Why India's National Passport Continues to Drop in Worldwide Standing

In recent months, a video from a popular travel content creator expressing frustration over the limited power of the Indian passport went viral on social media.

He mentioned although nearby nations such as Sri Lanka and Bhutan were more welcoming of Indian tourists, securing travel permits for visiting most Western and European countries remained a challenge.

Such concerns regarding the limited global access of Indian passports was reflected in the latest global passport ranking, ranking the country at position eighty-five out of nearly two hundred nations, a decline of five positions compared to the previous year.

Officials in India have not issued a statement on the report yet.

Nations like Ghana, Rwanda and Azerbaijan with much smaller economies than India – a nation that is the fifth-largest economy globally – are ranked higher in the ranking at the 78th, 74th and 72nd spots, respectively.

Actually, the country's position in the past decade has remained around the eighties, even dipping to ninetieth place in 2021. Such standings appear poor when measured against other Asian countries like 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 enhanced travel freedom for its citizens, improving commercial and learning opportunities. Limited passport power 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 to Indians has grown over the last ten years.

For example, eight years ago – when the current administration's ruling party assumed office – fifty-two nations provided visa-free travel for Indian passport holders with the passport ranked 76th on the index.

The following year, it fell to eighty-fifth place, then rose to 80th over the past two years, declining once more to the eighty-fifth spot this year. Meanwhile, visa-free destinations to Indian citizens increased from fifty-two eight years ago to 60 in 2023 and sixty-two this year.

The Competitive Global Mobility Landscape

The count of visa-free destinations this year (fifty-seven) exceeds the number eight years ago (52), but India's rank for both these years is 85. What explains this situation?

Analysts note that a primary factor involves growing competition in international travel – indicating that nations are entering into more travel partnerships to benefit their citizens and their economies. According to a 2025 report, the global average count of countries travellers are able to access without visas has nearly doubled from 58 in 2006 to one hundred nine currently.

For example, The Chinese passport has increased its count of visa-free destinations available to its citizens from 50 to 82 over the last ten years. As a result, its rank in the ranking has improved from ninety-fourth to sixtieth in that same duration.

Meanwhile, India – previously positioned at seventy-seventh place in July – dropped to eighty-fifth place this autumn following the loss to two countries.

Other Influences Affecting Passport Strength

An ex-diplomat from India notes there are other factors influencing a nation's passport power, like its economic and political stability as well as its receptiveness to accepting travelers from other countries.

For instance, the US passport has fallen of the top 10 and now occupies twelfth place – a historic low – due to its more inward-looking approach in global affairs.

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

"Many countries are also becoming increasingly wary of immigrants," the diplomat added. "The country possesses a large quantity of people migrating overseas or overstaying their visas and that interferes with the national image."

Elements like how secure of a national passport and its immigration procedures also play a role to obtaining visa-free access to foreign nations.

Enhanced Security Measures

The Indian passport faces ongoing security risks. Last year, authorities detained over two hundred individuals for suspected visa and passport fraud. India is also known for complex immigration processes with lengthy timelines 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 contains a microchip that stores biometric data, increasing difficulty to forge or tamper with the passport.

However, more diplomatic outreach and travel partnerships continue essential to boosting the global mobility of Indians and consequently, India's passport ranking.