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

Earlier this year, a video from a popular travel content creator expressing frustration over India's weak passport went viral on social media.

He mentioned although neighbouring countries such as Sri Lanka and Bhutan were more welcoming of Indian tourists, obtaining visas for visiting many nations in Europe and the West continued to be difficult.

This dissatisfaction regarding India's poor passport strength found confirmation in recent Henley Passport Index, ranking the country in the 85th spot among 199 countries, a decline of five positions than last year.

Officials in India has not commented regarding these findings yet.

Countries including Ghana, Rwanda and Azerbaijan despite smaller economic size compared to India – a nation that is the world's fifth biggest economy – hold better positions on the index in the seventies range, in that order.

Actually, the country's position over the last ten years has hovered in the 80s, falling to the 90th spot in 2021. These rankings are dismal compared to Asian nations like Singapore, Japan and South Korea, all maintaining leading ranks.

What Passport Strength Measures

Passport strength indicates a country's global influence and international standing. It also translates into better mobility for passport holders, improving commercial and educational prospects. Limited passport power means additional documentation, higher visa costs, reduced travel benefits and longer waiting times for travel.

But despite the decline in the rank, the number of countries providing visa-free travel for Indian citizens has actually increased in the past decade or so.

For example, in 2014 – the year the current administration's ruling party came to power – 52 countries offered visa-free travel for Indian passport holders with the passport at seventy-sixth position in the ranking.

The following year, it fell to the 85th position, then improved to eightieth over the past two years, declining once more to the eighty-fifth spot currently. At the same time, countries allowing visa-free travel for Indians grew from fifty-two eight years ago to sixty last year and 62 in 2024.

The Competitive Global Mobility Landscape

The number of visa-free destinations in 2025 (fifty-seven) is higher than the number in 2015 (52), yet India's rank during both periods is 85. So, why is that?

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

As an illustration, China has increased the number of visa-free destinations its citizens can travel to from fifty to eighty-two over the last ten years. Consequently, its position on the index has improved from ninety-fourth to sixtieth in that same duration.

Meanwhile, The Indian passport – previously positioned 77th on the index in July – fell to eighty-fifth place this autumn after losing access of two nations.

Other Influences Impacting Passport Power

A former Indian ambassador notes there are other factors influencing a nation's passport power, like its economic and political stability plus its receptiveness to accepting travelers from other countries.

For example, the American passport has dropped out from the top ten currently holding twelfth place – its lowest ever – due to its more inward-looking approach in global affairs.

The former ambassador recalls that during the seventies, Indian citizens had visa-free travel to numerous European and Western nations, but that changed 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 regarding migrants," the diplomat added. "India has a high number of people migrating overseas or overstaying their visas affecting the country's reputation."

Factors like how secure of a national passport and immigration processes also play a role in gaining visa-free access to other countries.

Security and Technological Improvements

India's passport faces ongoing security threats. Last year, law enforcement arrested over two hundred individuals for suspected visa and passport fraud. India is also known for complex immigration processes with lengthy timelines for visa approvals.

The former ambassador indicated that new technologies, like India's recently-launched digital passport or e-passport, may enhance safety and ease the immigration process. This electronic document contains a small chip holding biometric data, making it harder to counterfeit or alter the passport.

But, increased diplomatic efforts and travel partnerships continue essential for enhancing the global mobility of Indians and, by extension, the Indian passport's global position.