🔗 Share this article

In recent months, an online clip from a popular travel content creator expressing frustration over India's weak passport gained massive traction on social media.

He mentioned that while nearby nations such as Bhutan and Sri Lanka offered easier access of Indian tourists, securing travel permits for visiting many nations in Europe and the West remained a challenge.

Such concerns regarding India's poor passport strength was reflected in recent Henley Passport Index, which placed India at position eighty-five among nearly two hundred nations, five spots lower compared to the previous year.

The Indian government has not commented regarding these findings yet.

Countries including Ghana, Rwanda and Azerbaijan despite smaller economic size compared to India – a nation that is the fifth-largest economy globally – are ranked higher in the ranking at the 78th, 74th and 72nd spots, respectively.

In fact, India's rank over the last ten years has remained around the eighties, even dipping to ninetieth place two years ago. These rankings appear poor when measured against Asian nations like Singapore, Japan and South Korea, which have consistently held top positions.

What Passport Strength Measures

Passport strength indicates a nation's soft power and global influence. This leads to enhanced travel freedom for passport holders, boosting business and educational prospects. Limited passport power means more paperwork, increased visa expenses, reduced travel benefits and longer waiting times when journeying.

However, even with the drop in position, the number of countries providing visa-free travel to Indians has grown over the last ten years.

For example, in 2014 – the year Prime Minister Narendra Modi's ruling party assumed office – fifty-two nations offered visa-free access to Indians and its passport ranked 76th on the index.

A year later, it fell to eighty-fifth place, then improved to 80th in 2023 and 2024, declining once more to the eighty-fifth spot currently. At the same time, countries allowing visa-free travel to Indian citizens increased from fifty-two eight years ago to 60 in 2023 and 62 in 2024.

The Competitive Global Mobility Landscape

The number of nations allowing visa-free entry this year (57) exceeds what it was in 2015 (52), but the country's position during both periods remains at eighty-fifth. So, why is that?

Experts say that a primary factor is the increasingly competitive landscape in global mobility – meaning nations are forming more travel partnerships to benefit their citizens 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.

For example, 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 in that same duration.

In comparison, The Indian passport – which was ranked at seventy-seventh place during summer – dropped to eighty-fifth place this autumn following the loss of two nations.

Other Influences Affecting Passport Strength

A former Indian ambassador says multiple elements that affect a nation's passport power, like economic and political conditions plus its receptiveness to accepting travelers from other countries.

For instance, the US passport has dropped out of the top 10 currently holding the 12th position – a historic low – because of its increasingly insular stance in world politics.

The diplomat mentioned how in the 1970s, Indians enjoyed visa-free travel to many Western and European countries, though this shifted after the Khalistan movement in the 1980s. Subsequent political upheavals have further chipped away at India's image as a stable democracy.

"Numerous nations are also becoming increasingly wary regarding migrants," he stated. "The country possesses a high number of citizens emigrating to other countries or remaining beyond visa limits affecting the country's reputation."

Elements such as how secure of a national passport and its immigration procedures also play a role in gaining visa-free entry to other countries.

Security and Technological Improvements

India's passport remains vulnerable to security threats. In 2024, law enforcement arrested over two hundred individuals for alleged visa and passport fraud. India is also known for complex immigration processes and a slow pace for visa approvals.

The former ambassador indicated that new technologies, like India's recently-launched digital passport or e-passport, may enhance safety and ease the immigration process. The e-passport includes a microchip that stores biometric data, increasing difficulty to forge or tamper with the document.

However, more diplomatic outreach and travel partnerships remain key for enhancing international travel freedom of Indians and consequently, the Indian passport's global position.