How I Travel The World With A Third World Passport

 
Even though that sounds grim, I can confidently say that it is not impossible for us to travel the world like a first-world passport holder if we know our way around our passport weaknesses. There are many world travelers out there with a third world passport (Aileen from IAmAileen.com, Melai from LovedandWanderlust.com) that are constantly pushing the limit of what is possible for us.

Research And Preparation

It all comes down to doing your homework before a trip. First I would see which countries have my passport exempted and I would try to stick to that area first and if I came across a country that requires me to get a visa prior to the trip, then I would go into their website and look at the visa application requirement one by one.

The key is to do enough research that you have an itinerary you can base your trip on. You don’t have to follow the itinerary to a tee but it is good to know which country you can go and cannot go without a visa in order to prevent disappointment.

For example, when I first planned my trip to the middle east, I wanted to go to Egypt, Jordan, and Turkey for 3 months. I found out early on that I would need a visa for Egypt prior to traveling and none needed for the other 2 so I went and got my Egypt visa beforehand. I was also looking at neighboring countries like Georgia and Armenia in case I have spare time which I did and I was prepared for it.

As you can see, you can travel the world with a third world passport with the flexibility like a first world passport if you do enough research.

Paperwork For Visa

After you have done your homework, it’s time to do the boring part, the paperwork. The key here is to prove to the embassy that you have the mean to come back to your home country. They put this rule in the first place to prevent us from going to their countries and work illegally and we will have to prove that that is not the case.

More often than not, the embassy will require you to provide several documents about your itineraries such as flights, accommodation, and day-to-day itinerary. Here is a list of things you are often asked to prepare:

Filled-in Application Form
A Copy of Passport
2 x photos with specific requirements
A confirmed return flight ticket
Proof of booked accommodation
Travel Health Insurance
A day-to-day itinerary
3 months bank statement
Proof of employment or a letter explaining what you do and how you earn money
The application form is often found on the embassy website where you can fill in online, print it out and attach with a copy of your passport, 2 photos and all the other documents listed above.
I often book a flight in advanced that would give me enough time for the visa process (a month prior) and often time I’d buy at full price so that I could get a full refund if need be. Be sure to look at the airline’s refund policy so that you can choose the right type of ticket.