Holiday Ayo - Approaching the Christmas holidays and the end of 2023, quite a few Indonesians are starting to apply for visas to fulfill the requirements for holiday travel abroad.

However, it turns out that some of the countries will be the most difficult to visit in 2023. To be able to travel abroad, travelers need a passport. 

Apart from that, a number of countries also implement visa policies as a condition for entering a country. Well, apparently not all countries provide tourist visas easily for foreign tourists. 

Reporting from the Visa Guide, there are at least 5 countries that have the most difficulty granting visas to foreigners. 

1. Russia 

Russia is one of the most beautiful countries in the world. The country, which is mostly covered in snow, has its own attraction for foreign tourists. 

Unfortunately, Russia is a country where it is difficult to issue tourist visas. This difficulty can be seen from the many questions in the visa application form.

One of them, the traveler must include a travel history for the last 10 years with details of the places visited, the time, and the length of stay in a country. 

2. Cuba

Cuba is a country located in the Caribbean region. In fact, many people are interested in coming there in January-February because at that time the country has a cool climate. 

International tourists also like to come to Cuba to enjoy music. Understandably, the country is famous for its musicality. 

Travelers can go to bars while listening to jazz, salsa and electronic music. However, Cuba has difficulty granting visas to foreign tourists, especially to citizens of the United States. 

3. Iran

Iran is a country in the Middle East. There are a number of famous destinations there such as the Nasir al-Mulk Mosque, Tajrish Bazaar, and Mount Damavand.

However, getting a visa to Iran can be difficult. Travelers must have a special verification code before applying for a visa. 

This authorization code is issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Iran, but an authorized Iranian travel agent must apply for the code on your behalf.

Fortunately, thanks to the use of e-Visa, the process of applying for a tourist visa to Iran can become much easier. Additionally, some countries can now apply for a visa on arrival with prior approval.

4. Turkmenistan 

Turkmenistan seems to be one of the most mysterious countries in the world. That's because this country is difficult for foreigners to enter. 

If you want to apply for a visa to Turkmenistan, travelers need to attach many documents, including three copies of the completed visa application form and an invitation letter from the Turkmenistan Migration Service.

Apart from that, travelers must have a sponsor in Turkmenistan who can arrange a letter of invitation (LOI) for you. According to Visa Guide, it takes around 20 days to get the letter.

5. Republic of Chad 

The Republic of Chad is a small country in Northern Central Africa bordering Cameroon, Central African Republic, Niger, Nigeria, Libya and Sudan. 

Currently, only 14 countries have visa-free access to Chad. One of the most complicated parts of the Republic of Chad visa approval process is getting the invitation letter. 

In order to get the invitation letter, the traveler needs to have a sponsor or hotel in the country's capital, N'Djamena, who will write it for the traveler. 

So, travelers have to book a hotel room and pay the full non-refundable fee. As a consequence, if a traveler's visa application is rejected, the money for booking the hotel will be forfeited. 

If the traveler is successful in obtaining a visa, the traveler is given 72 hours after entering the Republic of Chad to report to the police. Some travelers report that you will be charged additional fees to enter the country.