Why India's National Passport Is Falling in Global Ranking

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

The influencer stated that while neighbouring countries such as Bhutan and Sri Lanka offered easier access to travelers from India, obtaining visas to travel to most Western and European countries remained a challenge.

Such concerns regarding the limited global access of Indian passports found confirmation in the latest global passport ranking, ranking India in the 85th spot among 199 countries, a decline of five positions compared to the previous year.

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

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

Actually, the country's position in the past decade has hovered in the 80s, even dipping to ninetieth place in 2021. Such standings appear poor compared to other Asian countries such as Japan, South Korea and Singapore, which have consistently held leading ranks.

Global Passport Power Measures

Passport strength indicates a country's global influence and international standing. This leads to enhanced travel freedom for passport holders, improving commercial and learning opportunities. A weak passport means more paperwork, higher visa costs, fewer travel privileges and longer waiting times when journeying.

However, even with the drop in position, the count of nations providing visa-free travel for Indian citizens has grown over the last ten years.

As an instance, in 2014 – when the current administration's ruling party assumed office – fifty-two nations provided visa-free access for Indian passport holders with the passport at seventy-sixth position on the index.

The following year, it tumbled to the 85th position, then improved to eightieth over the past two years, declining once more to the eighty-fifth spot currently. Meanwhile, countries allowing visa-free travel for Indians grew from 52 in 2015 to 60 in 2023 and sixty-two this year.

The Competitive Global Mobility Landscape

The count of visa-free destinations in 2025 (fifty-seven) is higher than the number eight years ago (fifty-two), yet India's rank during both periods remains at eighty-fifth. What explains this situation?

Analysts note that a major reason is the increasingly competitive landscape in international travel – meaning nations are entering into more travel partnerships to benefit their citizens and economic growth. As per recent analysis, the global average number of destinations travellers are able to access visa-free has almost doubled from fifty-eight nineteen years ago to 109 in 2025.

For example, The Chinese passport has increased the number of visa-free countries its citizens can travel to from 50 to 82 over the last ten years. Consequently, its rank on the index has enhanced from 94th to 60th in that same duration.

In comparison, India – previously positioned 77th on the index during summer – dropped to eighty-fifth place this autumn following the loss of two nations.

Other Influences Affecting Passport Strength

A former Indian ambassador says multiple elements influencing a nation's passport power, like economic and political conditions as well as its receptiveness to welcoming citizens from abroad.

For example, the American passport has fallen from the top ten and now occupies twelfth place – its lowest ever – due to its increasingly insular stance in world politics.

The former ambassador recalls that during the seventies, Indian citizens had visa-free access to many Western and European countries, though this shifted after the Khalistan movement in the 1980s. Later political disturbances have continued to damage the country's reputation as a stable democracy.

"Numerous nations are also becoming more cautious regarding migrants," he stated. "The country possesses a large quantity of citizens emigrating to other countries or remaining beyond visa limits affecting the national image."

Elements like how secure a country's passport is and immigration processes also contribute to obtaining visa-free entry to foreign nations.

Enhanced Security Measures

The Indian passport remains vulnerable to security risks. Last year, law enforcement detained over two hundred individuals for suspected visa and passport fraud. The country also has cumbersome immigration procedures with lengthy timelines for visa approvals.

The former ambassador indicated that new technologies, such as the newly introduced digital passport or e-passport, may enhance safety and streamline immigration. This electronic document contains a small chip holding biometric data, increasing difficulty to counterfeit or alter the passport.

But, increased diplomatic efforts and travel agreements remain key to boosting the global mobility for Indian citizens and, by extension, India's passport ranking.