Passport privilege is one of the most pressing issues surrounding travel for me, personally. If you hail from a country with a strong passport, you may have experienced some of the stress and anxiety associated with travel visas, but likely not to the degree that it occupies your mind every single day, as it does for many travelholics with weaker passports.
Well, neither did I for most of my life. In addition to freely being able to cross most European borders without even realizing it, my German passport grants me visa-free entry to 189 countries*, making it the 3rd-strongest passport in the world, according to the Henley Passport Index. With such enormous freedom of movement granted, worries about visas used to be a rare thought for me.
That was until I started dating a Pakistani national…
It’s important to note that passport privilege is only one out of many types of privileges that exist in the travel world. Another very pervasive type of privilege is skin color. Read more about color privilege in this amazing collaboration by The Sane Adventurer.
There are many things my boyfriend and I have in common, including a pretty severe travel addiction. If we are not studying, you can likely find us either planning on or daydreaming about another trip. However, our commonalities end when it comes to passport privilege. Currently ranked on spot number 106, Pakistan is the fourth-weakest passport in the Henley Index, with visa-free access to only 32 countries, most of which are tiny, barely accessible island nations. That means that a holder of one of the world’s weakest passports is dating a holder of one of the world’s strongest passports. As you can already imagine, this makes it extremely difficult for us to travel together. In fact, there have been a number of times passport issues caused us enormous anxiety and even destroyed our travel plans together!
Here are some of our stories:
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Malaysia
Our very first trip together, when I still lived in the US and he in Pakistan, was to Malaysia. We chose the destination intentionally because it has some of the most lenient entry requirements for Pakistanis, requiring only an online visa with basic passport information, booking information, and financial proof. The Malaysian visa itself was no problem, but our attempt at a Singaporean visa to add to our trip failed painfully (Singaporean visas require an invitation letter from a travel agency but the supposedly “reputable” agency we chose simply took our $100 fee and never replied to us). The real struggle began when the first flight my boyfriend was supposed to take was canceled due to an airspace closure over the Indian border. He booked an entirely new flight just days in advance, however, when he arrived at the airport he was told that his on-spot financial proof was insufficient: He had brought a sufficient amount of cash in Pakistani rupees, but the airline staff wanted to see the same amount in US dollars. There was no money exchange nearby and my boyfriend was denied boarding. The only way he still made it to Malaysia was by catching his previously booked flight after the airspace closure was almost miraculously lifted on that day.
Philippines
Up until today this incident makes me particularly sad and angry. We had planned this trip months in advance directly after moving to China. Due to residence permit processing, we were able to apply for the Philippines visa only about a week and a half in advance. This, however, should have been no problem: The Consulate of the Philippines in Shanghai repeatedly mentioned on their website that it would take no more than four working days to process a visa for foreigners. We prepared all the documents listed on the website, checked them religiously every day, and missed an entire night’s worth of sleep to head to Shanghai early in the morning. At the consulate, the woman inspecting my boyfriend’s application gave the stack of documents and his passport a few quick glances and then told us to return in two weeks. Seven working days for “additional checking” and one extra week the consulate was closed due to the Chinese National Holiday. We asked if there was any way to expedite the process by paying extra fees, as was mentioned on the website. The woman declined.
I cried every day while wandering along the most beautiful beaches I had ever seen. I’m an avid solo traveler but this trip was meant to be traveled together.
Germany
The application process for this visa was by far the most anxious time the two of us have faced together, not only because I would finally introduce my boyfriend to my father. The Schengen visa, which allows its holders to travel to any of the 26 European countries belonging to the Schengen Zone, is known to be one of the most difficult visas to obtain for most foreigners, especially Pakistanis. For someone without a stable income, like a full-time college student like my boyfriend, having an official sponsor in Europe who legally assumes all of the applicant’s costs is an absolute must. If you ask me, convincing my father in Germany to sponsor my boyfriend’s visa was already a tough nut but it was even tougher for my father to actually obtain a Verpflichtungserklärung (official sponsorship letter). My father had to get up early in the morning to head to one of the city offices, wait in line for five hours, present a ton of documents, just to be told to return the following with even more supporting documents and even then my full-time working father just barely managed to prove his financial ability to sponsor a foreign guest for a week. After my father sent us the official letter by mail, it was time for us to make an appointment with the German visa center about two hours away by fast train in Nanjing. We made sure to write the most accurate cover letter, provide extremely detailed itineraries, and add all kinds of supporting documents prior to our appointment but when we showed up at the visa center, we were told to return with another unofficial invitation letter written and signed by my father. Within a week, my father wrote another letter and mailed it to China, and we returned to Nanjing just six days later.
Luckily, my boyfriend received the visa and I was able to introduce him to my father and show him around my hometown!
When we visited his home in Pakistan right afterward, we faced no problems at all. As a German citizen, I simply had to fill out an ETA (Electronic Travel Authorization) and received a visa on arrival at Lahore Airport.
Read more: Celebrating Eid Al-Adha In Pakistan: My Eye-Opening Experience
South Korea/Japan
Only an hour and a half away by airplane, South Korea is the closest country to our home near Shanghai. I myself have been to Korea and nearby Japan multiple times and naturally, I also wanted to visit with my boyfriend once.
