In recent months, a video by a popular travel content creator complaining about the limited power of the Indian passport went viral across digital platforms.
He mentioned that while nearby nations like Bhutan and Sri Lanka offered easier access to travelers from India, securing travel permits for visiting many nations in Europe and the West continued to be difficult.
Such concerns with India's poor passport strength found confirmation in recent global passport ranking, which placed India at position eighty-five out of 199 countries, five spots lower than last year.
Officials in India have not issued a statement regarding these findings so far.
Countries including Ghana, Rwanda and Azerbaijan despite smaller economic size compared to India – a nation that is the fifth-largest economy globally – hold better positions in the ranking at the 78th, 74th and 72nd spots, respectively.
Actually, India's rank over the last ten years has remained in the 80s, even dipping to the 90th spot in 2021. These rankings are dismal compared to other Asian countries such as Japan, South Korea and Singapore, which have consistently held top positions.
What Passport Strength Measures
The power of a passport reflects a nation's soft power and international standing. It also translates into enhanced travel freedom for its citizens, improving commercial and educational prospects. Limited passport power means more paperwork, higher visa costs, fewer travel privileges and longer waiting times for travel.
However, even with the drop in position, the count of nations providing visa-free travel to Indians has actually increased over the last ten years.
For example, in 2014 – the year the current administration's ruling party came to power – fifty-two nations offered visa-free travel for Indian passport holders and its passport at seventy-sixth position on the index.
The following year, it tumbled to eighty-fifth place, then rose to 80th in 2023 and 2024, dropping again to the 85th position this year. At the same time, visa-free destinations 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 (fifty-seven) is higher than what it was in 2015 (52), but India's rank during both periods remains at eighty-fifth. So, why is that?
Experts say that a primary factor involves growing competition in international travel – meaning nations are entering into additional travel agreements to benefit their citizens and their economies. According to recent analysis, the worldwide mean count of countries travellers are able to access without visas has almost doubled from 58 in 2006 to one hundred nine currently.
As an illustration, The Chinese passport has increased its count of visa-free destinations available to its citizens from 50 to 82 over the last ten years. As a result, its rank in the ranking has enhanced from ninety-fourth to sixtieth during the same time period.
Meanwhile, The Indian passport – previously positioned 77th on the index during summer – fell to eighty-fifth place this autumn following the loss of two nations.
Other Influences Affecting Passport Strength
A former Indian ambassador says multiple elements influencing the strength of a country's passport, like economic and political conditions plus its receptiveness to accepting travelers from abroad.
For example, the US passport has fallen from the top ten and now occupies the 12th position – a historic low – due to its more inward-looking approach in world politics.
The former ambassador recalls that during the seventies, Indian citizens had visa-free access to numerous European and Western nations, but that changed after the Sikh separatist movement in the 1980s. Subsequent political upheavals have continued to damage at India's image as a stable, democratic country.
"Many countries are also becoming increasingly wary regarding migrants," he stated. "The country possesses a large quantity of people migrating to other countries or overstaying their visas affecting the national image."
Elements like the security level of a national passport and its immigration procedures also play a role in gaining visa-free access to foreign nations.
Enhanced Security Measures
The Indian passport faces ongoing security risks. Last year, authorities arrested over two hundred individuals for suspected visa and passport fraud. The country also has complex immigration processes and a slow pace of visa processing.
The diplomat says that technological advances, like India's recently-launched digital passport or e-passport, may enhance safety and streamline immigration. This electronic document contains a microchip holding biometric information, making it harder to counterfeit or alter the passport.
However, more diplomatic outreach and travel partnerships remain key for enhancing the global mobility of Indians and consequently, the Indian passport's global position.
