The Reasons Behind the National Passport Is Falling in Worldwide Standing

Earlier this year, a video by an Indian travel influencer complaining about the limited power of the Indian passport went viral across digital platforms.

He mentioned although nearby nations such as Bhutan and Sri Lanka were more welcoming to travelers from India, obtaining visas to travel to most Western and European countries continued to be difficult.

This dissatisfaction regarding India's poor passport strength found confirmation in recent Henley Passport Index, which placed the country at position eighty-five among nearly two hundred nations, five spots lower than last year.

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

Countries including Rwanda, Ghana and Azerbaijan with much smaller economies compared to India – a nation that is the fifth-largest economy globally – hold better positions in the ranking in the seventies range, in that order.

Actually, the country's position in the past decade has hovered in the 80s, falling to ninetieth place in 2021. These rankings appear poor when measured against other Asian countries like Japan, South Korea and Singapore, which have consistently held top positions.

Global Passport Power Measures

Passport strength reflects a country's global influence and global influence. It also translates into enhanced travel freedom for passport holders, boosting business and learning opportunities. Limited passport power means additional documentation, higher visa costs, reduced travel benefits and extended processing periods for travel.

But despite the drop in position, the number of countries providing visa-free travel to Indians has actually increased in the past decade or so.

As an instance, in 2014 – when Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) came to power – 52 countries provided visa-free travel to Indians and its passport at seventy-sixth position on the index.

A year later, it fell to eighty-fifth place, then improved to 80th over the past two years, declining once more to the eighty-fifth spot currently. At the same time, visa-free destinations for Indians increased from 52 in 2015 to sixty last year and 62 in 2024.

Increasing Worldwide Travel Competition

The number of visa-free destinations this year (fifty-seven) is higher than what it was eight years ago (fifty-two), yet the country's position for both these years is 85. So, why is that?

Experts say that a major reason is the increasingly competitive landscape in global mobility – meaning nations are entering into additional travel agreements to benefit their citizens and their economies. According to a 2025 report, the worldwide mean count of countries people can visit without visas has nearly doubled from fifty-eight nineteen years ago to 109 in 2025.

For example, China has expanded the number 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 improved from ninety-fourth to sixtieth in that same duration.

In comparison, India – which was ranked at seventy-seventh place in July – dropped to the 85th position this autumn after losing access of two nations.

Additional Factors Impacting Passport Power

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

For instance, the American passport has fallen from the top ten and now occupies twelfth place – its lowest ever – because of its more inward-looking approach in global affairs.

The former ambassador recalls how in the 1970s, Indian citizens had visa-free access to numerous European and Western nations, but that changed 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 growing increasingly wary of immigrants," he stated. "The country possesses a high number of people migrating to other countries or remaining beyond visa limits affecting the country's reputation."

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

Security and Technological Improvements

The Indian passport remains vulnerable to security risks. In 2024, law enforcement arrested over two hundred individuals for suspected passport and visa irregularities. The country also has cumbersome immigration procedures and a slow pace of visa processing.

The former ambassador says that technological advances, like India's recently-launched digital passport or e-passport, may enhance safety and ease the immigration process. The e-passport contains a microchip that stores biometric information, increasing difficulty to counterfeit or alter the document.

However, increased diplomatic efforts and travel partnerships remain key to boosting the global mobility for Indian citizens and consequently, India's passport ranking.