Why the Indian Passport Continues to Drop in Global Ranking

Earlier this year, a video from a popular travel content creator expressing frustration over the limited power of the Indian passport went viral across digital platforms.

The influencer stated that while neighbouring countries like Sri Lanka and Bhutan were more welcoming to travelers from India, securing travel permits to travel to most Western and European countries continued to be difficult.

This dissatisfaction regarding the limited global access of Indian passports was reflected in the latest Henley Passport Index, which placed the country at position eighty-five among nearly two hundred nations, five spots lower than last year.

The Indian government has not commented regarding these findings yet.

Nations including Rwanda, Ghana and Azerbaijan with much smaller economies compared to India – which is the world's fifth biggest economy – are ranked higher in the ranking in the seventies range, in that order.

Actually, the country's position in the past decade has hovered around the eighties, even dipping to ninetieth place in 2021. Such standings appear poor when measured against other Asian countries such as Singapore, Japan and South Korea, which have consistently held leading ranks.

Global Passport Power Indicates

The power of a passport indicates a nation's soft power and international standing. This leads to enhanced travel freedom for its citizens, boosting business and educational prospects. A weak passport means more paperwork, increased visa expenses, fewer travel privileges and extended processing periods for travel.

But despite the decline in the rank, the count of nations providing visa-free travel to Indians has grown over the last ten years.

As an instance, in 2014 – the year Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) assumed office – 52 countries offered visa-free access to Indians with the passport at seventy-sixth position on the index.

The following year, it tumbled to eighty-fifth place, then rose to eightieth over the past two years, declining once more to the 85th position currently. At the same time, countries allowing visa-free travel for Indians increased from 52 in 2015 to sixty last year and 62 in 2024.

The Competitive Global Mobility Landscape

The count of visa-free destinations in 2025 (57) exceeds what it was in 2015 (fifty-two), yet India's rank during both periods remains at eighty-fifth. So, why is that?

Analysts note that a primary factor is the increasingly competitive landscape in international travel – meaning nations are forming additional travel agreements to benefit their citizens and their economies. According to a 2025 report, the worldwide mean number of destinations people can visit visa-free has almost doubled from fifty-eight nineteen years ago to 109 in 2025.

For example, The Chinese passport has increased its count of visa-free destinations its citizens can travel to from fifty to eighty-two over the last ten years. Consequently, its rank 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 – fell to the 85th position in October following the loss of two nations.

Other Influences Affecting Passport Strength

An ex-diplomat from India says there are other factors influencing the strength of a country's passport, including its economic and political stability as well as its openness to accepting travelers from other countries.

For example, the American passport has fallen from the top ten currently holding the 12th position – a historic low – due to its more inward-looking approach in world politics.

The former ambassador mentioned 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 continued to damage the country's reputation as a stable democracy.

"Numerous nations are also becoming more cautious of immigrants," the diplomat added. "The country possesses a large quantity of citizens emigrating overseas or remaining beyond visa limits and that interferes with the country's reputation."

Elements like how secure a country's passport is and its immigration procedures also play a role to obtaining visa-free access to other countries.

Security and Technological Improvements

India's passport remains vulnerable to security risks. Last year, law enforcement detained over two hundred individuals for alleged passport and visa irregularities. The country also has cumbersome immigration procedures and a slow pace for visa approvals.

The former ambassador says that new technologies, such as the newly introduced electronic passport or e-passport, can improve security and streamline immigration. This electronic document contains a small chip that stores biometric information, making it harder to forge or tamper with the passport.

However, more diplomatic outreach and travel agreements remain key for enhancing the global mobility for Indian citizens and, by extension, the Indian passport's global position.