The Reasons Behind India's National Passport Continues to Drop in Global Ranking

In recent months, an online clip by an Indian travel influencer expressing frustration over the limited power of the Indian passport gained massive traction on social media.

The influencer stated although nearby nations like Sri Lanka and Bhutan were more welcoming of travelers from India, obtaining visas for visiting many nations in Europe and the West continued to be difficult.

Such concerns with the limited global access of Indian passports found confirmation in recent global passport ranking, which placed India in the 85th spot out of 199 countries, a decline of five positions compared to the previous year.

Officials in India has not commented on the report yet.

Nations like Ghana, Rwanda and Azerbaijan with much smaller economies than India – which is the fifth-largest economy globally – hold better positions in the ranking in the seventies range, respectively.

Actually, India's rank in the past decade has remained in the 80s, falling to the 90th spot two years ago. Such standings appear poor compared to Asian nations like Japan, South Korea and Singapore, all maintaining leading ranks.

What Passport Strength Measures

The power of a passport indicates a nation's soft power and global influence. This leads to 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 number of countries offering visa-free access to Indians has actually increased over the last ten years.

For example, eight years ago – the year Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) assumed office – 52 countries offered visa-free travel for Indian passport holders with the passport ranked 76th in the ranking.

The following year, it tumbled to eighty-fifth place, then improved to eightieth over the past two years, dropping again to the eighty-fifth spot currently. Meanwhile, visa-free destinations for Indians grew from fifty-two eight years ago to sixty last year and sixty-two this year.

The Competitive Global Mobility Landscape

The count of nations allowing visa-free entry in 2025 (57) exceeds what it was in 2015 (fifty-two), but the country's position during both periods is 85. What explains this situation?

Analysts note that a major reason is the increasingly competitive landscape in international travel – meaning countries are forming additional travel agreements for their populations' advantage and economic growth. As per recent analysis, the global average count of countries travellers are able to access without visas has nearly doubled from fifty-eight nineteen years ago to one hundred nine currently.

As an illustration, China has expanded the number of visa-free destinations available to its citizens from fifty to eighty-two in the past decade. Consequently, its position in the ranking has enhanced from 94th to 60th in that same duration.

In comparison, The Indian passport – which was ranked 77th on the index during summer – fell to the 85th position in October following the loss to two countries.

Additional Factors Affecting Passport Strength

A former Indian ambassador notes there are other factors influencing the strength of a country's passport, including economic and political conditions plus its openness to accepting travelers from abroad.

For instance, the US passport has fallen from the top ten and now occupies twelfth place – its lowest ever – due to its increasingly insular stance in global affairs.

The former ambassador mentioned that during the seventies, Indians enjoyed visa-free access to numerous European and Western nations, though this shifted following Khalistan movement in the 1980s. Later political disturbances have further chipped away at India's image as a stable, democratic country.

"Many countries are growing increasingly wary regarding migrants," he stated. "The country possesses a high number of people migrating overseas or remaining beyond visa limits and that interferes with 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 threats. In 2024, authorities detained over two hundred individuals for suspected visa and passport fraud. India is also known for complex immigration processes with lengthy timelines of visa processing.

The former ambassador indicated that technological advances, such as the newly introduced electronic passport or e-passport, can improve security and ease the immigration process. The e-passport includes a microchip holding biometric data, making it harder to counterfeit or alter the passport.

But, more diplomatic outreach and travel partnerships remain key for enhancing international travel freedom of Indians and consequently, the Indian passport's global position.