Why the Indian 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.

He mentioned although nearby nations such as Bhutan and Sri Lanka offered easier access of travelers from India, obtaining visas to travel to most Western and European countries remained a challenge.

This dissatisfaction with the limited global access of Indian passports found confirmation in the latest global passport ranking, ranking the country at position eighty-five among 199 countries, a decline of five positions than last year.

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

Countries including Ghana, Rwanda and Azerbaijan despite smaller economic size than India – which is the fifth-largest economy globally – hold better positions in the ranking at the 78th, 74th and 72nd spots, in that order.

In fact, the country's position over the last ten years has hovered around the eighties, even dipping to the 90th spot in 2021. These rankings appear poor compared to Asian nations such as Singapore, Japan and South Korea, all maintaining top positions.

Global Passport Power Indicates

The power of a passport reflects a country's global influence and international standing. It also translates into enhanced travel freedom for passport holders, improving commercial and educational prospects. A weak passport results in additional documentation, increased visa expenses, fewer travel privileges and extended processing periods when journeying.

But despite the decline in the rank, the count of nations offering visa-free access to Indians has actually increased in the past decade or so.

As an instance, in 2014 – when the current administration's ruling party came to power – 52 countries offered visa-free travel for Indian passport holders with the passport ranked 76th in the ranking.

The following year, it fell to the 85th position, then improved to 80th over the past two years, dropping again to the 85th position this year. At the same time, visa-free destinations to Indian citizens increased from 52 in 2015 to 60 in 2023 and sixty-two this year.

The Competitive Global Mobility Landscape

The number of nations allowing visa-free entry in 2025 (57) is higher than the number eight years ago (52), but India's rank during both periods remains at eighty-fifth. So, why is that?

Analysts note that a primary factor is the increasingly competitive landscape in global mobility – indicating that nations are entering into more travel partnerships for their populations' advantage and their economies. As per recent analysis, the global average count of countries people can visit without visas has almost doubled from 58 in 2006 to 109 in 2025.

As an illustration, China has increased its count of visa-free destinations its citizens can travel to from 50 to 82 in the past decade. As a result, its rank in the ranking has enhanced 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 this autumn after losing access to two countries.

Additional Factors Affecting Passport Strength

A former Indian ambassador notes there are other factors that affect a nation's passport power, including its economic and political stability plus its openness to welcoming citizens from abroad.

For example, the US passport has dropped out from the top ten and now occupies twelfth place – its lowest ever – because of its increasingly insular stance in global affairs.

The diplomat mentioned that during the seventies, Indian citizens had visa-free travel to many Western and European countries, but that changed after the Sikh separatist movement during the eighties. Later political disturbances have further chipped away at India's image as a stable, democratic country.

"Many countries are also becoming more cautious regarding migrants," the diplomat added. "India has a large quantity of citizens emigrating overseas or overstaying their visas and that interferes with the country's reputation."

Factors like how secure a country's passport is and immigration processes also play a role in gaining visa-free entry to foreign nations.

Security and Technological Improvements

The Indian passport faces ongoing security risks. Last year, authorities arrested 203 people for suspected visa and passport fraud. India is also known for complex immigration processes and a slow pace for visa approvals.

The former ambassador says that new technologies, like India's recently-launched electronic passport or e-passport, may enhance safety and streamline immigration. This electronic document contains a microchip holding biometric information, increasing difficulty to counterfeit or alter the document.

But, increased diplomatic efforts and travel agreements continue essential to boosting the global mobility for Indian citizens and consequently, the Indian passport's global position.