But the visa… Neither Japan nor South Korea allow foreigners to submit their visa applications directly at their missions in China. You need a certified travel agency in your province of residence to submit the application for you. And this is where the problem starts: China is China and most travel agencies only provide service to Mainland Chinese citizens. There are a few agencies in Shanghai that process foreigners’ applications but since our residence is just across the provincial border in Jiangsu, we can’t use their services. We spent hours searching for such agencies in Jiangsu and asked all of our Chinese friends to help us out but until today, nobody could find an agency in Jiangsu that applies for visas on behalf of foreigners.
Hong Kong/Macau/Taiwan
You might think visiting these places together must be easy for us because we live in China, right? Not at all! While I can easily enter these places with only my passport, it is much more difficult for my boyfriend.
For the special administrative regions of Hong Kong and Macau, as well as Taiwan, my boyfriend would have to obtain a travel permit to Beijing. Guess what? Going to Beijing to apply for the visa is more expensive than the Hong Kong/Macau trip!
Conclusion
There are many other issues that holders of weak passports face, from extra security screening at airports to hour-long detentions when they enter a new country. In Sri Lanka, my boyfriend was sent to the chief immigration officer’s office due to his nationality, in the US he was once detained upon arrival for over three hours. Even though people like him prove that traveling the world with a weak passport is possible, it is made extremely difficult with all these restrictions put in place and an IMMENSE amount of persistence is needed.
Seeing people in my boyfriend’s shoes makes me sad. As holders of strong passports, there is not much we can do to tackle this problem from its root as travel restrictions are the results of diplomatic disputes and national security concerns, which regular citizens have no control over. All we can do is provide invitation letters, help with the application process of visas, and constantly encourage our friends with weaker passports to pursue their dreams.
If you’re the holder of a weak passport, I really wish for you to stick to your travel dreams despite this huge bureaucratic burden and become a role model for fellow disadvantaged travelers.
No matter who you are, it is important to realize that passport privilege is a very real thing and we must raise awareness for the struggle millions of travelers face.
*Visa-free access, in this case, means entry to a country with only an evisa, visa on arrival, or no visa at all
Wow this is crazy…thanks for spotlighting privilege and the challenges some nationals face (I have a US passport so also pretty lucky).
Such an important post!
That’s insane! Sometimes we forget how lucky we are that we face almost no restrictions with our European passports. Stay safe!
Such an interesting article. It’s not something you think about until you’re in a situation where you have to!
Really great read to highlight the many challenges of love, travel and politics. I know that i have travel privileges others do not for and yet experience challenges in wanting to move and work in other countries. My bf is in UK and I can’t move/work there so we are a pond apart (for now)
I feel so sorry for your situation. I think most don’t realize the luxury they have when they come from a nation with a strong passport. It definitely points out that you should check visa requirements before travel, even if you hold a strong passport.
I think acknowledging passport privilege is definitely something we need to do more of as travellers. As an Aussie, I often forget how good my passport can be. Thanks for this post!
Wow! That’s absolutely crazy that he can only get visa-free entry into 32 countries! I have a New Zealand passport, which is quite strong, so I never thought about how it must feel for people with weaker passports wanting to travel! Thanks for the insight!
I rarely thought about the privilege I have with my passport until I joined some Facebook travel groups and realized others didn’t have it as easy as I do. It’s really unfortunate, everyone should have the equal right to roam around the world as they please. I am so sorry you had to go through all these problems, just to enjoy exploring the world with your boyfriend. :/
This was a very interesting read and really eye-opening. Being Canadian I haven’t had to apply for any travel visas this far. Thanks for sharing 🙂
Jimminy Christmas, that is nuts for sure! I honestly had no idea how hard it was to deal with so many different Visa Processes! Being from the US, I guess I have always taken it for granted that I could just travel to nearly anywhere I wanted to without much issue. Even those few times that we had to get a Visa, it always seemed relatively easy for us. So when reading how many issues your boyfriend has in many countries that I would easily want to go to, makes me sad as well. I especially lost it when I saw how you lost out on the $100 fee from that shady tourism company that was supposed to sponsor you! But it did make me happy to see that your dad helped you and your boyfriend out with a sponsorship into Germany and Europe!
Far out, that’s mental. Being from Australia with a fairly strong passport (just looked it up – 9th in the world), I’ve never had to worry too much about this. What a struggle for you guys!
Oh the horror of a weak passport! I have an Indian passport and it is so difficult to get visa documents done before every visit – Asian, European and even American countries. We only have a few countries where we can get VOA. So crazy!
I have a Chinese Bruneian friend who, even though he was born in Brunei, is not recognizsed as a citizen because he is not Muslim. That means he can not get a citizen’s passport. The passport he can get only allows him to travel to about 5 countries without going through a long and arduous visa application process. He has the heart of a traveller and it’s heartbreaking that he can’t go to all the places he dreams of.
I also have Palestinian friends that are basically trapped in Palestine as there is no such thing as a Palestinian passport and Isreal won’t give them passports. They actually have to get a temporary Jordanian passport to travel anywhere and they’re looking at at least a 6 month process every time.
