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

In recent months, a video from a popular travel content creator complaining about the limited power of the Indian passport gained massive traction on social media.

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

Such concerns regarding India's poor passport strength found confirmation in the latest global passport ranking, ranking India at position eighty-five out of nearly two hundred nations, five spots lower than last year.

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

Nations including Rwanda, Ghana and Azerbaijan with much smaller economies compared to India – which is the world's fifth biggest economy – hold better positions in the ranking at the 78th, 74th and 72nd spots, respectively.

Actually, the country's position over the last ten years has remained in the 80s, even dipping to the 90th spot in 2021. Such standings appear poor compared to other Asian countries such as Singapore, Japan and South Korea, which have consistently held leading ranks.

Global Passport Power Indicates

Passport strength indicates a nation's soft power and international standing. This leads to better mobility for its citizens, improving commercial and educational prospects. A weak passport means additional documentation, increased visa expenses, reduced travel benefits and longer waiting times for travel.

But despite the drop in position, the number of countries offering visa-free access to Indians has actually increased in the past decade or so.

For example, eight years ago – the year Prime Minister Narendra Modi's ruling party came to power – 52 countries offered visa-free access for Indian passport holders and its passport ranked 76th in the ranking.

A year later, it tumbled to the 85th position, then improved to 80th in 2023 and 2024, declining once more to the eighty-fifth spot currently. At the same time, visa-free destinations to Indian citizens increased from 52 in 2015 to sixty last year and sixty-two this year.

The Competitive Global Mobility Landscape

The number of nations allowing visa-free entry in 2025 (57) is higher than the number eight years ago (fifty-two), but India's rank for both these years is 85. What explains this situation?

Experts say that a major reason is the increasingly competitive landscape in global mobility – meaning countries are entering into more travel partnerships for their populations' advantage and their economies. As per recent analysis, the worldwide mean number of destinations travellers are able to access without visas has almost doubled from 58 in 2006 to 109 in 2025.

As an illustration, China has increased the number of visa-free countries available to its citizens from fifty to eighty-two over the last ten years. As a result, its rank on the index has enhanced from ninety-fourth to sixtieth during the same time period.

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

Other Influences Impacting Passport Power

A former Indian ambassador says there are other factors that affect a nation's passport power, like economic and political conditions plus its openness to welcoming citizens from other countries.

For example, the US passport has dropped out of the top 10 and now occupies the 12th position – 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 many Western and European countries, though this shifted following Khalistan movement during the eighties. Later political disturbances have further chipped away at India's image as a stable democracy.

"Many countries are growing increasingly wary regarding migrants," he stated. "The country possesses a large quantity of people migrating overseas or remaining beyond visa limits affecting the national image."

Factors like the security level of a national passport and immigration processes also play a role to obtaining visa-free access to foreign nations.

Security and Technological Improvements

India's passport faces ongoing security threats. Last year, authorities detained 203 people for suspected passport and visa irregularities. India is also known for cumbersome immigration procedures with lengthy timelines for visa approvals.

The diplomat indicated that technological advances, such as the newly introduced electronic passport or e-passport, can improve security and streamline immigration. The e-passport includes a small chip that stores biometric information, making it harder to forge or tamper with the document.

However, more diplomatic outreach and travel partnerships remain key to boosting the global mobility of Indians and, by extension, the Indian passport's global position.