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

Earlier this year, an online clip by an Indian travel influencer expressing frustration over India's weak passport went viral on social media.

The influencer stated that while nearby nations such as Sri Lanka and Bhutan offered easier access of travelers from India, obtaining visas to travel to most Western and European countries continued to be difficult.

This dissatisfaction with India's poor passport strength was reflected in recent global passport ranking, ranking India in the 85th spot among nearly two hundred nations, five spots lower compared to the previous year.

The Indian government have not issued a statement regarding these findings yet.

Countries including Ghana, Rwanda and Azerbaijan despite smaller economic size than India – which is the world's fifth biggest economy – are ranked higher on the index in the seventies range, respectively.

In fact, the country's position over the last ten years has hovered around the eighties, even dipping to the 90th spot two years ago. Such standings appear poor compared to other Asian countries such as Singapore, Japan and South Korea, all maintaining leading ranks.

What Passport Strength Indicates

The power of a passport reflects a country's global influence and global influence. This leads to enhanced travel freedom for its citizens, improving commercial and learning opportunities. A weak passport results in more paperwork, increased visa expenses, fewer travel privileges and extended processing periods when journeying.

However, even with the decline in the rank, the count of nations providing visa-free travel for Indian citizens has actually increased in the past decade or so.

As an instance, in 2014 – when the current administration's ruling party came to power – fifty-two nations offered visa-free access to Indians with the passport at seventy-sixth position in the ranking.

A year later, it tumbled to the 85th position, then rose to eightieth over the past two years, declining once more to the eighty-fifth spot this year. Meanwhile, visa-free destinations to Indian citizens grew from 52 in 2015 to 60 in 2023 and sixty-two this year.

The Competitive Global Mobility Landscape

The count of visa-free destinations in 2025 (57) is higher than what it was in 2015 (52), but the country's position for both these years remains at eighty-fifth. What explains this situation?

Analysts note that a primary factor involves growing competition in international travel – indicating that countries are forming more travel partnerships to benefit their citizens and their economies. According to recent analysis, the worldwide mean count of countries people can visit visa-free has nearly doubled from fifty-eight nineteen years ago to one hundred nine currently.

As an illustration, The Chinese passport has increased its count of visa-free destinations available to its citizens from 50 to 82 in the past decade. As a result, its position on the index has enhanced from ninety-fourth to sixtieth during the same time period.

Meanwhile, The Indian passport – which was ranked at seventy-seventh place during summer – dropped to the 85th position this autumn after losing access to two countries.

Other Influences Impacting Passport Power

An ex-diplomat from India says there are other factors influencing a nation's passport power, like economic and political conditions as well as its receptiveness to welcoming citizens from abroad.

For example, the American passport has fallen of the top 10 currently holding the 12th position – its lowest ever – due to its more inward-looking approach in world politics.

The former ambassador recalls that during the seventies, Indians enjoyed visa-free travel to many Western and European countries, though this shifted after the Sikh separatist movement in the 1980s. Subsequent political upheavals have continued to damage at India's image as a stable democracy.

"Many countries are also becoming increasingly wary of immigrants," he stated. "The country possesses a large quantity of citizens emigrating overseas or overstaying their visas 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.

Enhanced Security Measures

The Indian passport faces ongoing security risks. Last year, law enforcement detained 203 people for suspected passport and visa irregularities. India is also known for complex immigration processes and a slow pace of visa processing.

The former ambassador indicated that technological advances, such as the newly introduced electronic passport or e-passport, may enhance safety and streamline immigration. This electronic document includes a microchip holding biometric information, making it harder to forge or tamper with the passport.

However, more diplomatic outreach and travel partnerships remain key for enhancing international travel freedom for Indian citizens and consequently, India's passport ranking.