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In recent months, an online clip by an Indian travel influencer expressing frustration over India's weak passport gained massive traction across digital platforms.

The influencer stated although neighbouring countries like Bhutan and Sri Lanka were more welcoming of travelers from India, securing travel permits to travel to most Western and European countries remained a challenge.

This dissatisfaction with India's poor passport strength was reflected in the latest Henley Passport Index, which placed the country in the 85th spot out of 199 countries, five spots lower compared to the previous year.

Officials in India has not commented on the report so far.

Countries like Ghana, Rwanda and Azerbaijan with much smaller economies compared to India – a nation that is the world's fifth biggest economy – hold better positions on the index at the 78th, 74th and 72nd spots, in that order.

In fact, India's rank in the past decade has hovered in the 80s, even dipping to ninetieth place two years ago. Such standings appear poor when measured against Asian nations like Singapore, Japan and South Korea, which have consistently held top positions.

Global Passport Power Indicates

Passport strength indicates a nation's soft power and global influence. This leads to enhanced travel freedom for its citizens, boosting business and educational prospects. Limited passport power means additional documentation, higher visa costs, reduced travel benefits and extended processing periods when journeying.

But despite the decline in the rank, the number of countries offering visa-free access for Indian citizens has grown in the past decade or so.

For example, eight years ago – the year Prime Minister Narendra Modi's ruling party came to power – 52 countries provided visa-free travel for Indian passport holders and its passport ranked 76th in the ranking.

A year later, it fell to the 85th position, then improved to 80th in 2023 and 2024, dropping again to the eighty-fifth spot this year. At the same time, visa-free destinations for Indians grew from fifty-two eight years ago to 60 in 2023 and sixty-two this year.

The Competitive Global Mobility Landscape

The count of nations allowing visa-free entry in 2025 (57) exceeds what it was in 2015 (fifty-two), yet the country's position during both periods is 85. What explains this situation?

Experts say that a major reason involves growing competition in international travel – indicating that countries are forming additional travel agreements for their populations' advantage and their economies. As per a 2025 report, the worldwide mean number of destinations travellers are able to access without visas has nearly doubled from 58 in 2006 to 109 in 2025.

As an illustration, China has increased the number of visa-free countries available to its citizens from 50 to 82 in the past decade. As a result, its position in the ranking has improved from ninety-fourth to sixtieth during the same time period.

Meanwhile, India – which was ranked 77th on the index in July – fell to eighty-fifth place in October after losing access of two nations.

Other Influences Impacting Passport Power

A former Indian ambassador notes multiple elements influencing a nation's passport power, including economic and political conditions as well as its openness to accepting travelers from abroad.

For example, the US passport has dropped out from the top ten and now occupies the 12th position – a historic low – due to its increasingly insular stance in global affairs.

The former ambassador recalls that during the seventies, Indian citizens had visa-free travel to many Western and European countries, but that changed after the Khalistan movement in the 1980s. Subsequent political upheavals have continued to damage the country's reputation as a stable, democratic country.

"Numerous nations are growing increasingly wary regarding migrants," the diplomat added. "India has a large quantity of people migrating overseas or overstaying their visas 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 entry to foreign nations.

Enhanced Security Measures

The Indian passport faces ongoing security risks. Last year, authorities detained 203 people for alleged passport and visa irregularities. India is also known for complex immigration processes with lengthy timelines for visa approvals.

The former ambassador says that technological advances, like India's recently-launched electronic passport or e-passport, may enhance safety and streamline immigration. This electronic document includes a small chip that stores biometric data, making it harder to forge or tamper with the document.

But, more diplomatic outreach and travel partnerships continue essential for enhancing international travel freedom of Indians and, by extension, India's passport ranking.