The Reasons Behind India's Indian Passport Is Falling in Worldwide Standing

In recent months, a video by a popular travel content creator expressing frustration over India's weak passport went viral across digital platforms.

He mentioned that while neighbouring countries such as Bhutan and Sri Lanka were more welcoming of Indian tourists, securing travel permits for visiting many nations in Europe and the West remained a challenge.

Such concerns regarding India's poor passport strength was reflected in the latest global passport ranking, ranking the country in the 85th spot out of 199 countries, a decline of five positions compared to the previous year.

The Indian government has not commented on the report yet.

Countries like Ghana, Rwanda and Azerbaijan with much smaller economies compared to India – a nation that is the fifth-largest economy globally – are ranked higher on the index at the 78th, 74th and 72nd spots, in that order.

Actually, the country's position over the last ten years has hovered in the 80s, even dipping to the 90th spot two years ago. These rankings are dismal when measured against other Asian countries such as Japan, South Korea and Singapore, which have consistently held leading ranks.

Global Passport Power Measures

Passport strength indicates a country's global influence and global influence. This leads to enhanced travel freedom for passport holders, boosting business and educational prospects. Limited passport power results in additional documentation, increased visa expenses, reduced travel benefits and extended processing periods when journeying.

However, even with the drop in position, the number of countries offering visa-free access for Indian citizens has actually increased over the last ten years.

As an instance, in 2014 – the year Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) assumed office – fifty-two nations provided visa-free access for Indian passport holders with the passport ranked 76th in the ranking.

The following year, it tumbled to the 85th position, then rose to 80th in 2023 and 2024, declining once more to the 85th position this year. Meanwhile, visa-free destinations to Indian citizens grew from 52 in 2015 to sixty last year and 62 in 2024.

Increasing Worldwide Travel Competition

The count of nations allowing visa-free entry this year (fifty-seven) exceeds what it was eight years ago (52), but the country's position during both periods remains at eighty-fifth. So, why is that?

Analysts note that a major reason involves growing competition in international travel – meaning countries are forming additional travel agreements for their populations' advantage and economic growth. As per recent analysis, the global average count of countries travellers are able to access without visas has nearly doubled from fifty-eight nineteen years ago to one hundred nine currently.

As an illustration, China has expanded the number of visa-free destinations its citizens can travel to from 50 to 82 in the past decade. As a result, its rank on the index has enhanced from ninety-fourth to sixtieth during the same time period.

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

Other Influences Affecting Passport Strength

An ex-diplomat from India notes there are other factors influencing a nation's passport power, including economic and political conditions plus its openness to accepting travelers from abroad.

For example, the US passport has dropped out from the top ten and now occupies the 12th position – its lowest ever – because of its more inward-looking approach in global affairs.

The former ambassador mentioned that during the seventies, Indians enjoyed visa-free access to many Western and European countries, but that changed after the Khalistan movement in the 1980s. Subsequent political upheavals have further chipped away at India's image as a stable, democratic country.

"Numerous nations are also becoming more cautious regarding migrants," the diplomat added. "The country possesses a high number of people migrating overseas or overstaying their visas and that interferes with the country's reputation."

Factors such as the security level of a national passport and its immigration procedures also contribute in gaining visa-free entry to foreign nations.

Enhanced Security Measures

India's passport remains vulnerable to security risks. In 2024, authorities detained 203 people for suspected passport and visa irregularities. The country also has complex immigration processes and a slow pace of visa processing.

The former ambassador indicated that technological advances, such as the newly introduced digital passport or e-passport, may enhance safety and ease the immigration process. This electronic document contains a small chip holding biometric data, increasing difficulty to forge or tamper with the document.

But, increased diplomatic efforts and travel agreements continue essential to boosting international travel freedom of Indians and, by extension, India's passport ranking.