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Earlier this year, an online clip by an Indian travel influencer complaining about the limited power of the Indian passport gained massive traction on social media.

The influencer stated although nearby nations such as Sri Lanka and Bhutan offered easier access of Indian tourists, 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 Henley Passport Index, which placed the country at position eighty-five out of nearly two hundred nations, a decline of five positions than last year.

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

Nations including Ghana, Rwanda and Azerbaijan with much smaller economies than India – which is the fifth-largest economy globally – are ranked higher in the ranking at the 78th, 74th and 72nd spots, in that order.

In fact, the country's position in the past decade has hovered in the 80s, even dipping to ninetieth place two years ago. Such standings are dismal compared to other Asian countries like Singapore, Japan and South Korea, all maintaining leading ranks.

What Passport Strength Measures

The power of a passport indicates a nation's soft power and global influence. It also translates into better mobility for its citizens, improving commercial and learning opportunities. A weak passport results in more paperwork, increased visa expenses, reduced travel benefits and extended processing periods for travel.

However, even with the decline in the rank, the number of countries providing visa-free travel for Indian citizens has grown over the last ten years.

For example, in 2014 – when Prime Minister Narendra Modi's ruling party assumed office – fifty-two nations provided visa-free travel to Indians with the passport at seventy-sixth position in the ranking.

The following year, it fell to the 85th position, then rose to 80th over the past two years, declining once more to the 85th position this year. At the same time, 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 number of nations allowing visa-free entry this year (57) exceeds what it was in 2015 (fifty-two), yet the country's position during both periods remains at eighty-fifth. So, why is that?

Experts say that a primary factor involves growing competition in global mobility – indicating that nations are entering into additional travel agreements to benefit their citizens and their economies. According to a 2025 report, the worldwide mean count of countries travellers are able to access visa-free has nearly doubled from fifty-eight nineteen years ago to 109 in 2025.

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 position in the ranking has enhanced from ninety-fourth to sixtieth during the same time period.

Meanwhile, India – which was ranked 77th on the index in July – dropped to the 85th position this autumn following the loss of two nations.

Additional Factors Affecting Passport Strength

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 plus its receptiveness to accepting travelers from abroad.

For instance, the American passport has dropped out from the top ten currently holding twelfth place – a historic low – due to its more inward-looking approach in global affairs.

The former ambassador recalls that during the seventies, Indian citizens had visa-free access to many Western and European countries, but that changed after the Sikh separatist movement in the 1980s. Later political disturbances have further chipped away at India's image as a stable, democratic country.

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

Factors such as the security level of a national passport and immigration processes also contribute in gaining visa-free access to other countries.

Enhanced Security Measures

India's passport faces ongoing security risks. Last year, authorities detained 203 people for suspected visa and passport fraud. The country also has complex immigration processes 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 contains a small chip holding biometric data, increasing difficulty to counterfeit or alter the passport.

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