🔗 Share this article

Earlier this year, a video from a popular travel content creator expressing frustration over India's weak passport gained massive traction across digital platforms.

He mentioned that while neighbouring countries like Sri Lanka and Bhutan offered easier access to travelers from India, securing travel permits to travel to many nations in Europe and the West continued to be difficult.

Such concerns regarding India's poor passport strength was reflected in the latest global passport ranking, ranking the country in the 85th spot among 199 countries, five spots lower compared to the previous year.

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

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

In fact, the country's position over the last ten years has remained in the 80s, falling to the 90th spot in 2021. Such standings are dismal when measured against Asian nations such as Japan, South Korea and Singapore, all maintaining top positions.

What Passport Strength Measures

The power of a passport reflects a nation's soft power and global influence. This leads to enhanced travel freedom for passport holders, improving commercial and educational prospects. A weak passport results in additional documentation, increased visa expenses, fewer travel privileges and extended processing periods for travel.

But despite the decline in the rank, the number of countries offering visa-free access to Indians has grown in the past decade or so.

As an instance, in 2014 – the year the current administration's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) came to power – 52 countries offered visa-free travel for Indian passport holders and its passport ranked 76th on the index.

A year later, it tumbled to the 85th position, then rose to 80th over the past two years, dropping again to the 85th position currently. Meanwhile, visa-free destinations for Indians grew from 52 in 2015 to 60 in 2023 and sixty-two this year.

Increasing Worldwide Travel Competition

The count of nations allowing visa-free entry in 2025 (57) exceeds the number eight years ago (fifty-two), yet India's rank during both periods remains at eighty-fifth. What explains this situation?

Experts say that a major reason is the increasingly competitive landscape in international travel – indicating that countries are entering into additional travel agreements to benefit their citizens and their economies. As per recent analysis, the worldwide mean number of destinations people can visit without visas has nearly doubled from 58 in 2006 to one hundred nine currently.

For example, The Chinese passport has expanded the number of visa-free destinations available to its citizens from 50 to 82 in the past decade. Consequently, its position on the index has improved from 94th to 60th in that same duration.

In comparison, India – previously positioned 77th on the index during summer – dropped to the 85th position this autumn following the loss of two nations.

Other Influences Affecting Passport Strength

A former Indian ambassador says there are other factors influencing the strength of a country's passport, like its economic and political stability plus its openness to accepting travelers from abroad.

For instance, the American passport has dropped out of the top 10 currently holding twelfth place – its lowest ever – due to its more inward-looking approach in global affairs.

The diplomat mentioned how in the 1970s, Indians enjoyed visa-free travel to many Western and European countries, but that changed following Sikh separatist movement during the eighties. Later political disturbances have continued to damage the country's reputation as a stable democracy.

"Many countries are also becoming more cautious of immigrants," he stated. "India has a large quantity of people migrating overseas or remaining beyond visa limits and that interferes with the national image."

Elements like the security level of a national passport and its immigration procedures also play a role to obtaining visa-free entry to other countries.

Enhanced Security Measures

The Indian passport faces ongoing security risks. In 2024, law enforcement detained 203 people for suspected passport and visa irregularities. The country also has complex immigration processes and a slow pace for visa approvals.

The former ambassador indicated that technological advances, like India's recently-launched electronic passport or e-passport, may enhance safety and ease the immigration process. This electronic document includes a microchip holding biometric data, making it harder to counterfeit or alter the passport.

However, more diplomatic outreach and travel partnerships remain key to boosting international travel freedom for Indian citizens and consequently, the Indian passport's global position.