Why the National Passport Continues to Drop in Worldwide Standing

Earlier this year, a video by an Indian travel influencer expressing frustration over India's weak passport gained massive traction across digital platforms.

The influencer stated that while neighbouring countries such as Bhutan and Sri Lanka offered easier access to travelers from India, securing travel permits to travel to most Western and European countries remained a challenge.

This dissatisfaction regarding the limited global access of Indian passports was reflected in the latest Henley Passport Index, which placed the country in the 85th spot among nearly two hundred nations, a decline of five positions compared to the previous year.

The Indian government have not issued a statement regarding these findings yet.

Nations including Ghana, Rwanda and Azerbaijan with much smaller economies than India – which is the fifth-largest economy globally – hold better positions on the index at the 78th, 74th and 72nd spots, respectively.

In fact, India's rank in the past decade has hovered around the eighties, even dipping to ninetieth place two years ago. Such standings are dismal when measured against other Asian countries like Singapore, Japan and South Korea, which have consistently held leading ranks.

What Passport Strength Indicates

Passport strength reflects a nation's soft power and global influence. It also translates into better mobility for its citizens, boosting business and learning opportunities. A weak passport results in additional documentation, increased visa expenses, reduced travel benefits and longer waiting times for travel.

However, even with the drop in position, the number of countries offering visa-free access for Indian citizens has actually increased in the past decade or so.

For example, eight years ago – the year the current administration's ruling party came to power – fifty-two nations provided visa-free access for Indian passport holders with the passport at seventy-sixth position in the ranking.

The following year, it tumbled to the 85th position, then improved to eightieth over the past two years, declining once more to the 85th position this year. Meanwhile, visa-free destinations to Indian citizens increased from 52 in 2015 to sixty last year and sixty-two this year.

Increasing Worldwide Travel Competition

The count of nations allowing visa-free entry this year (fifty-seven) is higher than the number in 2015 (52), but the country's position during both periods is 85. So, why is that?

Experts say that a major reason involves growing competition in global mobility – meaning countries are entering into more travel partnerships to benefit their citizens and their economies. According to recent analysis, the global average number of destinations people can visit visa-free has nearly doubled from 58 in 2006 to one hundred nine currently.

For example, The Chinese passport has expanded its count of visa-free countries available to its citizens from fifty to eighty-two in the past decade. Consequently, its rank on the index has improved from ninety-fourth to sixtieth during the same time period.

Meanwhile, The Indian passport – previously positioned 77th on the index in July – fell to the 85th position in October following the loss to two countries.

Other Influences Impacting Passport Power

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

For example, the American passport has dropped out from the top ten currently holding twelfth place – a historic low – due to its increasingly insular stance in global affairs.

The diplomat mentioned that during the seventies, Indians enjoyed visa-free travel to numerous European and Western nations, but that changed following Sikh separatist movement in the 1980s. Subsequent political upheavals have further chipped away the country's reputation as a stable democracy.

"Numerous nations are growing increasingly wary of immigrants," he stated. "India has a high number of citizens emigrating to other countries or overstaying their visas affecting the country's reputation."

Factors like the security level a country's passport is and immigration processes also contribute to obtaining visa-free entry to foreign nations.

Enhanced Security Measures

India's passport remains vulnerable to security threats. In 2024, authorities arrested over two hundred individuals for alleged visa and passport fraud. India is also known for cumbersome immigration procedures with lengthy timelines for visa approvals.

The diplomat says that new technologies, such as the newly introduced electronic 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 passport.

But, increased diplomatic efforts and travel partnerships continue essential to boosting international travel freedom for Indian citizens and consequently, India's passport ranking.