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In recent months, a video from a popular travel content creator expressing frustration over the limited power of the Indian passport gained massive traction across digital platforms.

The influencer stated that while nearby nations such as Bhutan and Sri Lanka were more welcoming of travelers from India, obtaining visas to travel to many nations in Europe and the West continued to be difficult.

Such concerns regarding the limited global access of Indian passports found confirmation in recent Henley Passport Index, which placed India in the 85th spot among 199 countries, a decline of five positions than last year.

Officials in India have not issued a statement on the report yet.

Countries including Ghana, Rwanda and Azerbaijan despite smaller economic size than India – which is the fifth-largest economy globally – are ranked higher on the index at the 78th, 74th and 72nd spots, respectively.

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

Global Passport Power Indicates

Passport strength indicates a country's global influence and international standing. This leads to enhanced travel freedom for its citizens, improving commercial and educational prospects. Limited passport power results in more paperwork, increased visa expenses, reduced travel benefits and longer waiting times for travel.

However, even with the decline in the rank, the count of nations providing visa-free travel for Indian citizens has grown over the last ten years.

For example, in 2014 – the year the current administration's ruling party came to power – fifty-two nations offered visa-free travel to Indians with the passport at seventy-sixth position in the ranking.

The following year, it fell to the 85th position, then rose to 80th over the past two years, dropping again to the 85th position this year. At the same time, countries allowing visa-free travel to Indian citizens increased from 52 in 2015 to sixty last year and sixty-two this year.

The Competitive Global Mobility Landscape

The number of visa-free destinations in 2025 (57) exceeds what it was eight years ago (fifty-two), but India's rank for both these years is 85. So, why is that?

Experts say that a major reason involves growing competition in global mobility – meaning countries are entering into additional travel agreements to benefit their citizens and economic growth. According to a 2025 report, the worldwide mean number of destinations travellers are able to access visa-free has almost doubled from 58 in 2006 to one hundred nine currently.

As an illustration, The Chinese passport has expanded the number of visa-free countries its citizens can travel to from fifty to eighty-two in the past decade. As a result, its position on the index has enhanced from ninety-fourth to sixtieth during the same time period.

Meanwhile, India – which was ranked at seventy-seventh place during summer – fell to eighty-fifth place in October following the loss to two countries.

Additional Factors Impacting Passport Power

A former Indian ambassador says multiple elements that affect the strength of a country's passport, like its economic and political stability plus its receptiveness to welcoming citizens from other countries.

For example, the American passport has fallen from the top ten currently holding the 12th position – its lowest ever – because of its increasingly insular stance in world politics.

The diplomat recalls that during the seventies, Indian citizens had visa-free travel to numerous European and Western nations, though this shifted following Khalistan movement during the eighties. Subsequent political upheavals have further chipped away at India's image as a stable democracy.

"Many countries are also becoming more cautious of immigrants," he stated. "The country possesses a high number of people migrating to other countries or remaining beyond visa limits and that interferes with the national image."

Elements like how secure a country's passport is and its immigration procedures also contribute in gaining visa-free access to other countries.

Enhanced Security Measures

The Indian passport remains vulnerable to security risks. In 2024, authorities detained 203 people for alleged visa and passport fraud. The country also has cumbersome immigration procedures with lengthy timelines for visa approvals.

The former ambassador says 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 small chip holding biometric information, increasing difficulty to counterfeit or alter the document.

But, more diplomatic outreach and travel agreements continue essential for enhancing international travel freedom for Indian citizens and, by extension, India's passport ranking.