The Reasons Behind India's National Passport Continues to Drop in Worldwide Standing

In recent months, a video by a popular travel content creator complaining about the limited power of the Indian passport went viral across digital platforms.

The influencer stated although neighbouring countries like Sri Lanka and Bhutan were more welcoming of Indian tourists, securing travel permits to travel to many nations in Europe and the West continued to be difficult.

Such concerns with India's poor passport strength was reflected in the latest global passport ranking, ranking the country in the 85th spot out of 199 countries, a decline of five positions than last year.

The Indian government have not issued a statement on the report so far.

Countries like Rwanda, Ghana and Azerbaijan despite smaller economic size than India – a nation that is the world's fifth biggest economy – hold better positions in the ranking in the seventies range, respectively.

Actually, India's rank in the past decade has hovered in the 80s, falling to the 90th spot in 2021. Such standings appear poor compared to other Asian countries such as Japan, South Korea and Singapore, all maintaining top positions.

Global Passport Power Indicates

Passport strength reflects a country's global influence and international standing. It also translates into enhanced travel freedom for passport holders, improving commercial and educational prospects. A weak passport results in more paperwork, increased visa expenses, fewer travel privileges and extended processing periods when journeying.

But despite the decline in the rank, the count of nations offering visa-free access to Indians has actually increased in the past decade or so.

As an instance, eight years ago – the year Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) assumed office – fifty-two nations offered visa-free access for Indian passport holders and its passport ranked 76th in the ranking.

A year later, it fell to eighty-fifth place, then rose to eightieth over the past two years, declining once more to the 85th position currently. At the same time, visa-free destinations for Indians grew from 52 in 2015 to sixty last year and 62 in 2024.

The Competitive Global Mobility Landscape

The count of nations allowing visa-free entry in 2025 (57) is higher than what it was in 2015 (fifty-two), yet the country's position for both these years is 85. What explains this situation?

Experts say that a major reason is the increasingly competitive landscape in international travel – indicating that countries are forming more travel partnerships for their populations' advantage and economic growth. As per recent analysis, the worldwide mean number of destinations people can visit visa-free has nearly doubled from fifty-eight nineteen years ago to one hundred nine currently.

As an illustration, China has expanded its count of visa-free destinations available to its citizens from fifty to eighty-two over the last ten years. As a result, its position on the index has improved from ninety-fourth to sixtieth in that same duration.

In comparison, India – which was ranked at seventy-seventh place during summer – dropped to the 85th position in October after losing access to two countries.

Other Influences Impacting Passport Power

A former Indian ambassador notes there are other factors influencing a nation's passport power, including its economic and political stability plus its receptiveness to welcoming citizens from abroad.

For example, the American passport has fallen from the top ten and now occupies twelfth place – a historic low – due to its more inward-looking approach in global affairs.

The former ambassador mentioned how in the 1970s, Indians enjoyed visa-free travel to numerous European and Western nations, but that changed following Sikh separatist movement in the 1980s. Subsequent political upheavals have continued to damage the country's reputation as a stable democracy.

"Many countries are also becoming more cautious regarding migrants," he stated. "India has a large quantity of citizens emigrating to other countries or overstaying their visas affecting the national image."

Elements such as the security level of a national passport and its immigration procedures also play a role to obtaining visa-free entry to foreign nations.

Security and Technological Improvements

The Indian passport faces ongoing security threats. In 2024, authorities detained 203 people for alleged visa and passport fraud. India is also known for complex immigration processes and a slow pace for visa approvals.

The former ambassador says that technological advances, like India's recently-launched electronic passport or e-passport, can improve security and streamline immigration. This electronic document includes a small chip that stores biometric information, making it harder to forge or tamper with the passport.

However, more diplomatic outreach and travel partnerships continue essential to boosting the global mobility of Indians and consequently, India's passport ranking.