Why the National Passport Continues to Drop in Worldwide Standing

In recent months, a video by an Indian travel influencer complaining about India's weak passport gained massive traction across digital platforms.

The influencer stated that while nearby nations like Sri Lanka and Bhutan offered easier access of travelers from India, obtaining visas for visiting many nations in Europe and the West remained a challenge.

Such concerns with India's poor passport strength found confirmation in the latest Henley Passport Index, which placed India at position eighty-five among 199 countries, a decline of five positions compared to the previous year.

The Indian government has not commented on the report so far.

Countries like 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 in the seventies range, respectively.

Actually, India's rank in the past decade has remained around the eighties, falling to the 90th spot in 2021. Such standings are dismal when measured against other Asian countries such as Singapore, Japan and South Korea, which have consistently held top positions.

What Passport Strength Measures

Passport strength indicates a country's global influence and international standing. It also translates into better mobility for passport holders, boosting business and educational prospects. Limited passport power results in more paperwork, increased visa expenses, fewer travel privileges and extended processing periods for travel.

However, even with the drop in position, the number of countries providing visa-free travel to Indians has actually increased in the past decade or so.

For example, eight years ago – when Prime Minister Narendra Modi's ruling party assumed office – fifty-two nations offered visa-free travel to Indians and its passport at seventy-sixth position on the index.

A year later, it tumbled to the 85th position, then improved to 80th over the past two years, dropping again to the eighty-fifth spot this year. At the same time, countries allowing visa-free travel for Indians increased from 52 in 2015 to sixty last year and 62 in 2024.

Increasing Worldwide Travel Competition

The number of visa-free destinations this year (57) exceeds the number in 2015 (fifty-two), but India's rank for both these years remains at eighty-fifth. What explains this situation?

Experts say that a major reason involves growing competition in international travel – meaning countries are entering into additional travel agreements to benefit their citizens and economic growth. As per a 2025 report, the worldwide mean number of destinations people can visit without visas has almost doubled from fifty-eight nineteen years ago to 109 in 2025.

For example, China has expanded the number of visa-free destinations its citizens can travel to from 50 to 82 over the last ten years. Consequently, its rank in the ranking has improved from ninety-fourth to sixtieth in that same duration.

In comparison, The Indian passport – which was ranked 77th on the index in July – dropped to eighty-fifth place in October after losing access to two countries.

Other Influences Impacting Passport Power

An ex-diplomat from India says there are other factors that affect a nation's passport power, like its economic and political stability plus its receptiveness to accepting travelers from abroad.

For instance, the American passport has dropped out of the top 10 and now occupies the 12th position – its lowest ever – due to its more inward-looking approach in global affairs.

The diplomat recalls that during the seventies, Indian citizens had visa-free travel to numerous European and Western nations, but that changed following Khalistan movement during the eighties. Later political disturbances have continued to damage at India's image as a stable, democratic country.

"Many countries are also becoming more cautious of immigrants," he stated. "The country possesses a large quantity of citizens emigrating overseas or remaining beyond visa limits affecting the national image."

Factors such as the security level a country's passport is and its immigration procedures also contribute to obtaining visa-free access to foreign nations.

Enhanced Security Measures

The Indian passport faces ongoing security threats. Last year, law enforcement detained over two hundred individuals for alleged passport and visa irregularities. The country also has complex immigration processes and a slow pace of visa processing.

The diplomat indicated that technological advances, like India's recently-launched digital passport or e-passport, can improve security and ease the immigration process. This electronic document includes a small chip holding biometric data, increasing difficulty to forge or tamper with the document.

But, more diplomatic outreach and travel partnerships remain key to boosting international travel freedom for Indian citizens and consequently, the Indian passport's global position.