These days, you may be thinking about traveling to Europe or beyond, but you find yourself faced with obstacles when applying for a visa.

Most people who have attempted to obtain a visa say the same story; applying for a visa in different embassies has many struggles from being treated inappropriately by some of the officials to using brokers who misuse their authority and make huge profits. The root of these issues most likely lies in the economic sanctions currently placed on Iran.

Ali Maleki, a young and well-known figure in social media, adds “Many of whom have been rejected from different embassies find no rational reason for refusal, and they wonder why man-made borders causes them so much restriction. Many of those who have been rejected want to know the reason for their refusal, especially those who are seeking to attend scientific conferences or travel for medical purposes. The claim worldwide is that universities and medications are not part of the economic sanctions. The reality of the situation seems to contradict this?”

He continues “…one of the drawbacks that Iranian tourists face is obtaining a visa. At times they may rely on a broker whom on most occasions are not reliable and end up going off with the person’s money without helping them obtain a valid visa”.

Iran has been suffering from economic sanctions for several years now. The sanctions include the inability to obtain internationally recognised debit and credit cards such as a VISA or a mastercard. Unfortunately, the banks system in Iran has not had any improvement in the field of international credit cards either and has failed in providing people with better services. In this instance the challenge seems to rest more domestically. What it does mean for Iranian tourists though is that they will either need to carry cash or exchange on the go. The problem with not having an internationally recognised credit card does not just cause pain for the Iranian tourists abroad but also foreign tourists visiting Iran as not many facilities are available to them for using their cards, leading to frustration on both sides.

When able to travel, Iranian tourists spend large amounts of money, often in cash. Popular overseas destinations such as Malaysia or Turkey benefit from millions of dollars from Iranian tourism in traveling costs, purchasing goods, and necessary services. However, an issue Iranian tourists face are non-cash payments. Without an international debit/credit card the tourists fall for the extra costs of currency exchange or financial losses as a result of robberies etc.

Another problem with Iranian tourism, Ali Maleki adds “…[is] SIM cards! Iranian SIM cards do not work in over 75% of the world’s countries. If they do they are roaming at extortionate prices assigned by Iranian domestic networks and basically render it worthless”.

Brief biography of Ali Maleki

Ali Maleki, known as Ali Columbus, was born on 31/05/1985 in Iran. He is a well known tourist who loves travelling and adventures. His Instagram ID is @mr_columbus. Mr Columbus has managed to attract many followers which mainly stems from his passion in his travels and informative and lively content he presents on his online platform. Ali is a warm, gentle and knowledgeable traveller interested in experiencing life in many countries around the world in particular the little town and cities in Europe. One of his favourite places in Netherlands is the city of Leiden. He ranks it amongst one of the most beautiful cities he has travelled to due to its historical architecture and nostalgic atmosphere.