🔗 Share this article

In recent months, an online clip by a popular travel content creator expressing frustration over India's weak passport went viral across digital platforms.

He mentioned that while neighbouring countries like Sri Lanka and Bhutan were more welcoming of travelers from India, obtaining visas for visiting most Western and European countries remained a challenge.

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

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

Nations including Rwanda, Ghana and Azerbaijan with much smaller economies than India – a nation that is the fifth-largest economy globally – hold better positions in the ranking at the 78th, 74th and 72nd spots, respectively.

Actually, the country's position in the past decade has remained in the 80s, falling to ninetieth place two years ago. Such standings are dismal compared to other Asian countries such as Japan, South Korea and Singapore, which have consistently held top positions.

What Passport Strength Measures

The power of a passport indicates a country's global influence and international standing. This leads to enhanced travel freedom for its citizens, boosting business and educational prospects. A weak passport means additional documentation, higher visa costs, reduced travel benefits and extended processing periods when journeying.

But despite the drop in position, the number of countries offering visa-free access for Indian citizens has actually increased in the past decade or so.

As an instance, eight years ago – the year the current administration's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) came to power – fifty-two nations provided visa-free access to Indians with the passport at seventy-sixth position in the ranking.

The following year, it tumbled to the 85th position, then rose to eightieth in 2023 and 2024, declining once more to the eighty-fifth spot this year. Meanwhile, countries allowing visa-free travel for Indians increased from 52 in 2015 to 60 in 2023 and sixty-two this year.

Increasing Worldwide Travel Competition

The number of nations allowing visa-free entry this year (57) exceeds what it was in 2015 (fifty-two), but the country's position for both these years remains at eighty-fifth. What explains this situation?

Experts say that a primary factor involves growing competition in international travel – indicating that nations are forming more travel partnerships for their populations' advantage and their economies. As per a 2025 report, the global average number of destinations people can visit visa-free has nearly doubled from fifty-eight nineteen years ago to 109 in 2025.

As an illustration, The Chinese passport has expanded its count of visa-free countries its citizens can travel to from fifty to eighty-two in the past decade. Consequently, its rank on the index has enhanced 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 after losing access of two nations.

Additional Factors Impacting Passport Power

An ex-diplomat from India notes multiple elements influencing a nation's passport power, including its economic and political stability plus its receptiveness to accepting travelers from other countries.

For example, the US passport has fallen of the top 10 currently holding twelfth place – a historic low – because of its more inward-looking approach in global affairs.

The diplomat mentioned how in the 1970s, Indian citizens had visa-free access to numerous European and Western nations, but that changed after the Khalistan movement in the 1980s. Subsequent political upheavals have further chipped away the country's reputation as a stable democracy.

"Numerous nations are growing increasingly wary regarding migrants," he stated. "The country possesses a high number of people migrating overseas or overstaying their visas affecting the national image."

Elements such as 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

The Indian passport remains vulnerable to security risks. Last year, law enforcement arrested over two hundred individuals for suspected passport and visa irregularities. India is also known for cumbersome immigration procedures with lengthy timelines of visa processing.

The former ambassador says that new technologies, such as the newly introduced digital passport or e-passport, can improve security and streamline immigration. This electronic document contains a microchip that stores biometric data, making it harder to forge or tamper with the document.

However, increased diplomatic efforts and travel agreements remain key to boosting international travel freedom for Indian citizens and consequently, the Indian passport's global position.