🔗 Share this article The Reasons Behind the National Passport Is Falling in Worldwide Standing India's passport ranks the eighty-fifth spot out of 199 nations according to the Henley Passport Index Earlier this year, an online clip by a popular travel content creator complaining about the limited power of the Indian passport went viral across digital platforms. He mentioned although neighbouring countries like Sri Lanka and Bhutan offered easier access of travelers from India, securing travel permits for visiting many nations in Europe and the West continued to be difficult. This dissatisfaction regarding the limited global access of Indian passports was reflected in recent Henley Passport Index, ranking India in the 85th spot among 199 countries, five spots lower than last year. Officials in India has not commented regarding these findings yet. Nations including Ghana, Rwanda and Azerbaijan despite smaller economic size compared to India – which is the fifth-largest economy globally – are ranked higher on the index in the seventies range, respectively. In fact, the country's position in the past decade has remained in the 80s, falling to the 90th spot in 2021. These rankings appear poor when measured against other Asian countries such as Japan, South Korea and Singapore, all maintaining leading ranks. Indian passport holders have visa-free entry to 57 countries What Passport Strength Indicates The power of a passport indicates a nation's soft power and international standing. It also translates into better mobility for passport holders, improving commercial and educational prospects. A weak passport results in more paperwork, increased visa expenses, fewer travel privileges and longer waiting times when journeying. However, even with the decline in the rank, the number of countries providing visa-free travel for Indian citizens has grown in the past decade or so. As an instance, in 2014 – the year Prime Minister Narendra Modi's ruling party assumed office – fifty-two nations provided visa-free travel to Indians and its passport at seventy-sixth position on the index. The following year, it fell to eighty-fifth place, then rose to eightieth in 2023 and 2024, dropping again to the eighty-fifth spot this year. At the same time, countries allowing visa-free travel for Indians increased 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) is higher than the number in 2015 (fifty-two), but the country's position during both periods is 85. What explains this situation? Analysts note that a primary factor involves growing competition in global mobility – indicating that countries are entering into more travel partnerships for their populations' advantage and economic growth. According to a 2025 report, 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. For example, The Chinese passport has increased the number of visa-free countries its citizens can travel to from 50 to 82 over the last ten years. Consequently, its position on the index has enhanced from 94th to 60th during the same time period. Meanwhile, India – previously positioned 77th on the index during summer – dropped to the 85th position this autumn following the loss of two nations. Singapore's passport holds the top position globally Additional Factors Affecting Passport Strength An ex-diplomat from India says multiple elements that affect a nation's passport power, including its economic and political stability plus its openness to welcoming citizens from abroad. For example, the American passport has dropped out from the top ten currently holding the 12th position – its lowest ever – due to its more inward-looking approach in world politics. The diplomat mentioned that during the seventies, Indians enjoyed visa-free access to many Western and European countries, but that changed after the Sikh separatist movement during the eighties. Subsequent political upheavals have continued to damage the country's reputation as a stable democracy. "Many countries are growing more cautious of immigrants," the diplomat added. "The country possesses a high number of people migrating to other countries or overstaying their visas and that interferes with the national image." Factors such as how secure of a national passport and its immigration procedures also play a role to obtaining visa-free access to foreign nations. Enhanced Security Measures The Indian passport faces ongoing security threats. In 2024, authorities arrested 203 people for suspected visa and passport fraud. India is also known for cumbersome immigration procedures with lengthy timelines for visa approvals. The former ambassador says that technological advances, such as the newly introduced electronic passport or e-passport, can improve security and ease the immigration process. This electronic document includes a small chip that stores biometric information, increasing difficulty to counterfeit or alter the document. But, increased diplomatic efforts and travel agreements remain key to boosting international travel freedom for Indian citizens and consequently, the Indian passport's global position.