As much as it is made out that the Indian passport has gained great respectability worldwide, travel influencer Jayant Sharma has found less glamorous side of international travel for Indian passport holders.
In an Instagram post, Sharma spoke of the emotional and bureaucratic burden of constantly proving his travel intentions focused on satisfying visa protocols than planning his actual itinerary.
He observed that planning often takes a back-seat to the ongoing need to reassure authorities that he won’t overstay his welcome.
Rather than highlighting the charm of travel, Sharma’s post revealed the reality of how travellers are treated. He described immigration counters as spaces where silent biases operate, where pauses in conversation carry more judgment than words.
This discomfort — absent from guidebooks and Instagram Reels is felt in lingering stares, tense interactions, and the quiet frustration of having to justify a simple vacation. It’s a reality where suspicion is the default, and innocence is something to be proven, he said.
As Sharma put it, handing over a passport at immigration feels less like a formality and more like offering oneself up for scrutiny. A routine checkpoint becomes a test of credibility where Indian travellers are viewed less as guests and more as risks to be managed, often presumed guilty of seeking too much freedom.
He highlighted how travellers from certain backgrounds routinely adjust their appearance and behaviour, choosing modest clothing, softening their tone, preparing extra documentation, routing trips through visa friendly countries, and smiling not out of joy, but to appear less threatening.
What he described was not dramatic it was mundane, yet telling. His message wasn’t meant to elicit sympathy, but to shine a light on a shared reality.
Sharma’s post triggered a wave of engagement, with many echoing similar experiences. The emotional strain and procedural obstacles he outlined resonated deeply with travellers who’ve faced the same barriers. The underlying issue, the inequity of mobility, was widely acknowledged. Many responses emphasised that the freedom to move across borders is not equally granted. For some, travel is seamless; for others, it’s a minefield of suspicion, red tape, and unspoken bias.