A widely shared video earlier this year by an Indian travel influencer reignited public frustration over the strength of the Indian passport. In the clip, he argued that while neighbouring countries such as Bhutan and Sri Lanka appeared far more welcoming to Indian tourists, travelling to most Western and European destinations continued to be difficult because of strict visa requirements. His comments were mirrored in the latest Henley Passport Index, which placed India at the 85th rank out of 199 countries — five positions lower than the previous year.
The government has yet to respond to the report, and the media has sought comment from the Ministry of External Affairs. The findings are particularly concerning given comparisons with much smaller economies. Rwanda, Ghana and Azerbaijan all scored better, ranking 78th, 74th and 72nd respectively. Despite being the world’s fifth-largest economy, India’s passport strength has remained stubbornly weak for more than a decade, often hovering in the 80s and even falling to the 90th spot in 2021. By contrast, Asian nations like Japan, South Korea and Singapore have consistently dominated the global rankings. Singapore retained its top position this year, granting visa-free access to 193 destinations. South Korea followed with 190, and Japan with 189.
Indian passport holders, meanwhile, enjoy visa-free travel to just 57 destinations — the same number as travellers from Mauritania, a small West African nation that shares the 85th ranking with India. Experts say passport strength reflects more than travel convenience; it signals a country’s global influence and soft power. A weaker passport means additional paperwork, higher fees, fewer travel privileges and longer processing times, affecting opportunities for business, study and tourism.
Interestingly, the drop in India’s ranking does not necessarily mean shrinking access. In fact, the number of visa-free destinations for Indians has gradually increased in the past decade. When the BJP government came to power in 2014, Indian citizens could travel without a visa to 52 countries. By 2023 that number rose to 60, and reached 62 in 2024. However, despite gaining destinations, India’s ranking slipped again in 2025, largely because many other countries expanded their travel partnerships more aggressively. Henley & Partners noted that global visa-free access has nearly doubled from 58 destinations in 2006 to 109 in 2025, making the international mobility space far more competitive.
China is a prominent example. In the last decade, it expanded its visa-free list from 50 countries to 82, improving its rank from 94 to 60. India experienced the opposite trend this year: it fell from the 77th to the 85th position between July and October after losing visa-free access to two countries.
Former Indian ambassador to Armenia, Achal Malhotra, says diplomatic relations, political stability and how welcoming a country is to foreign visitors all shape passport strength. He points out that the United States — once a top-ranking passport — has dropped to 12th place due to what the report calls its increasingly inward-looking global posture. According to Malhotra, India once enjoyed more visa-free access, especially in the 1970s. But internal upheavals, including the Khalistan movement in the 1980s and subsequent political challenges, gradually eroded global confidence.
Another concern is migration. Many countries are growing cautious about immigrants and overstays, issues that negatively affect India’s global reputation. Security concerns surrounding passport fraud add to the problem. In 2024 alone, Delhi Police arrested more than 200 people for alleged visa and passport forgery. India’s visa processing system is also considered slow and cumbersome, discouraging stronger travel agreements.
To counter this, India has introduced the e-passport, embedded with a biometric chip to reduce forgery and streamline immigration. But experts believe that technological upgrades alone will not be enough. Stronger diplomatic outreach and more bilateral travel agreements will be crucial if India hopes to improve mobility for its citizens and climb global passport rankings in the years ahead.
