The Reasons Behind India's Indian Passport Is Falling in Global Ranking

In recent months, a video from an Indian travel influencer expressing frustration over India's weak passport went viral on social media.

The influencer stated although neighbouring countries like Sri Lanka and Bhutan offered easier access to travelers from India, securing travel permits to travel to most Western and European countries continued to be difficult.

This dissatisfaction with the limited global access of Indian passports found confirmation in recent global passport ranking, ranking the country in the 85th spot out of 199 countries, a decline of five positions than last year.

Officials in India has not commented on the report so far.

Nations including Ghana, Rwanda and Azerbaijan despite smaller economic size compared to India – which is the fifth-largest economy globally – are ranked higher on the index in the seventies range, in that order.

Actually, the country's position in the past decade has hovered in the 80s, even dipping to ninetieth place in 2021. These rankings appear poor compared to other Asian countries like Singapore, Japan and South Korea, all maintaining leading ranks.

Global Passport Power Measures

The power of a passport reflects a nation's soft power and global influence. It also translates into better mobility for its citizens, improving commercial and educational prospects. Limited passport power means additional documentation, higher visa costs, reduced travel benefits 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, in 2014 – when the current administration's ruling party assumed office – fifty-two nations offered visa-free travel to Indians with the passport ranked 76th on the index.

The following year, it fell to the 85th position, then improved to eightieth over the past two years, dropping again to the 85th position this year. Meanwhile, countries allowing visa-free travel for Indians grew from fifty-two eight years ago to sixty last year and sixty-two this year.

The Competitive Global Mobility Landscape

The number of nations allowing visa-free entry this year (fifty-seven) exceeds what it was in 2015 (52), but India's rank during both periods remains at eighty-fifth. What explains this situation?

Experts say that a primary factor is the increasingly competitive landscape in international travel – meaning nations are entering into more travel partnerships for their populations' advantage and economic growth. According to a 2025 report, the global average count of countries people can visit visa-free has almost doubled from 58 in 2006 to 109 in 2025.

For example, China has expanded the number of visa-free countries available to its citizens from 50 to 82 over the last ten years. As a result, its rank on the index has improved from ninety-fourth to sixtieth during the same time period.

In comparison, The Indian passport – previously positioned at seventy-seventh place during summer – dropped to eighty-fifth place in October following the loss to two countries.

Other Influences Impacting Passport Power

An ex-diplomat from India says there are other factors that affect the strength of a country's passport, including economic and political conditions plus its receptiveness to welcoming citizens from abroad.

For example, the US passport has dropped out from the top ten currently holding twelfth place – a historic low – because of its more inward-looking approach in world politics.

The diplomat mentioned how in the 1970s, Indian citizens had visa-free travel to numerous European and Western nations, though this shifted after the Sikh separatist movement in the 1980s. Subsequent political upheavals have continued to damage the country's reputation as a stable democracy.

"Numerous nations are growing more cautious of immigrants," the diplomat added. "The country possesses a large quantity of people migrating overseas or remaining beyond visa limits and that interferes with the national image."

Elements like the security level a country's passport is and its immigration procedures also contribute in gaining visa-free access to other countries.

Security and Technological Improvements

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

The diplomat indicated that new technologies, like India's recently-launched electronic passport or e-passport, can improve security and ease the immigration process. This electronic document contains a microchip that stores biometric information, increasing difficulty to counterfeit or alter the document.

But, increased diplomatic efforts and travel partnerships remain key for enhancing the global mobility for Indian citizens and consequently, India's passport ranking.