The Reasons Behind India's Indian Passport Is Falling in Global Ranking

In recent months, 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 nearby nations such as Sri Lanka and Bhutan offered easier access to Indian tourists, securing travel permits to travel to most Western and European countries remained a challenge.

This dissatisfaction with India's poor passport strength found confirmation in the latest Henley Passport Index, ranking India in the 85th spot among nearly two hundred nations, a decline of five positions than last year.

The Indian government has not commented on the report yet.

Countries including Ghana, Rwanda and Azerbaijan despite smaller economic size compared to India – which is the world's fifth biggest economy – are ranked higher in the ranking at the 78th, 74th and 72nd spots, in that order.

Actually, the country's position over the last ten years has hovered in the 80s, falling to ninetieth place two years ago. These rankings appear poor when measured against Asian nations such as Japan, South Korea and Singapore, all maintaining leading ranks.

What Passport Strength Indicates

Passport strength reflects a country's global influence and international standing. This leads to enhanced travel freedom for its citizens, boosting business and educational prospects. Limited passport power means additional documentation, higher visa costs, fewer travel privileges and longer waiting times when journeying.

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

As an instance, in 2014 – the year Prime Minister Narendra Modi's ruling party came to power – fifty-two nations provided visa-free access to Indians with the passport ranked 76th in the ranking.

The following year, it tumbled to eighty-fifth place, then improved to eightieth in 2023 and 2024, declining once more to the eighty-fifth spot this year. Meanwhile, countries allowing visa-free travel for Indians increased from 52 in 2015 to sixty last year and sixty-two this year.

Increasing Worldwide Travel Competition

The number of visa-free destinations in 2025 (57) is higher than what it was eight years ago (52), but the country's position for both these years is 85. What explains this situation?

Experts say that a primary factor involves growing competition in international travel – meaning nations are entering into more travel partnerships to benefit their citizens and economic growth. According to a 2025 report, the global average count of countries people can visit visa-free has almost doubled from fifty-eight nineteen years ago to 109 in 2025.

As an illustration, The Chinese passport has increased its count of visa-free destinations available to its citizens from 50 to 82 in the past decade. Consequently, its rank on the index has improved from 94th to 60th in that same duration.

In comparison, The Indian passport – previously positioned 77th on the index in July – dropped to eighty-fifth place this autumn following the loss to two countries.

Other Influences Affecting Passport Strength

A former Indian ambassador notes multiple elements influencing the strength of a country's passport, including its economic and political stability plus its receptiveness to accepting travelers from other countries.

For example, the American passport has fallen 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 that during the seventies, Indians enjoyed visa-free access to many Western and European countries, though this shifted after the Sikh separatist movement in the 1980s. Subsequent political upheavals have further chipped away the country's reputation as a stable, democratic country.

"Numerous nations are also becoming increasingly wary of immigrants," the diplomat added. "The country possesses a large quantity of people migrating to other countries or remaining beyond visa limits and that interferes with the national image."

Factors such as the security level of a national passport and its immigration procedures also play a role in gaining visa-free entry to other countries.

Security and Technological Improvements

The Indian passport remains vulnerable to security threats. In 2024, law enforcement detained over two hundred individuals for suspected visa and passport fraud. 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, may enhance safety and streamline immigration. This electronic document contains a small chip holding biometric information, increasing difficulty to counterfeit or alter the document.

But, increased diplomatic efforts and travel agreements continue essential to boosting the global mobility of Indians and, by extension, India's passport ranking.