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In recent months, an online clip by a popular travel content creator complaining about the limited power of the Indian passport gained massive traction on social media.

The influencer stated that while nearby nations such as Bhutan and Sri Lanka were more welcoming to Indian tourists, obtaining visas to travel to many nations in Europe and the West remained a challenge.

This dissatisfaction with the limited global access of Indian passports was reflected in the latest global passport ranking, which placed India in the 85th spot among 199 countries, five spots lower compared to the previous year.

The Indian government have not issued a statement regarding these findings so far.

Countries including Ghana, Rwanda and Azerbaijan with much smaller economies compared to India – a nation that 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 remained around the eighties, even dipping to the 90th spot two years ago. These rankings are dismal compared to Asian nations like Japan, South Korea and Singapore, which have consistently held top positions.

Global Passport Power Indicates

The power of a passport reflects a nation's soft power and international standing. This leads to enhanced travel freedom for passport holders, improving commercial and learning opportunities. Limited passport power means more paperwork, increased visa expenses, fewer travel privileges and extended processing periods for travel.

However, even with the drop in position, the number of countries offering visa-free access for Indian citizens has grown over the last ten years.

As an instance, in 2014 – when Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) came to power – fifty-two nations offered visa-free travel for Indian passport holders and its passport at seventy-sixth position on the index.

A year later, it tumbled to the 85th position, then rose to eightieth over the past two years, declining once more to the eighty-fifth spot currently. Meanwhile, countries allowing visa-free travel for Indians grew from 52 in 2015 to 60 in 2023 and 62 in 2024.

Increasing Worldwide Travel Competition

The number of visa-free destinations this year (57) is higher than the number in 2015 (52), but India's rank during both periods is 85. What explains this situation?

Analysts note that a major reason is the increasingly competitive landscape in global mobility – meaning countries are entering into more travel partnerships to benefit their citizens and their economies. According to recent analysis, the worldwide mean count of countries people can visit visa-free has nearly doubled from 58 in 2006 to 109 in 2025.

As an illustration, The Chinese passport has expanded its count of visa-free countries its citizens can travel to from 50 to 82 over the last ten years. As a result, its rank on the index has enhanced from 94th to 60th during the same time period.

In comparison, The Indian passport – which was ranked at seventy-seventh place in July – dropped to eighty-fifth place this autumn after losing access to two countries.

Other Influences Impacting Passport Power

An ex-diplomat from India says there are other factors influencing a nation's passport power, including economic and political conditions as well as its openness to welcoming citizens from abroad.

For example, the US passport has dropped out of the top 10 currently holding twelfth place – its lowest ever – because of its more inward-looking approach in world politics.

The former ambassador mentioned how in the 1970s, Indian citizens had visa-free travel to many Western and European countries, but that changed following Sikh separatist movement during the eighties. Later political disturbances have further chipped away the country's reputation as a stable democracy.

"Numerous nations are also becoming increasingly wary regarding migrants," the diplomat added. "The country possesses a large quantity of people migrating overseas or overstaying their visas affecting the national image."

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

Security and Technological Improvements

India's passport faces ongoing security risks. In 2024, law enforcement arrested 203 people for alleged passport and visa irregularities. India is also known for complex immigration processes and a slow pace for visa approvals.

The diplomat says that technological advances, such as the newly introduced digital passport or e-passport, may enhance safety and ease the immigration process. The e-passport contains a small chip holding biometric information, increasing difficulty to counterfeit or alter 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.