Why the National Passport Is Falling in Global Ranking

Earlier this year, a video by a popular travel content creator complaining about India's weak passport gained massive traction on social media.

The influencer stated that while neighbouring countries such as Bhutan and Sri Lanka offered easier access of travelers from India, obtaining visas for visiting most Western and European countries remained a challenge.

This dissatisfaction with India's poor passport strength found confirmation in the latest Henley Passport Index, ranking the country in the 85th spot out of nearly two hundred nations, a decline of five positions compared to the previous year.

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

Countries including Ghana, Rwanda and Azerbaijan despite smaller economic size than India – a nation that is the fifth-largest economy globally – hold better positions on the index at the 78th, 74th and 72nd spots, in that order.

Actually, India's rank in the past decade has remained around the eighties, falling to ninetieth place two years ago. These rankings appear poor compared to other Asian countries like Singapore, Japan and South Korea, all maintaining top positions.

Global Passport Power Indicates

The power of a passport indicates a country's global influence and international standing. This leads to better mobility for passport holders, boosting business and educational prospects. A weak passport means additional documentation, increased visa expenses, reduced travel benefits and longer waiting times for travel.

But despite the decline in the rank, the count of nations offering visa-free access to Indians has actually increased over the last ten years.

For example, eight years ago – the year Prime Minister Narendra Modi's ruling party assumed office – fifty-two nations provided visa-free access for Indian passport holders and its passport ranked 76th on the index.

The following year, it fell to the 85th position, then improved to eightieth in 2023 and 2024, dropping again to the eighty-fifth spot currently. At the same time, visa-free destinations to Indian citizens grew from fifty-two eight years ago to sixty last year and sixty-two this year.

Increasing Worldwide Travel Competition

The number of visa-free destinations this year (57) is higher than what it was in 2015 (52), but the country's position during both periods is 85. What explains this situation?

Analysts note that a primary factor is the increasingly competitive landscape in global mobility – indicating that countries are forming additional travel agreements for their populations' advantage and their economies. As per a 2025 report, the global average number of destinations people can visit visa-free has nearly doubled from fifty-eight nineteen years ago to 109 in 2025.

As an illustration, China has expanded the number of visa-free destinations its citizens can travel to from fifty to eighty-two in the past decade. Consequently, its rank on the index has enhanced from 94th to 60th in that same duration.

Meanwhile, The Indian passport – previously positioned 77th on the index in July – fell to eighty-fifth place in October following the loss to two countries.

Additional Factors Affecting Passport Strength

A former Indian ambassador notes multiple elements that affect the strength of a country's passport, including economic and political conditions plus its openness to accepting travelers from other countries.

For instance, the US passport has dropped out of the top 10 and now occupies twelfth place – 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, but that changed after the Sikh separatist movement during the eighties. Later political disturbances have further chipped away the country's reputation as a stable, democratic country.

"Many countries are also becoming more cautious regarding migrants," the diplomat added. "India has a large quantity of people migrating overseas or overstaying their visas affecting the national image."

Elements such as the security level a country's passport is and its immigration procedures also contribute in gaining visa-free entry to other countries.

Enhanced Security Measures

India's passport remains vulnerable to security threats. In 2024, authorities detained 203 people for suspected visa and passport fraud. India is also known for cumbersome immigration procedures and a slow pace for visa approvals.

The former ambassador indicated that technological advances, like India's recently-launched digital passport or e-passport, can improve security and streamline immigration. This electronic document contains a microchip that stores biometric information, increasing difficulty to counterfeit or alter the passport.

But, increased diplomatic efforts and travel agreements remain key for enhancing international travel freedom of Indians and consequently, the Indian passport's global position.