Why the National Passport Is Falling in Global Ranking

In recent months, an online clip from an Indian travel influencer expressing frustration over the limited power of the Indian passport gained massive traction on social media.

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

Such concerns with the limited global access of Indian passports was reflected in the latest global passport ranking, which placed the country in the 85th spot out of 199 countries, five spots lower compared to the previous year.

The Indian government has not commented on the report yet.

Countries like Rwanda, Ghana and Azerbaijan despite smaller economic size compared to India – which is the world's fifth biggest economy – hold better positions in the ranking at the 78th, 74th and 72nd spots, in that order.

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

What Passport Strength Measures

The power of a passport indicates a country's global influence and international standing. This leads to better mobility for passport holders, boosting business and educational prospects. A weak passport results in additional documentation, higher visa costs, fewer travel privileges and extended processing periods when journeying.

But despite the decline in the rank, the count of nations providing visa-free travel to Indians has grown in the past decade or so.

For example, in 2014 – when Prime Minister Narendra Modi's ruling party came to power – 52 countries offered visa-free access to Indians and its passport ranked 76th on the index.

A year later, it fell to eighty-fifth place, then rose to 80th in 2023 and 2024, dropping again to the 85th position currently. Meanwhile, visa-free destinations for Indians grew from 52 in 2015 to 60 in 2023 and 62 in 2024.

The Competitive Global Mobility Landscape

The number of visa-free destinations in 2025 (57) is higher than the number in 2015 (52), but the country's position during both periods remains at eighty-fifth. What explains this situation?

Experts say that a major reason is the increasingly competitive landscape in international travel – indicating that countries are entering into more travel partnerships to benefit their citizens and their economies. According to recent analysis, the global average count of countries people can visit visa-free has nearly doubled from 58 in 2006 to 109 in 2025.

For example, The Chinese passport has expanded the number of visa-free destinations available to its citizens from 50 to 82 over the last ten years. As a result, its position in the ranking has enhanced from 94th to 60th during the same time period.

In comparison, The Indian passport – previously positioned at seventy-seventh place in July – fell to the 85th position this autumn following the loss to two countries.

Additional Factors Affecting Passport Strength

A former Indian ambassador notes multiple elements influencing a nation's passport power, including economic and political conditions plus its openness to accepting travelers from other countries.

For instance, the American passport has fallen from the top ten currently holding twelfth place – a historic low – due to its more inward-looking approach in world politics.

The former ambassador mentioned that during the seventies, Indian citizens had visa-free travel to numerous European and Western nations, though this shifted after the Sikh separatist movement in the 1980s. Later political disturbances have continued to damage the country's reputation as a stable, democratic country.

"Many countries are also becoming more cautious regarding migrants," he stated. "The country possesses a high number of people migrating overseas or overstaying their visas and that interferes with the national image."

Factors such as the security level of a national passport and its immigration procedures also contribute in gaining visa-free access to other countries.

Enhanced Security Measures

The Indian passport remains vulnerable to security threats. In 2024, authorities arrested 203 people for suspected visa and passport fraud. India is also known for complex immigration processes with lengthy timelines of visa processing.

The former ambassador says that new technologies, such as the newly introduced digital passport or e-passport, can improve security and streamline immigration. The e-passport contains a small chip that stores biometric information, making it harder to counterfeit or alter the document.

However, increased diplomatic efforts and travel partnerships remain key to boosting the global mobility of Indians and, by extension, India's passport ranking.