In recent months, an online clip by an Indian travel influencer expressing frustration over the limited power of the Indian passport gained massive traction on social media.
The influencer stated that while nearby nations such as Bhutan and Sri Lanka offered easier access of travelers from India, obtaining visas for visiting most Western and European countries continued to be difficult.
This dissatisfaction with India's poor passport strength found confirmation in the latest Henley Passport Index, ranking the country in the 85th spot among nearly two hundred nations, five spots lower than last year.
The Indian government has not commented on the report yet.
Countries like Rwanda, Ghana and Azerbaijan despite smaller economic size than 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, India's rank in the past decade has remained in the 80s, even dipping to ninetieth place in 2021. These rankings are dismal compared to other Asian countries like 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 better mobility for its citizens, boosting business and educational prospects. A weak passport means additional documentation, higher visa costs, reduced travel benefits and longer waiting times for travel.
However, even with the drop in position, the count of nations providing visa-free travel for Indian citizens has actually increased in the past decade or so.
For example, eight years ago – the year the current administration's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) came to power – 52 countries offered visa-free access for Indian passport holders with the passport at seventy-sixth position in the ranking.
The following year, it tumbled to eighty-fifth place, then rose to eightieth in 2023 and 2024, dropping again to the 85th position this year. At the same time, visa-free destinations for Indians increased from fifty-two eight years ago to 60 in 2023 and sixty-two this year.
Increasing Worldwide Travel Competition
The count of nations allowing visa-free entry in 2025 (57) exceeds the number eight years ago (fifty-two), yet the country's position for both these years remains at eighty-fifth. What explains this situation?
Experts say that a major reason involves growing competition in international travel – meaning countries are forming additional travel agreements for their populations' advantage and economic growth. As per recent analysis, the worldwide mean count of countries travellers are able to access visa-free has almost doubled from 58 in 2006 to one hundred nine currently.
For example, China has expanded its count of visa-free countries available to its citizens from 50 to 82 over the last ten years. As a result, its rank in the ranking has improved from 94th to 60th during the same time period.
Meanwhile, India – previously positioned at seventy-seventh place during summer – fell to eighty-fifth place in October following the loss of two nations.
Other Influences Affecting Passport Strength
An ex-diplomat from India notes multiple elements that affect a nation's passport power, like its economic and political stability plus its openness to accepting travelers from abroad.
For instance, the American passport has fallen from the top ten 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, Indians enjoyed visa-free travel to numerous European and Western nations, but that changed following Sikh separatist movement in the 1980s. Later political disturbances have continued to damage the country's reputation as a stable democracy.
"Many countries are also becoming more cautious of immigrants," he stated. "India has a large quantity of people migrating overseas or remaining beyond visa limits affecting the country's reputation."
Elements like how secure of a national passport and its immigration procedures also play a role to obtaining visa-free access to foreign nations.
Security and Technological Improvements
The Indian passport faces ongoing security risks. In 2024, law enforcement arrested 203 people for alleged visa and passport fraud. India is also known for cumbersome immigration procedures and a slow pace of visa processing.
The former ambassador says that new technologies, like India's recently-launched digital passport or e-passport, can improve security and ease the immigration process. The e-passport contains a microchip that stores biometric data, making it harder to forge or tamper with the document.
However, more diplomatic outreach and travel agreements continue essential to boosting international travel freedom of Indians and consequently, India's passport ranking.
