🔗 Share this article

Earlier this year, an online clip from a popular travel content creator complaining about the limited power of the Indian passport gained massive traction on social media.

The influencer stated although nearby nations like Bhutan and Sri Lanka offered easier access to Indian tourists, obtaining visas to travel to most Western and European countries continued to be difficult.

Such concerns regarding India's poor passport strength found confirmation in recent global passport ranking, ranking the country at position eighty-five among 199 countries, five spots lower compared to the previous year.

The Indian government have not issued a statement on the report so far.

Countries like Ghana, Rwanda and Azerbaijan with much smaller economies compared to India – a nation that is the world's fifth biggest economy – hold better positions in the ranking at the 78th, 74th and 72nd spots, in that order.

In fact, India's rank over the last ten years has hovered around the eighties, falling to the 90th spot two years ago. Such standings appear poor when measured against Asian nations such as Singapore, Japan and South Korea, which have consistently held leading ranks.

What Passport Strength Indicates

The power of a passport reflects a country's global influence and international standing. This leads to enhanced travel freedom for passport holders, boosting business and educational prospects. A weak passport results in more paperwork, increased visa expenses, reduced travel benefits and extended processing periods for travel.

However, even with the drop in position, the count of nations providing visa-free travel to Indians has grown in the past decade or so.

As an instance, in 2014 – the year Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) assumed office – fifty-two nations offered visa-free access to Indians and its passport at seventy-sixth position in the ranking.

The following year, it tumbled to eighty-fifth place, then rose to 80th over the past two years, declining once more to the 85th position this year. Meanwhile, countries allowing visa-free travel for Indians increased from fifty-two eight years ago to 60 in 2023 and sixty-two this year.

Increasing Worldwide Travel Competition

The number of visa-free destinations this year (57) exceeds the number eight years ago (52), yet the country's position for both these years remains at eighty-fifth. So, why is that?

Analysts note that a primary factor involves growing competition in international travel – indicating that countries are forming additional travel agreements for their populations' advantage and economic growth. According to 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 its count of visa-free destinations available to its citizens from 50 to 82 in the past decade. Consequently, its position on the index has enhanced from ninety-fourth to sixtieth in that same duration.

In comparison, India – previously positioned 77th on the index in July – fell to the 85th position in October following the loss of two nations.

Other Influences Impacting Passport Power

A former Indian ambassador says multiple elements influencing the strength of a country's passport, like its economic and political stability plus its receptiveness to welcoming citizens from abroad.

For example, the American 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 diplomat recalls that during the seventies, Indians enjoyed visa-free access to many Western and European countries, though this shifted following Khalistan movement in the 1980s. Later political disturbances 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. "India has a large quantity of people migrating to other countries or overstaying their visas and that interferes with the country's reputation."

Factors like how secure a country's passport is and its immigration procedures also play a role to obtaining visa-free access to foreign nations.

Security and Technological Improvements

The Indian passport faces ongoing security threats. In 2024, law enforcement detained 203 people for suspected visa and passport fraud. The country also has complex immigration processes and a slow pace for visa approvals.

The diplomat says that new technologies, such as the newly introduced digital passport or e-passport, can improve security and streamline immigration. This electronic document includes a small chip holding biometric data, increasing difficulty to forge or tamper with the document.

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