I think it’s ridiculous that where you’re born can dictate where you can travel freely. We are all people after all!
I am so sorry to hear that you and your boyfriend have experienced so many issues travelling due to this.
I had always been aware that I was very fortunate to have a UK passport and that it made my ability to travel much easier. However, I never truly understood quite how difficult it is for other people who do not come from countries with a passport as strong.
I think sharing personal stories like this, really highlights this issue and just how unfair it can be, thank you for sharing, I think it’s really important that more people like me understand this better.
Being Dutch, I had honestly never considered the differences in passport strengths before until I read a similar blog post last year by a Welsh travel blogger with an Indian boyfriend. It made me realise how privileged I am indeed! I looked it up and Dutch passports rank at #6 😉 Living in the UK now, and dealing with Brexit I might apply for double nationality and I find that troublesome already, but your post made me aware of the fact again that I shouldn’t complain and I’m still lucky. Wishing you and your partner many more happy future travels together though and hope they’ll be less stressful! x
It’s really sad how few of us in the West realize how lucky we are to be able to travel and get visas. I definitely acknowledge my privilege in this respect…I first noticed it at university as I had lots of international friends and it was always so tough to attempt to travel together, unless we made really good early plans to help those of us that needed to apply for visas.
It’s even more annoying that it isn’t something that we can easily change, despite the whole concept of nationality being a human construct.
P.s. It still blows my mind that the UK voted to remove our access to the rest of Europe. Madness.
Thanks for this post! I had never heard fo the Henley scale before, and it is really interesting. I work with teams based across multiple continents, and I often think about how fortunate I am to hold the passport I do because work travel to places like London and Hong Kong does not require a visa for me. This is, of course, not the case for many of my colleagues. Passport privilege is definitely something that needs to be discussed and recognized!
Really insightful thoughts here, well done.
Great article! I am very thankful to have a Canadian passport 🙂
I remember when I first read the ranking of world passports according to their “strenght”, and cases of African scientists who weren’t allowed to go to an important convention in UK: I was shocked! The demonstration still today people are not free neither equal…
When you experience it in person like you is really frustrating, let’s hope the world will improve globally!!!
Wow! I can’t believe I didn’t know about this. I’m so sorry for all the trouble lots of people have to go thru!!
Its a sad reality that people with weak passports are really discriminated at airports.I wish this thing gets change
This is a great article. As an Asian from Hk with an UK passport ,I barely realise how difficulties and hassles can travelling pose to people with weak passports .
I always feel thankful that I can go travels and studying overseas easily with the one I am holding.
Hope travels will become easier to the people with weak passports soon.
Hello Arabela. I just stumbled across you while reading something in Quora. I get that every morning and spend a bit too much time reading it.
Arabela, I am from the UK but my wife is from Nepal so I know what you are talking about with endless red tape and documentation. And she is still in Nepal while I have lived in Portugal for the past five years. My wife will be joining me here as soon as she can be free of her commitments in Nepal.
I guess that one day your Pakistani boyfriend will have a German passport so all his travel problems will be over.
My best wishes to you both and good luck with the travels.
Anthony (near Lisbon) My WordPress ID is Hungrydai but I don’t post too often
Thank you very much for your kind words. Best of luck also for you and your wife!
I am an Indian and have traveled to a few countries,not those with high strung strong passport ones, but less important ones which are eager to welcome tourists as their main source of foreign exchange. I was never bothered anywhere for entry like you mentioned as in your boyfriend’s case. After reading your blog I have developed a loss of enthusiasm to travel to these countries you have mentioned. Is it worth taking that much of trouble and humiliation to visit them ? I have been invited by many to visit the US, and some western Europian countries but I think I should stick to my own country where there are lots of places to see.
Thanks for increasing awareness on this very real issue. People that enjoy passport privilege are barely aware of it and injustices happen all the time. I hold a passport currently ranked at 45 on the Henley Index and have had my fair share of additional questioning. Also, the first thing on my mind when I think of a place to travel is “Do I need a visa?” and have refrained from traveling to several places just to avoid bureaucracy. I feel for your boyfriend. I enjoy reading travel blogs but the vast majority are written by people who enjoy passport privilege and the topic is never touched, which also makes them non-relatable for people who, no matter their personal qualifications, always have to “prove” we are “good” or “worthy” of seeing the world.
Thank you for your kind words! I truly believe that highlighting different perspectives is extremely important in the travel industry. Unfortunately, the bias is already created in the very beginning. Because of the troubles that come with holding a weak passport, most people of such nationalities don’t travel very much to begin with and consequently, few become travel bloggers. This leaves the ones with the stronger passports to create most of the content on the internet, leaving little room for the experiences of the disadvantaged. In fact, I probably wouldn’t have learned about this issue either had I not met my boyfriend. It honestly makes me sad how some people with strong passports voluntarily overstay their permits in other countries thinking they will never face any consequences while other people have to worry about getting in in the first place, despite having put so much effort into the application. I don’t blame anyone personally for their ignorance but I believe education about this issue should be our main focus.