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In recent months, an online clip from an Indian travel influencer complaining about India's weak passport gained massive traction across digital platforms.

The influencer stated that while nearby nations like Sri Lanka and Bhutan were more welcoming to Indian tourists, obtaining visas for visiting many nations in Europe and the West remained a challenge.

Such concerns with India's poor passport strength found confirmation in the latest Henley Passport Index, ranking the country at position eighty-five out of nearly two hundred nations, five spots lower compared to the previous year.

The Indian government have not issued a statement regarding these findings so far.

Countries including Ghana, Rwanda and Azerbaijan despite smaller economic size compared to India – a nation that is the fifth-largest economy globally – hold better positions in the ranking in the seventies range, in that order.

In fact, the country's position over the last ten years has remained in the 80s, even dipping to the 90th spot in 2021. These rankings appear poor compared to other Asian countries such as Japan, South Korea and Singapore, which have consistently held top positions.

What Passport Strength Indicates

Passport strength reflects a country's global influence and international standing. It also translates into enhanced travel freedom for its citizens, improving commercial and learning opportunities. A weak passport means additional documentation, 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 to Indians has actually increased over the last ten years.

For example, in 2014 – when the current administration's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) assumed office – fifty-two nations provided visa-free travel to Indians with the passport at seventy-sixth position on the index.

A year later, it tumbled to the 85th position, then improved to 80th over the past two years, declining once more to the eighty-fifth spot currently. At the same time, visa-free destinations to Indian citizens increased from fifty-two eight years ago to sixty last year and 62 in 2024.

Increasing Worldwide Travel Competition

The number of visa-free destinations this year (57) exceeds the number eight years ago (52), but the country's position during both periods remains at eighty-fifth. What explains this situation?

Analysts note that a major reason is the increasingly competitive landscape in international travel – meaning countries are forming more travel partnerships for their populations' advantage and their economies. As per a 2025 report, the global average number of destinations people can visit without visas has almost doubled from fifty-eight nineteen years ago to one hundred nine currently.

For example, The Chinese passport has expanded its count of visa-free countries available to its citizens from fifty to eighty-two over the last ten years. Consequently, its position in the ranking has enhanced from 94th to 60th in that same duration.

In comparison, The Indian passport – previously positioned 77th on the index in July – dropped to the 85th position in October after losing access of two nations.

Other Influences Affecting Passport Strength

An ex-diplomat from India says multiple elements that affect a nation's passport power, including economic and political conditions as well as its openness to welcoming citizens from other countries.

For example, the American passport has fallen from the top ten currently holding twelfth place – its lowest ever – due to its more inward-looking approach in world politics.

The former ambassador mentioned that during the seventies, Indians enjoyed visa-free travel to many Western and European countries, but that changed following Sikh separatist movement during the eighties. Subsequent political upheavals have continued to damage at India's image as a stable democracy.

"Numerous nations are growing increasingly wary of immigrants," the diplomat added. "India has a large quantity of people migrating overseas or overstaying their visas and that interferes with the national image."

Factors such as how secure a country's passport is and immigration processes also play a role to obtaining visa-free access to foreign nations.

Security and Technological Improvements

India's passport faces ongoing security threats. Last year, authorities detained over two hundred individuals for alleged visa and passport fraud. The country also has cumbersome immigration procedures with lengthy timelines for visa approvals.

The former ambassador 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 counterfeit or alter the passport.

However, increased diplomatic efforts and travel partnerships remain key for enhancing the global mobility of Indians and, by extension, the Indian passport's global position.