After obtaining degrees in English Literature and English Secondary Education, Sean Lords packed up his bags and left to Seoul, South Korea where he lived for three years teaching English abroad. Sean has since returned to the States and is currently at work on his Master’s degree.
Traveling abroad, seeing the world, and teaching English can be a wonderful experience. But it certainly isn’t easy getting a company lined up and attaining proper documentation to legally enter the country. This may influence your decision to teach within the country if you are on the fence deciding whether or not to pursue the prospect. Those who are set on one specific country should continue to follow their dreams but should certainly understand whether attaining the visa for that country is difficult or not. Here are the toughest countries to attain a visa.
5. China – It’s not nearly as difficult to enter China as it once was decades ago. Tourism is a significant component of the Chinese economy as dollars pour into country from domestic and foreign tourists alike. It’s about $150 for the entry visa along with several other annoyances including mandatory in-person application at a Chinese-American consulate, multiple fees, mandatory Chinese representative for you or your party, and inability to enter if suffering from various diseases.
4. Saudi Arabia – Visiting family or means to go on a religious pilgrimage are the slightest chances you may get into Saudi Arabia. There is a limit on the number of tourists allowed into the country ruled by an absolute monarchy. Women must be accompanied by a male relative at all times. If you’ve ever been to Israel or have an Israeli passport, you will be coldly refused access into the country.
3. Libya – Dangerous and unstable, Libya comes in at #3. Up until a few years ago, Libya completely banned tourist visas for citizens in the U.S. While this ban was lifted in summer 2010, you’ll still need to jump through several hoops before entering Libya. You’ll need to apply through a recognized Libyan tour agency. The steps for attaining a Libyan visa are largely similar to other countries. However as a result of unrest in Libya and other surrounding nations as well as high percentage of death, kidnapping, and violence towards foreigners this makes being able to get a visa that much more difficult.
2. Tibet – While technically the Tibetan Autonomous Region of China (TAR), allowing visitors into Tibet first requires a Chinese visa then a special permit for entrance into Tibet. It’s like requiring you to go through a lengthy, tedious process to travel from Arizona to California. This is chiefly a result of Tibet’s continued desire for complete independence and China’s desire to keep the TAR as a region of China. As of March 2013, 108 Tibetans have self-immolated since February 2009. This is also the time in which strict Chinese restrictions on religious practices were tightened and Tibetan “autonomy” was implemented. While China is attempting to modernize Tibet with paved roads and advertising some of Tibet’s most elegant features, the situation is still very unstable.
1. North Korea – if tensions between the United States and North Korea weren’t tense enough, North Korea’s “little” threat against the United States stating that it would initiate a nuclear war with the United States may have tightened those tensions to the point of snapping. You should probably forget about setting foot on North Korean soil for the time being and hope by some wave of the magic wand that any Americans are permitted in the future, let alone ESL teachers. By the way, you have to first travel to the DPRK Embassy in China to issue visa documentation. Oh and you’ll also not be able to independently travel within North Korea or use local currency.
As aforementioned, obtaining a visa for entrance into these countries is difficult, if not virtually impossible in the case of North Korea. There are a few omissions you may wonder why missing from the list and this is not to say the countries not present are in any way easy to get into. For example to acquire a Russian visa you must have an outside party (hotel or authorized tourist agency) to write a letter of invitation…in Russian. Somalia’s visa restrictions are lax because the country isn’t controlled by a single governmental body (it is controlled by factions and mercs instead). The President has taken steps to loosen restrictions on American entry into Cuba, an interesting development that should be watched closely over the next decade. If the gates to Cuba are opened, Cohiba anyone?
