The Reasons Behind India's National Passport Is Falling in Worldwide Standing

In recent months, a video from an Indian travel influencer expressing frustration over India's weak passport gained massive traction on social media.

The influencer stated that while nearby nations such as Sri Lanka and Bhutan offered easier access to travelers from India, securing travel permits for visiting many nations in Europe and the West remained a challenge.

Such concerns with India's poor passport strength found confirmation in recent Henley Passport Index, which placed India in the 85th spot among nearly two hundred nations, a decline of five positions compared to the previous year.

The Indian government has not commented regarding these findings yet.

Nations including Ghana, Rwanda and Azerbaijan despite smaller economic size compared to India – a nation that is the fifth-largest economy globally – hold better positions on the index in the seventies range, in that order.

In fact, India's rank over the last ten years has remained around the eighties, falling to the 90th spot in 2021. Such standings are dismal compared to Asian nations such as Japan, South Korea and Singapore, which have consistently held leading ranks.

Global Passport Power Measures

The power of a passport reflects a country's global influence and international standing. This leads to better mobility for passport holders, boosting business and learning opportunities. A weak passport results in additional documentation, increased visa expenses, fewer travel privileges and extended processing periods when journeying.

However, even with the drop in position, the count of nations providing visa-free travel to Indians has actually increased over the last ten years.

As an instance, in 2014 – when the current administration's ruling party assumed office – fifty-two nations offered visa-free travel for Indian passport holders with the passport at seventy-sixth position on the index.

The following year, it tumbled to eighty-fifth place, then improved to 80th in 2023 and 2024, dropping again to the eighty-fifth spot currently. At the same time, countries allowing visa-free travel for Indians grew from 52 in 2015 to 60 in 2023 and sixty-two this year.

The Competitive Global Mobility Landscape

The count of nations allowing visa-free entry in 2025 (fifty-seven) exceeds the number eight years ago (52), but the country's position during both periods is 85. What explains this situation?

Analysts note that a primary factor is the increasingly competitive landscape in global mobility – meaning nations are entering into additional travel agreements to benefit their citizens and economic growth. According to a 2025 report, the global average number of destinations travellers are able to access visa-free has nearly doubled from 58 in 2006 to 109 in 2025.

As an illustration, China has expanded its count of visa-free destinations its citizens can travel to from 50 to 82 over the last ten years. Consequently, its position in the ranking has improved from ninety-fourth to sixtieth in that same duration.

Meanwhile, India – previously positioned 77th on the index during summer – dropped to the 85th position this autumn following the loss of two nations.

Other Influences Impacting Passport Power

A former Indian ambassador notes there are other factors that affect a nation's passport power, including economic and political conditions plus its receptiveness to accepting travelers from abroad.

For instance, the American passport has dropped out of the top 10 and now occupies the 12th position – its lowest ever – because of its increasingly insular stance in global affairs.

The former ambassador recalls how in the 1970s, Indians enjoyed visa-free access to many Western and European countries, but that changed following Khalistan movement during the eighties. Later political disturbances have further chipped away the country's reputation as a stable, democratic country.

"Many countries are growing more cautious regarding migrants," the diplomat added. "The country possesses a large quantity of citizens emigrating overseas or overstaying their visas affecting the country's reputation."

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

Enhanced Security Measures

India's passport faces ongoing security risks. In 2024, authorities detained over two hundred individuals for alleged passport and visa irregularities. The country also has complex immigration processes with lengthy timelines of visa processing.

The diplomat says that new technologies, like India's recently-launched digital passport or e-passport, can improve security and ease the immigration process. The e-passport includes a microchip that stores biometric information, increasing difficulty to forge or tamper with the document.

However, more diplomatic outreach and travel agreements remain key to boosting international travel freedom for Indian citizens and, by extension, the Indian passport's global position.