‘Indian passport no longer adds value to my life’: Tech educator frustrated over visa hurdles

Kunal Kushwaha, an Indian-origin tech educator and developer advocate, shared a personal account of the limits he says come with holding an Indian passport while working globally. In a viral post on X, Kushwaha described how visa rules and paperwork often disrupt his travel plans

After a recent trip to Berlin, Kushwaha said he was unable to travel to Ireland to surprise his best friend on his birthday because there was not enough time to apply for another visa. What should have been a simple decision, booking a flight, instead turned into hours spent navigating visa websites. The episode, he wrote, showed how routine travel can become unnecessarily complicated.


In his post, Kushwaha described standing in long airport queues while other travellers passed through quickly. He said he often carries folders of documents he has already submitted many times. Schengen visa applications, he added, feel like a full-time job. They require bank statements, cover letters and detailed explanations for ordinary trips.





“I’m not angry. I’m tired,” he wrote. Kushwaha stressed that his frustration is practical rather than emotional. He said national pride does not reduce the mental effort needed to deal with constant paperwork.

The post also pointed to wider questions about passport strength. India ranks low on global mobility indexes and offers visa-free access to relatively few destinations. Kushwaha argued that these rankings translate into real constraints for professionals who travel frequently for work, conferences and collaboration.

Many replies to his post shared similar experiences. Users posted stories of delayed appointments, short visa validity periods and uncertainty even for repeat travellers with established international careers.

Kushwaha also touched on issues beyond travel. He said investments made in India had lost value over time because of the rupee’s decline. He also mentioned air pollution and outdated banking and KYC processes as factors that add to everyday friction.