Why India's National Passport Is Falling in Worldwide Standing

In recent months, a video from a popular travel content creator expressing frustration over India's weak passport went viral across digital platforms.

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 the limited global access of Indian passports was reflected in recent global passport ranking, ranking the country at position eighty-five out of nearly two hundred nations, five spots lower compared to the previous year.

Officials in India have not issued a statement on the report so far.

Countries like Rwanda, Ghana and Azerbaijan with much smaller economies than India – a nation that is the world's fifth biggest economy – hold better positions on the index in the seventies range, in that order.

Actually, India's rank over the last ten years has hovered in the 80s, falling to the 90th spot two years ago. Such standings appear poor compared to Asian nations like Singapore, Japan and South Korea, which have consistently held top positions.

What Passport Strength Measures

The power of a passport reflects a nation's soft power and global influence. This leads to better mobility for passport holders, improving commercial and learning opportunities. Limited passport power means additional documentation, higher visa costs, reduced travel benefits and longer waiting times for travel.

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

As an instance, in 2014 – when Prime Minister Narendra Modi's ruling party assumed office – 52 countries offered visa-free access for Indian passport holders and its passport at seventy-sixth position on the index.

The following year, it fell to eighty-fifth place, then rose to eightieth in 2023 and 2024, dropping again to the 85th position currently. Meanwhile, visa-free destinations to Indian citizens increased from 52 in 2015 to sixty last year and 62 in 2024.

Increasing Worldwide Travel Competition

The number of visa-free destinations this year (fifty-seven) exceeds the number in 2015 (fifty-two), yet India's rank for both these years is 85. So, why is that?

Experts say that a major reason is the increasingly competitive landscape in international travel – meaning countries are entering into additional travel agreements for their populations' advantage and their economies. According to 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 expanded the number of visa-free destinations its citizens can travel to from 50 to 82 in the past decade. As a result, its rank on the index has improved from ninety-fourth to sixtieth in that same duration.

In comparison, India – which was ranked at seventy-seventh place in July – dropped to eighty-fifth place this autumn following the loss of two nations.

Additional Factors Impacting Passport Power

An ex-diplomat from India notes there are other factors that affect the strength of a country's passport, including its economic and political stability as well as its openness to accepting travelers from other countries.

For example, the US passport has dropped out from the top ten and now occupies the 12th position – a historic low – due to its more inward-looking approach in global affairs.

The diplomat mentioned that during the seventies, Indians enjoyed visa-free travel to many Western and European countries, but that changed following Khalistan movement during the eighties. Later political disturbances have continued to damage the country's reputation as a stable democracy.

"Numerous nations are also becoming increasingly wary of immigrants," the diplomat added. "India has a high number of people migrating overseas or remaining beyond visa limits affecting the national image."

Factors such as how secure a country's passport is and immigration processes also contribute in gaining visa-free access to foreign nations.

Security and Technological Improvements

The Indian passport remains vulnerable to security threats. Last year, law enforcement arrested over two hundred individuals for alleged visa and passport fraud. The country also has complex immigration processes and a slow pace for visa approvals.

The diplomat indicated that technological advances, like India's recently-launched digital passport or e-passport, may enhance safety and ease the immigration process. This electronic document contains a small chip that stores biometric data, making it harder to counterfeit or alter the document.

But, more diplomatic outreach and travel agreements remain key to boosting the global mobility for Indian citizens and, by extension, the Indian passport's global position.