The Reasons Behind the National Passport Is Falling in Worldwide Standing

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

He mentioned that while nearby nations such as Bhutan and Sri Lanka offered easier access of Indian tourists, securing travel permits for visiting many nations in Europe and the West remained a challenge.

Such concerns with India's poor passport strength found confirmation in recent global passport ranking, ranking the country in the 85th spot out of nearly two hundred nations, five spots lower than last year.

The Indian government have not issued a statement on the report yet.

Countries including Ghana, Rwanda and Azerbaijan with much smaller economies compared to India – which is the world's fifth biggest economy – are ranked higher 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 in the 80s, even dipping to ninetieth place in 2021. These rankings appear poor when measured against Asian nations like Singapore, Japan and South Korea, which have consistently held top positions.

What Passport Strength Measures

Passport strength indicates a nation's soft power and international standing. This leads to better mobility for passport holders, improving commercial and learning opportunities. A weak passport results in additional documentation, increased visa expenses, reduced travel benefits and longer waiting times when journeying.

But despite the drop in position, the number of countries providing visa-free travel for Indian citizens has grown over the last ten years.

For example, in 2014 – the year Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) came to power – fifty-two nations provided visa-free travel for Indian passport holders and its passport ranked 76th in the ranking.

A year later, it tumbled to eighty-fifth place, then improved to eightieth in 2023 and 2024, declining once more to the 85th position currently. At the same time, countries allowing visa-free travel for Indians grew from fifty-two eight years ago to 60 in 2023 and sixty-two this year.

Increasing Worldwide Travel Competition

The number of nations allowing visa-free entry this year (57) exceeds the number eight years ago (fifty-two), but the country's position during both periods remains at eighty-fifth. What explains this situation?

Analysts note that a major reason involves growing competition in international travel – indicating that countries are entering into additional travel agreements to benefit their citizens and their economies. As per recent analysis, the worldwide mean number of destinations people can visit visa-free has almost doubled from fifty-eight nineteen years ago to 109 in 2025.

As an illustration, The Chinese passport has increased its count of visa-free destinations its citizens can travel to from fifty to eighty-two in the past decade. As a result, its position on the index has enhanced from ninety-fourth to sixtieth during the same time period.

Meanwhile, India – previously positioned at seventy-seventh place during summer – dropped to eighty-fifth place this autumn after losing access of two nations.

Other Influences Impacting Passport Power

An ex-diplomat from India says multiple elements influencing a nation's passport power, including economic and political conditions plus its openness to accepting travelers from other countries.

For example, the American passport has fallen from the top ten and now occupies twelfth place – its lowest ever – due to its more inward-looking approach in world politics.

The former ambassador mentioned how in the 1970s, Indians enjoyed visa-free travel to many Western and European countries, though this shifted following Sikh separatist movement in the 1980s. Subsequent political upheavals have further chipped away the country's reputation as a stable, democratic country.

"Many countries are also becoming increasingly wary of immigrants," the diplomat added. "The country possesses a high number of people migrating overseas or remaining beyond visa limits and that interferes with the country's reputation."

Elements like how secure of a national passport and immigration processes also play a role to obtaining visa-free access to other countries.

Security and Technological Improvements

India's passport remains vulnerable to security threats. Last year, law enforcement arrested over two hundred individuals for suspected visa and passport fraud. India is also known for complex immigration processes with lengthy timelines for visa approvals.

The former ambassador says that technological advances, like India's recently-launched digital passport or e-passport, can improve security and ease the immigration process. The e-passport contains a microchip holding biometric information, making it harder to forge or tamper with the passport.

But, increased diplomatic efforts and travel agreements continue essential to boosting international travel freedom of Indians and consequently, the Indian passport's global position.