Why India's National Passport Continues to Drop in Global Ranking

In recent months, a video from a popular travel content creator expressing frustration over 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 to travel to most Western and European countries remained a challenge.

This dissatisfaction with India's poor passport strength was reflected in the latest global passport ranking, which placed the country in the 85th spot out of 199 countries, a decline of five positions compared to the previous year.

Officials in India have not issued a statement regarding these findings so far.

Countries including Rwanda, Ghana and Azerbaijan with much smaller economies than India – which is the world's fifth biggest economy – hold better positions in the ranking at the 78th, 74th and 72nd spots, respectively.

In fact, the country's position over the last ten years has hovered around the eighties, even dipping to ninetieth place two years ago. Such standings appear poor compared to Asian nations like Singapore, Japan and South Korea, which have consistently held leading ranks.

Global Passport Power Measures

Passport strength indicates a country's global influence and international standing. This leads to enhanced travel freedom for passport holders, improving commercial and learning opportunities. A weak passport results in additional documentation, higher visa costs, reduced travel benefits and longer waiting times for travel.

However, even with the decline in the rank, the number of countries providing visa-free travel to Indians has actually increased over the last ten years.

As an instance, eight years ago – the year the current administration's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) assumed office – 52 countries offered visa-free travel for Indian passport holders and its passport ranked 76th on the index.

The following year, it tumbled to the 85th position, then rose to eightieth over the past two years, declining once more to the eighty-fifth spot this year. At the same time, countries allowing visa-free travel for Indians grew from fifty-two eight years ago to 60 in 2023 and 62 in 2024.

Increasing Worldwide Travel Competition

The count of visa-free destinations this year (57) is higher than the number eight years ago (fifty-two), yet India's rank during both periods is 85. So, why is that?

Analysts note that a major reason is the increasingly competitive landscape in international travel – indicating that countries are forming more travel partnerships for their populations' advantage and their economies. As per recent analysis, the global average number of destinations people can visit without visas has almost doubled from fifty-eight nineteen years ago to one hundred nine currently.

As an illustration, China has expanded the number of visa-free countries its citizens can travel to from fifty to eighty-two in the past decade. Consequently, its position on the index has improved from ninety-fourth to sixtieth during the same time period.

Meanwhile, The Indian passport – which was ranked at seventy-seventh place in July – fell to the 85th position in October following the loss of two nations.

Other Influences Impacting Passport Power

An ex-diplomat from India says there are other factors that affect a nation's passport power, like economic and political conditions plus its openness to welcoming citizens from abroad.

For instance, the US passport has dropped out from the top ten and now occupies the 12th position – a historic low – because of its increasingly insular stance in world politics.

The former ambassador recalls that during the seventies, Indians enjoyed visa-free travel to numerous European and Western nations, though this shifted after the Sikh separatist movement in the 1980s. Later political disturbances have further chipped away the country's reputation as a stable, democratic country.

"Numerous nations are growing increasingly wary of immigrants," the diplomat added. "The country possesses a large quantity of people migrating overseas or remaining beyond visa limits affecting the country's reputation."

Factors like how secure a country's passport is and immigration processes also contribute in gaining visa-free entry to other countries.

Security and Technological Improvements

India's passport remains vulnerable to security risks. In 2024, law enforcement arrested 203 people for alleged passport and visa irregularities. The country also has complex immigration processes with lengthy timelines for visa approvals.

The former ambassador indicated that new technologies, like India's recently-launched digital passport or e-passport, can improve security and ease the immigration process. This electronic document includes a microchip holding biometric data, increasing difficulty to counterfeit or alter the passport.

But, more diplomatic outreach and travel partnerships continue essential to boosting the global mobility of Indians and, by extension, India's passport ranking.