🔗 Share this article

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

The influencer stated that while neighbouring countries like Bhutan and Sri Lanka offered easier access of travelers from India, obtaining visas to travel to many nations in Europe and the West remained a challenge.

Such concerns with the limited global access of Indian passports found confirmation in the latest Henley Passport Index, which placed India at position eighty-five among 199 countries, five spots lower than last year.

The Indian government has not commented on the report so far.

Nations like Rwanda, Ghana and Azerbaijan with much smaller economies than India – which is the world's fifth biggest economy – are ranked higher on the index at the 78th, 74th and 72nd spots, respectively.

In fact, India's rank in the past decade has remained around the eighties, falling to the 90th spot two years ago. These rankings are dismal when measured against Asian nations such as Singapore, Japan and South Korea, all maintaining leading ranks.

What Passport Strength Indicates

The power of a passport reflects a country's global influence and global influence. It also translates into enhanced travel freedom for its citizens, boosting business and educational prospects. Limited passport power means additional documentation, increased visa expenses, reduced travel benefits and longer waiting times for travel.

However, even with the decline in the rank, the count of nations offering visa-free access to Indians has grown over the last ten years.

For example, in 2014 – when Prime Minister Narendra Modi's ruling party came to power – fifty-two nations provided visa-free access to Indians with the passport at seventy-sixth position on the index.

A year later, it tumbled to eighty-fifth place, then rose to eightieth over the past two years, declining once more to the eighty-fifth spot this year. At the same time, countries allowing visa-free travel to Indian citizens grew from fifty-two eight years ago to 60 in 2023 and 62 in 2024.

The Competitive Global Mobility Landscape

The number of visa-free destinations this year (57) exceeds the number in 2015 (52), yet India's rank during both periods remains at eighty-fifth. So, why is that?

Analysts note that a major reason involves growing competition in international travel – meaning nations are forming more travel partnerships for their populations' advantage and economic growth. According to a 2025 report, the global average number of destinations people can visit without visas has almost doubled from fifty-eight nineteen years ago to 109 in 2025.

As an illustration, China has expanded its count of visa-free countries its citizens can travel to from fifty to eighty-two over the last ten years. As a result, its rank in the ranking has improved from ninety-fourth to sixtieth in that same duration.

Meanwhile, India – previously positioned 77th on the index during summer – dropped to the 85th position this autumn after losing access to two countries.

Other Influences Impacting Passport Power

A former Indian ambassador notes multiple elements that affect a nation's passport power, like its economic and political stability as well as its openness to welcoming citizens from other countries.

For example, the American passport has dropped out of the top 10 currently holding the 12th position – a historic low – because of its more inward-looking approach in global affairs.

The former ambassador recalls that during the seventies, Indians enjoyed visa-free access to many Western and European countries, though this shifted following Sikh separatist movement in the 1980s. Later political disturbances have further chipped away at India's image as a stable, democratic country.

"Many countries are also becoming more cautious regarding migrants," the diplomat added. "The country possesses a large quantity of people migrating to other countries or remaining beyond visa limits and that interferes with the country's reputation."

Elements like the security level of a national passport and immigration processes also play a role to obtaining visa-free access to foreign nations.

Enhanced Security Measures

The Indian passport remains vulnerable to 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 diplomat says that new technologies, such as the newly introduced digital passport or e-passport, may enhance safety and streamline immigration. The e-passport contains a microchip holding biometric data, making it harder to forge or tamper with the passport.

However, increased diplomatic efforts and travel partnerships remain key to boosting international travel freedom of Indians and consequently, the Indian passport's global position.