The invisible barrier called passports.
For Alex, a South African citizen living in Singapore, every business trip or independent travel is a battle with bureaucratic procedures. Her passport, ranked 51st on the Henley Passport Index, has become such a major obstacle that she's willing to change her citizenship if given the chance. "If someone offered me or my child a different passport, I would grab it immediately," Alex shared.
She said that her friends who possess powerful passports often fail to understand the cost, time, and frustration she faces. A recent trip to Europe forced Alex to apply for both Schengen and UK visas, a process that took six weeks. During that time, she couldn't go anywhere because she had submitted her passport, significantly impacting her work which requires frequent travel.
Financial burden and complicated procedures
Preparing the application documents was also a frustrating experience. Alex recounted her European visa application, which required bank statements to bear a bank stamp. After numerous rejections, she finally found a branch that agreed to affix a watermark, at a cost of $10 per page.
The costs didn't stop there. Each time she went to the visa application center, she had to pay an extra $50. "I think we spent around $600-$700, if not more, just to get a 6-day visa to Italy," she said. To avoid these hassles, Alex now prioritizes visa-free destinations for South African citizens.
Inequality and feelings of being looked down upon.
Lily, a Chinese tourist, called it "an unequal system." She had faced consular officers asking hurtful questions, such as whether she "intended to overstay her visa." She was even asked to submit a criminal record check, which prolonged the process and increased costs.
Alex agrees that the numerous travel restrictions feel condescending. People like her, who may have high levels of education and social standing, still face complicated interviews and hurdles, while others can enter easily thanks to visa-free agreements.
These difficulties also affected her career. Lily said she couldn't apply for positions that required frequent international travel. These experiences led her to consider applying for a Hong Kong passport, even though the requirement was to live and work there for seven years.
Losing the joy of discovery.
Pantha Roy, an Indian businessman living in Singapore, said that researching the "meticulous details" of each country's requirements diminishes the enjoyment of the trip. He described having to plan well in advance for a backpacking trip in South America, as some countries require precise declarations of entry points and means of transportation.
"You can't just go on a whim," he said. When traveling to Europe, he couldn't take cheap flights departing the same week as his friends. Instead, he had to "plan about three months in advance" to apply for a visa. Tired of the procedures, Roy decided to go somewhere else instead of Europe.
However, unlike Alex and Lily, Roy insisted he had no intention of changing his passport despite the inconvenience. "I like having my Indian passport. I'm not going to give it up," he shared.
Source: https://baolamdong.vn/ho-chieu-yeu-cai-gia-an-sau-moi-chuyen-xuat-ngoai-410100.html
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