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

The influencer stated although neighbouring countries such as Bhutan and Sri Lanka offered easier access to travelers from India, securing travel permits for visiting many nations in Europe and the West continued to be difficult.

Such concerns regarding India's poor passport strength was reflected in the latest Henley Passport Index, ranking India in the 85th spot out of 199 countries, five spots lower compared to the previous year.

Officials in India have not issued a statement regarding these findings yet.

Countries including Rwanda, Ghana and Azerbaijan with much smaller economies compared to India – which is the world's fifth biggest economy – hold better positions on the index in the seventies range, in that order.

In fact, the country's position in the past decade has hovered in the 80s, falling to the 90th spot in 2021. These rankings appear poor when measured against other Asian countries such as Singapore, Japan and South Korea, all maintaining top positions.

What Passport Strength Indicates

Passport strength indicates a country's global influence and global influence. It also translates into enhanced travel freedom for its citizens, improving commercial and learning opportunities. A weak passport means more paperwork, higher visa costs, reduced travel benefits and extended processing periods for travel.

But despite the drop in position, the number of countries providing visa-free travel for Indian citizens has actually increased over the last ten years.

For example, in 2014 – the year Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) came to power – 52 countries offered visa-free access for Indian passport holders with the passport ranked 76th in the ranking.

A year later, it fell to eighty-fifth place, then improved to eightieth over the past two years, dropping again to the 85th position currently. Meanwhile, visa-free destinations for Indians grew from 52 in 2015 to 60 in 2023 and 62 in 2024.

Increasing Worldwide Travel Competition

The number of visa-free destinations in 2025 (57) is higher than the number eight years ago (fifty-two), but the country's position for both these years is 85. What explains this situation?

Experts say that a primary factor is the increasingly competitive landscape in global mobility – meaning nations are entering into more travel partnerships to benefit their citizens and economic growth. As per a 2025 report, the global average count of countries travellers are able to access without visas has almost doubled from fifty-eight nineteen years ago to one hundred nine currently.

For example, China has increased the number of visa-free countries available to its citizens from fifty to eighty-two in the past decade. Consequently, its rank in the ranking has improved from ninety-fourth to sixtieth during the same time period.

Meanwhile, India – previously positioned at seventy-seventh place during summer – fell to the 85th position in October after losing access of two nations.

Other Influences Affecting Passport Strength

A former Indian ambassador says there are other factors that affect the strength of a country's passport, including economic and political conditions as well as its receptiveness to welcoming citizens from other countries.

For example, the US passport has fallen from the top ten and now occupies the 12th position – its lowest ever – due to its increasingly insular stance in global affairs.

The former ambassador mentioned that during the seventies, Indians enjoyed visa-free travel to many Western and European countries, but that changed after the Khalistan movement during the eighties. Subsequent political upheavals have continued to damage the country's reputation as a stable, democratic country.

"Numerous nations are growing increasingly wary regarding migrants," he stated. "India has a large quantity of citizens emigrating to other countries or overstaying their visas and that interferes with the national image."

Elements like the security level a country's passport is and its immigration procedures also contribute in gaining visa-free entry to foreign nations.

Security and Technological Improvements

India's passport faces ongoing security threats. In 2024, law enforcement arrested over two hundred individuals for suspected visa and passport fraud. India is also known for complex immigration processes and a slow pace for visa approvals.

The diplomat indicated that new technologies, like India's recently-launched digital passport or e-passport, can improve security and streamline immigration. This electronic document includes a microchip that stores biometric information, making it harder to forge or tamper with the passport.

But, more diplomatic outreach and travel partnerships remain key to boosting international travel freedom of Indians and, by extension, the Indian passport's global position.