Indian Passport Ranking-Why Other Countries Are Racing Ahead
I Owe Everything to My Indian Passport. Yet It Still Makes Me Fight to Travel
There are very few possessions in life that can completely change your destiny. For some, it is a degree. For others, it is a business or an opportunity. For me, it has always been one simple blue booklet; My Indian passport.
People often assume that my most valuable asset is my home in Dubai, my camera that has travelled across continents, or the thousands of photographs and memories collected from nearly 100 countries. The truth is far simpler. Nothing I own has transformed my life more than my passport. It is not just an identity document; it is the reason I have been able to explore the world, understand different cultures, and become The Lost Mumbaikar.
Ironically, the journey of this passport began long before my journey around the world.
Back in 2000, my father proudly completed all the formalities and collected my very first passport. At that time, I had never boarded an aircraft. Growing up in a small village in Rajasthan, travelling abroad wasn’t even part of my imagination.
I accepted my first overseas job in Qatar in 2009, and that old passport finally received its very first immigration stamp. It wasn’t just a departure from India; it was the beginning of an entirely new life. Three years later came my first journey through Europe in 2012. That trip changed something inside me forever. What started as curiosity slowly became a passion, and that passion eventually became a way of life.
Today, that same passport has travelled with me across nearly 100 countries, through the fjords of Norway, the glaciers of Iceland, the ancient ruins of Jordan, the mountains of Peru, the beaches of El Salvador, the castles of Central Europe, the deserts of the Middle East, and countless destinations that once existed only in my dreams. Every immigration stamp represents more than a country visited, it represents a dream fulfilled.
That is why my passport remains my most treasured possession.
Yet despite travelling for almost two decades, there is one part of international travel that still frustrates me every single time.
Applying for visas.
Every new destination begins long before the flight. It begins with paperwork, visa appointments, biometrics, and uncertainty. Since COVID, even securing an appointment can take months. I’ve realised that discovering the world is often easier than getting permission to see it.
This thought became even stronger today while I was writing my latest blog about Kosovo.
Kosovo is one of Europe’s youngest countries. It is still not recognised by several nations, including India, and despite its steady progress, it remains a small, developing economy rather than one of Europe’s wealthiest destinations. I travelled through Kosovo in 2023 while driving from Albania to North Macedonia. What I remember most were its dramatic mountains, the warmth of its people, and the resilience that seemed woven into the country’s identity. But while researching for this article, something else caught my attention.
Its passport.
To my surprise, Kosovo’s passport has become one of the fastest-improving passports in the world over the last decade. That discovery made me stop writing about Kosovo and start thinking about India instead.
How could a country that is still not universally recognised improve its passport ranking so dramatically while the Indian passport seems to remain stuck in the same position?
The answer is both interesting and misunderstood.
Contrary to what many headlines suggest, the Indian passport has not suddenly become weaker. In reality, India has gradually added more visa-free and visa-on-arrival destinations over the years. The real issue is that many other countries have improved much faster. While India moved forward slowly, countries such as the United Arab Emirates, Kosovo, China, Albania, Serbia, Georgia, North Macedonia, and Bosnia & Herzegovina aggressively expanded their global mobility through reciprocal visa agreements, diplomatic engagement, and stronger international cooperation.
The result is that India’s passport hasn’t fallen dramatically, it has simply been overtaken.
Among all these success stories, one country stands out for me more than any other.
The United Arab Emirates.
Having lived in Dubai for over a decade, I have witnessed the country’s remarkable transformation firsthand. Two decades ago, the UAE passport was nowhere near the world’s strongest. Today, it ranks among the very best, allowing its citizens to travel visa-free to almost every major destination on the planet. This wasn’t achieved overnight. It was the result of sustained diplomacy, reciprocal visa-waiver agreements, international trust, and a clear national vision to improve global mobility.
What makes this comparison even more fascinating is that India and the UAE share one of the closest strategic relationships in the world. Millions of Indians live and work in the UAE. Trade continues to grow every year. Cultural ties are stronger than ever before. Yet when it comes to passport power, the gap between the two countries has widened significantly.
