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Earlier this year, an online clip from a popular travel content creator complaining about India's weak passport went viral across digital platforms.

The influencer stated that while neighbouring countries such as Bhutan and Sri Lanka were more welcoming of travelers from India, obtaining visas 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 global passport ranking, which placed the country at position eighty-five among nearly two hundred nations, five spots lower compared to the previous year.

The Indian government have not issued a statement regarding these findings so far.

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

In fact, the country's position in the past decade has hovered around the eighties, even dipping to ninetieth place two years ago. Such standings appear poor when measured against other Asian countries like Singapore, Japan and South Korea, which have consistently held leading ranks.

What Passport Strength Measures

Passport strength reflects a nation's soft power and international standing. This leads to better mobility for passport holders, improving commercial and educational prospects. Limited passport power means more paperwork, increased visa expenses, reduced travel benefits and extended processing periods when journeying.

However, even with the drop in position, the count of nations providing visa-free travel for Indian citizens has grown in the past decade or so.

As an instance, in 2014 – when the current administration's ruling party assumed office – 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 eighty-fifth place, then rose to 80th over the past two years, dropping again to the 85th position currently. Meanwhile, visa-free destinations for Indians grew from fifty-two eight years ago to 60 in 2023 and 62 in 2024.

Increasing Worldwide Travel Competition

The number of visa-free destinations this year (57) exceeds what it was eight years ago (fifty-two), yet the country's position during both periods is 85. So, why is that?

Experts say that a major reason is the increasingly competitive landscape in global mobility – indicating that countries are forming additional travel agreements to benefit their citizens and economic growth. As per recent analysis, the global average count of countries people can visit without visas 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 position in the ranking has enhanced from ninety-fourth to sixtieth during the same time period.

Meanwhile, The Indian passport – previously positioned at seventy-seventh place in July – fell to the 85th position this autumn following the loss of two nations.

Additional Factors Impacting Passport Power

An ex-diplomat from India says there are other factors influencing the strength of a country's passport, including its economic and political stability plus its openness to welcoming citizens from abroad.

For instance, the US passport has fallen of the top 10 and now occupies twelfth place – a historic low – because of its more inward-looking approach in world politics.

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

"Many countries are also becoming more cautious regarding migrants," he stated. "The country possesses a high number of people migrating overseas or remaining beyond visa limits affecting the country's reputation."

Factors such as the security level of a national passport and its immigration procedures also play a role to obtaining visa-free access to other countries.

Enhanced Security Measures

The Indian passport remains vulnerable to security threats. Last year, authorities detained 203 people for suspected passport and visa irregularities. India is also known for complex immigration processes with lengthy timelines of visa processing.

The former ambassador says that new technologies, like India's recently-launched digital passport or e-passport, may enhance safety and ease the immigration process. This electronic document includes a microchip 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 of Indians and consequently, India's passport ranking.