat from India notes multiple elements that affect a nation's passport power, like economic and political conditions plus its receptiveness to welcoming citizens from other countries.

For example, the American passport has fallen of the top 10 and now occupies twelfth place – its lowest ever – because of its increasingly insular stance in global affairs.

The former ambassador mentioned how in the 1970s, Indian citizens had visa-free travel to many Western and European countries, though this shifted after the Sikh separatist movement in the 1980s. Later political disturbances have further chipped away the country's reputation as a stable, democratic country.

"Numerous nations are also becoming more cautious regarding migrants," he stated. "India has a large quantity of people migrating to other countries or remaining beyond visa limits affecting the national image."

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

Enhanced Security Measures

India's passport faces ongoing security risks. In 2024, law enforcement detained 203 people for suspected visa and passport fraud. The country also has complex immigration processes with lengthy timelines for visa approvals.

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

However, increased diplomatic efforts and travel partnerships remain key for enhancing international travel freedom for Indian citizens and consequently, India's passport ranking.