Of course, the comparison isn’t entirely fair.
India is home to more than 1.4 billion people, while the UAE has a population of around 11 million. Countries granting visa-free access also consider factors such as visa overstays, illegal immigration, asylum applications, document security, and reciprocal travel arrangements. Negotiating visa-free access for a country the size of India is naturally far more complex.
But complexity should never prevent ambition.
India is now one of the world’s fastest-growing major economies. Indian travellers are exploring the world in record numbers. Our airlines are expanding internationally. Our diplomatic influence continues to grow, and our global reputation is stronger than ever before. If the last decade was about economic growth, perhaps the next decade should also be about improving travel freedom for Indian passport holders.
Whenever I hold my first passport today, I don’t see faded pages or worn-out covers.
I see the dreams of a young boy who once believed international travel belonged only to other people. I see countless immigration counters, unforgettable friendships, unexpected adventures, and nearly one hundred countries that taught me lessons no classroom ever could.
That passport waited nine years for its first stamp.
Since then, it has hardly stopped travelling.
It changed my life in ways I could never have imagined.
Can India Do the Same?
After nearly two decades of travelling on an Indian passport, I often ask myself one question: Can India one day build one of the world’s strongest passports? I believe the answer is yes but it will take patience, diplomacy and long-term vision.
The UAE didn’t achieve one of the world’s most powerful passports overnight. It invested for years in diplomatic relationships, reciprocal visa-waiver agreements and international trust. Today, its citizens enjoy exceptional travel freedom because passport mobility became part of national policy.
India has every reason to aim higher. As one of the world’s fastest-growing economies and an increasingly influential global power, every new trade agreement and strategic partnership should also create opportunities to improve visa-free travel for Indian citizens.
Of course, India’s challenge is far greater. Negotiating visa-free access for 1.4 billion people is far more complex than for smaller nations. Governments also consider security, visa overstays, illegal immigration and reciprocity before easing entry requirements.
Yet countries like the UAE and China prove that sustained visa diplomacy delivers results. Every reciprocal visa-waiver agreement, eVisa expansion and visa-on-arrival partnership makes international travel easier.
For governments, these are diplomatic milestones. For ordinary Indians, they mean fewer visa applications, less uncertainty and more opportunities to explore the world.
I don’t expect the Indian passport to become one of the world’s strongest overnight. But I hope improving passport power becomes a long-term national goal. Because every visa barrier removed doesn’t just open another border, it opens new dreams for millions of Indians taking their first journey abroad.
The Lost Mumbaikar Says:
“A passport is not measured by the colour of its cover or the number of pages inside it. It is measured by the dreams it allows ordinary people to chase”.
Even the U.S. passport, once ranked as the world’s most powerful passport, has steadily slipped down the global rankings. It proves that passport strength isn’t permanent. Countries that actively build diplomatic relationships and negotiate reciprocal visa-free agreements continue to climb the rankings, while others gradually lose ground.
According to the 2026 Henley Passport Index, the world’s most powerful passports with visa free destinations are:
- Singapore – 192
- Japan, South Korea – 188
- Denmark, Luxembourg, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland – 186
- Austria, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Norway – 185
- Hungary, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, United Arab Emirates – 184
- Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia, Malta, New Zealand, Poland – 183
- Australia, Latvia, Liechtenstein, United Kingdom – 182
- Canada, Iceland, Lithuania – 181
- Malaysia – 180
- United States – 179
As someone who has travelled to nearly 100 countries on an Indian passport, I don’t see these rankings as a competition. I see them as a reminder that global mobility is shaped by diplomacy, trust and international cooperation. Hopefully, one day, the Indian passport will continue its climb and give millions more Indians the freedom to explore the world with fewer barriers.
Your Turn
- Which passport stamp means the most to you?
- What’s the most frustrating visa experience you’ve ever had?
- If you could make one country visa-free for Indians tomorrow, which would you choose and why?
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