Why India's Indian Passport Continues to Drop in Worldwide Standing

Earlier this year, a video from an Indian travel influencer expressing frustration over the limited power of the Indian passport went viral across digital platforms.

The influencer stated that while neighbouring countries such as Bhutan and Sri Lanka were more welcoming of travelers from India, securing travel permits to travel to most Western and European countries remained a challenge.

This dissatisfaction with India's poor passport strength was reflected in recent global passport ranking, which placed India at position eighty-five among nearly two hundred nations, five spots lower compared to the previous year.

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

Countries like Ghana, Rwanda and Azerbaijan with much smaller economies than India – a nation that is the world's fifth biggest economy – hold better positions in the ranking in the seventies range, in that order.

Actually, India's rank in the past decade has remained around the eighties, falling to ninetieth place in 2021. These rankings appear poor when measured against Asian nations like Singapore, Japan and South Korea, which have consistently held top positions.

Global Passport Power Indicates

Passport strength reflects a country's global influence and global influence. It also translates into enhanced travel freedom for its citizens, boosting business and learning opportunities. Limited passport power results in additional documentation, higher visa costs, reduced travel benefits and extended processing periods when journeying.

But despite the drop in position, the count of nations offering visa-free access to Indians has actually increased over the last ten years.

As an instance, eight years ago – when Prime Minister Narendra Modi's ruling party came to power – fifty-two nations provided visa-free travel to Indians with the passport at seventy-sixth position in the ranking.

A year later, it fell to eighty-fifth place, then improved to 80th in 2023 and 2024, dropping again to the 85th position currently. At the same time, visa-free destinations to Indian citizens grew from fifty-two eight years ago to sixty last year and sixty-two this year.

Increasing Worldwide Travel Competition

The count of nations allowing visa-free entry this year (fifty-seven) exceeds the number eight years ago (fifty-two), yet India's rank for both these years remains at eighty-fifth. So, why is that?

Analysts note that a primary factor involves growing competition in international travel – meaning countries are forming more travel partnerships for their populations' advantage and their economies. As per recent analysis, the worldwide mean count of countries travellers are able to access without visas has nearly doubled from 58 in 2006 to 109 in 2025.

As an illustration, China 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 position in the ranking has improved from 94th to 60th during the same time period.

Meanwhile, The Indian passport – which was ranked at seventy-seventh place in July – fell to the 85th position in October following the loss to two countries.

Other Influences 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 as well as its receptiveness to accepting travelers from other countries.

For example, the US passport has fallen of the top 10 and now occupies twelfth place – a historic low – due to its increasingly insular stance in global affairs.

The former ambassador recalls that during the seventies, Indian citizens had visa-free travel to many Western and European countries, though this shifted following Sikh separatist movement during the eighties. Later political disturbances have continued to damage the country's reputation as a stable, democratic country.

"Numerous nations are growing increasingly wary regarding migrants," he stated. "India has a large quantity of citizens emigrating to other countries or overstaying their visas and that interferes with the country's reputation."

Elements like how secure a country's passport is and its immigration procedures also play a role in gaining visa-free access to other countries.

Enhanced Security Measures

The Indian passport faces ongoing security threats. In 2024, law enforcement arrested 203 people for alleged passport and visa irregularities. India is also known for complex immigration processes and a slow pace of visa processing.

The diplomat says that new technologies, such as the newly introduced digital passport or e-passport, may enhance safety and streamline immigration. The e-passport contains a microchip holding biometric data, increasing difficulty to counterfeit or alter the passport.

But, more diplomatic outreach and travel agreements continue essential for enhancing international travel freedom of Indians and consequently, India's passport ranking.