🔗 Share this article

In recent months, a video from a popular travel content creator complaining about the limited power of the Indian passport went viral across digital platforms.

The influencer stated although nearby nations such as Sri Lanka and Bhutan offered easier access to travelers from India, obtaining visas for visiting many nations in Europe and the West continued to be difficult.

This dissatisfaction with the limited global access of Indian passports was reflected in recent global passport ranking, ranking India at position eighty-five out of 199 countries, a decline of five positions compared to the previous year.

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

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

Actually, India's rank in the past decade has hovered in the 80s, falling to ninetieth place in 2021. Such standings are dismal when measured against other Asian countries like Singapore, Japan and South Korea, which have consistently held top positions.

What Passport Strength Indicates

Passport strength reflects a country's global influence and global influence. It also translates into enhanced travel freedom for passport holders, improving commercial and learning opportunities. A weak passport means more paperwork, higher visa costs, reduced travel benefits 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 over the last ten years.

For example, eight years ago – when the current administration's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) came to power – 52 countries offered visa-free travel for Indian passport holders and its passport at seventy-sixth position in the ranking.

The following year, it tumbled to eighty-fifth place, then rose to 80th in 2023 and 2024, declining once more to the 85th position currently. At the same time, visa-free destinations for Indians grew from 52 in 2015 to sixty last year and 62 in 2024.

Increasing Worldwide Travel Competition

The number of visa-free destinations this year (57) exceeds the number in 2015 (fifty-two), yet India's rank for both these years remains at eighty-fifth. What explains this situation?

Analysts note that a major reason is the increasingly competitive landscape in global mobility – meaning countries are forming more travel partnerships to benefit their citizens and economic growth. According to recent analysis, the worldwide mean number of destinations people can visit without visas has almost doubled from 58 in 2006 to one hundred nine currently.

As an illustration, China has expanded 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 improved from 94th to 60th during the same time period.

In comparison, India – which was ranked at seventy-seventh place during summer – dropped to eighty-fifth place this autumn following the loss of two nations.

Other Influences Affecting Passport Strength

An ex-diplomat from India notes there are other factors influencing the strength of a country's passport, including its economic and political stability as well as its openness to accepting travelers from abroad.

For example, the US passport has dropped out of the top 10 currently holding the 12th position – its lowest ever – due to its more inward-looking approach in world politics.

The diplomat recalls how in the 1970s, Indian citizens had visa-free travel to many Western and European countries, but that changed after the Sikh separatist movement in the 1980s. Later political disturbances have further chipped away the country's reputation as a stable democracy.

"Numerous nations are also becoming more cautious of immigrants," he stated. "The country possesses a large quantity of citizens emigrating to other countries or remaining beyond visa limits affecting the country's reputation."

Factors such as how secure a country's passport is and immigration processes also play a role to obtaining visa-free access to other countries.

Security and Technological Improvements

The Indian passport remains vulnerable to security threats. In 2024, authorities detained over two hundred individuals for alleged visa and passport fraud. India is also known for cumbersome immigration procedures with lengthy timelines for visa approvals.

The diplomat indicated that technological advances, like India's recently-launched digital passport or e-passport, can improve security and streamline immigration. This electronic document contains a microchip holding biometric data, making it harder to forge or tamper with the document.

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