The Reasons Behind the Indian Passport Continues to Drop in Worldwide Standing

Earlier this year, a video by an Indian travel influencer expressing frustration over India's weak passport gained massive traction on social media.

He mentioned although nearby nations like Sri Lanka and Bhutan offered easier access to Indian tourists, securing travel permits for visiting most Western and European countries continued to be difficult.

Such concerns regarding the limited global access of Indian passports was reflected in recent Henley Passport Index, which placed the country at position eighty-five out of nearly two hundred nations, five spots lower than last year.

Officials in India has not commented on the report yet.

Countries including Ghana, Rwanda and Azerbaijan despite smaller economic size than India – a nation that is the fifth-largest economy globally – are ranked higher on the index in the seventies range, in that order.

Actually, the country's position over the last ten years has remained around the eighties, even dipping to the 90th spot two years ago. These rankings appear poor compared to Asian nations such as Japan, South Korea and Singapore, all maintaining leading ranks.

Global Passport Power Indicates

The power of a passport indicates a country's global influence and global influence. It also translates into enhanced travel freedom for its citizens, improving commercial and educational prospects. A weak passport results in more paperwork, increased visa expenses, fewer travel privileges and longer waiting times when journeying.

However, even with the decline in the rank, the count of nations offering visa-free access to Indians has actually increased in the past decade or so.

For example, in 2014 – when Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) assumed office – 52 countries provided visa-free access for Indian passport holders and its passport at seventy-sixth position in the ranking.

The following year, it fell to eighty-fifth place, then rose to 80th in 2023 and 2024, declining once more to the eighty-fifth spot this year. Meanwhile, countries allowing visa-free travel to Indian citizens increased from fifty-two eight years ago to sixty last year and sixty-two this year.

Increasing Worldwide Travel Competition

The count of nations allowing visa-free entry this year (fifty-seven) exceeds the number eight years ago (fifty-two), yet India's rank during both periods is 85. So, why is that?

Analysts note that a major reason is the increasingly competitive landscape in global mobility – indicating that nations are forming additional travel agreements to benefit their citizens and economic growth. As per a 2025 report, the worldwide mean number of destinations travellers are able to access without visas has almost doubled from 58 in 2006 to 109 in 2025.

As an illustration, The Chinese passport has expanded its count of visa-free destinations its citizens can travel to from fifty to eighty-two 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, The Indian passport – which was ranked at seventy-seventh place during summer – fell to the 85th position this autumn following the loss of two nations.

Other Influences Affecting Passport Strength

An ex-diplomat from India notes multiple elements influencing the strength of a country's passport, including its economic and political stability as well as its openness to welcoming citizens from abroad.

For example, the American passport has fallen from the top ten and now occupies the 12th position – its lowest ever – because of its increasingly insular stance in world politics.

The diplomat mentioned how in the 1970s, Indian citizens had visa-free access to many Western and European countries, though this shifted after the Khalistan movement during the eighties. Later political disturbances have continued to damage at India's image as a stable, democratic country.

"Numerous nations are growing more cautious regarding migrants," he stated. "The country possesses a high number of citizens emigrating to other countries or remaining beyond visa limits affecting the country's reputation."

Factors like the security level a country's passport is and its immigration procedures also contribute to obtaining visa-free access to foreign nations.

Enhanced Security Measures

India's passport faces ongoing security risks. In 2024, authorities arrested over two hundred individuals for suspected visa and passport fraud. India is also known for cumbersome immigration procedures with lengthy timelines for visa approvals.

The former ambassador says that new technologies, like India's recently-launched digital passport or e-passport, can improve security and streamline immigration. The e-passport includes a small chip holding biometric information, increasing difficulty to counterfeit or alter the document.

But, more diplomatic outreach and travel partnerships continue essential to boosting international travel freedom for Indian citizens and consequently, India's passport ranking.