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In recent months, a video by an Indian travel influencer complaining about the limited power of the Indian passport gained massive traction 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 for visiting most Western and European countries remained a challenge.

Such concerns with India's poor passport strength found confirmation in recent global passport ranking, ranking India at position eighty-five among 199 countries, a decline of five positions compared to the previous year.

The Indian government has not commented regarding these findings yet.

Countries including Rwanda, Ghana and Azerbaijan with much smaller economies compared to India – which is the fifth-largest economy globally – are ranked higher in the ranking in the seventies range, in that order.

In fact, the country's position over the last ten years has hovered in the 80s, falling to the 90th spot two years ago. Such standings are dismal compared to other Asian countries such as Singapore, Japan and South Korea, which have consistently held top positions.

What Passport Strength Indicates

Passport strength reflects a country's global influence and international standing. This leads to enhanced travel freedom for its citizens, improving commercial and learning opportunities. Limited passport power results in additional documentation, increased visa expenses, fewer travel privileges and longer waiting times for travel.

However, even with the decline in the rank, the number of countries offering visa-free access for Indian citizens has actually increased in the past decade or so.

For example, in 2014 – the year the current administration's ruling party came to power – fifty-two nations offered visa-free travel for Indian passport holders and its passport ranked 76th on the index.

A year later, it fell to the 85th position, then rose to eightieth in 2023 and 2024, declining once more to the 85th position currently. At the same time, countries allowing visa-free travel to Indian citizens increased from 52 in 2015 to 60 in 2023 and sixty-two this year.

Increasing Worldwide Travel Competition

The number of nations allowing visa-free entry this year (57) is higher than what it was eight years ago (fifty-two), yet India's rank for both these years is 85. So, why is that?

Experts say that a primary factor involves growing competition in international travel – meaning nations are forming more travel partnerships to benefit their citizens and economic growth. As per recent analysis, the worldwide mean count of countries travellers are able to access without visas has nearly doubled from fifty-eight nineteen years ago to one hundred nine currently.

For example, The Chinese passport has expanded its count of visa-free destinations available to its citizens from fifty to eighty-two in the past decade. As a result, its rank in the ranking has improved from ninety-fourth to sixtieth in that same duration.

In comparison, India – which was ranked 77th on the index during summer – dropped to the 85th position in October after losing access of two nations.

Other Influences Impacting Passport Power

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

For instance, the American passport has dropped out of the top 10 currently holding twelfth place – a historic low – because of its increasingly insular stance in global affairs.

The former ambassador recalls that during the seventies, Indian citizens had visa-free access to many Western and European countries, though this shifted following Sikh separatist movement during the eighties. Later political disturbances have further chipped away at India's image as a stable democracy.

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

Factors like the security level of a national passport and immigration processes also play a role to obtaining visa-free access to foreign nations.

Security and Technological Improvements

The Indian passport remains vulnerable to security risks. In 2024, authorities detained 203 people for suspected visa and passport fraud. India is also known for complex immigration processes with lengthy timelines for visa approvals.

The diplomat indicated that technological advances, such as the newly introduced electronic passport or e-passport, can improve security and streamline immigration. The e-passport includes a small chip holding biometric information, increasing difficulty to counterfeit or alter the document.

However, increased diplomatic efforts and travel partnerships continue essential for enhancing international travel freedom for Indian citizens and, by extension, India's passport ranking.