🔗 Share this article

Earlier this year, a video by a popular travel content creator expressing frustration over the limited power of the Indian passport gained massive traction across digital platforms.

The influencer stated although nearby nations such as Sri Lanka and Bhutan were more welcoming to travelers from India, securing travel permits for visiting most Western and European countries continued to be difficult.

Such concerns with India's poor passport strength found confirmation in the latest Henley Passport Index, which placed India in the 85th spot among nearly two hundred nations, five spots lower than last year.

The Indian government has not commented regarding these findings so far.

Nations like Ghana, Rwanda and Azerbaijan despite smaller economic size compared to India – a nation that is the world's fifth biggest economy – hold better positions on the index in the seventies range, respectively.

In fact, India's rank in the past decade has hovered in the 80s, even dipping to the 90th spot in 2021. Such standings are dismal when measured against other Asian countries like Japan, South Korea and Singapore, all maintaining leading ranks.

What Passport Strength Indicates

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

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

As an instance, eight years ago – when the current administration's ruling party came to power – 52 countries offered visa-free access to Indians and its passport ranked 76th in the ranking.

The following year, it tumbled to the 85th position, then rose to 80th over the past two years, dropping again to the eighty-fifth spot currently. At the same time, countries allowing visa-free travel to Indian citizens increased from fifty-two eight years ago to 60 in 2023 and sixty-two this year.

The Competitive Global Mobility Landscape

The number of nations allowing visa-free entry this year (fifty-seven) is higher than what it was in 2015 (fifty-two), but the country's position for both these years is 85. So, why is that?

Experts say that a major reason involves growing competition in international travel – meaning countries are forming more travel partnerships to benefit their citizens and economic growth. According to a 2025 report, the worldwide mean number of destinations people can visit visa-free has almost doubled from fifty-eight nineteen years ago to one hundred nine currently.

For example, China 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 on the index has improved from 94th to 60th during the same time period.

In comparison, India – previously positioned 77th on the index during summer – fell to the 85th position in October following the loss of two nations.

Additional Factors Affecting Passport Strength

An ex-diplomat from India says there are other factors that affect a nation's passport power, like its economic and political stability as well as its openness to accepting travelers from abroad.

For example, the US passport has fallen of the top 10 and now occupies the 12th position – a historic low – due to its increasingly insular stance in world politics.

The former ambassador mentioned how in the 1970s, Indians enjoyed visa-free access to numerous European and Western nations, though this shifted after the Khalistan movement in the 1980s. Subsequent political upheavals have further chipped away the country's reputation as a stable, democratic country.

"Numerous nations are also becoming increasingly wary regarding migrants," he stated. "The country possesses a large quantity of citizens emigrating overseas or overstaying their visas and that interferes with the national image."

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

Security and Technological Improvements

The Indian passport remains vulnerable to security risks. In 2024, authorities detained over two hundred individuals for alleged passport and visa irregularities. The country also has cumbersome immigration procedures with lengthy timelines for visa approvals.

The diplomat says that technological advances, like India's recently-launched electronic passport or e-passport, can improve security and streamline immigration. This electronic document includes a small chip holding biometric data, 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 consequently, the Indian passport's global position.