Some countries still require their citizens to obtain exit visas
A correspondent of "Lenta.ru" recalls the past and talks about countries that simply do not want to let their citizens go.
Soviet Past
The ultimate dream for many Soviet tourists was the Baltic region. Despite the fact that Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia were part of the USSR, vacationers could not always go there for a holiday, though not everyone wanted to. Soviet citizens chose seaside vacations – Crimea, the resorts of Kuban, or Batumi, lush with greenery. Of course, there were also those who wanted to see Paris.
Although such people were few, Soviet legislation still clearly outlined the mechanism for obtaining an exit visa for tourists who decided to spend their vacation abroad.
First, the traveler had to write a detailed self-characterization. Among other things, it had to include information about place of employment and work experience, provide details about one’s spouse and any previous trips abroad (if any). The characterization had to be signed by the director of the enterprise where the person worked, the secretary of the party committee, or the head of the trade union committee. Those under 28 years of age also needed to obtain the signature of the secretary of the Komsomol committee.
The list of required documents also included several more signatures and various stamps. Many of those to whom the "petitioner" came for "permission" considered it their civic duty to ask him questions on a wide range of topics – from religious affiliation to food preferences.
As my grandmother recalled, who was getting a visa and a foreign passport for a trip to the USA to visit her son in the late 80s, one of the officials seriously asked her what she thought of burgers and French fries. Grandma, of course, had no opinion – she had never tried them before the trip. Nevertheless, she eventually got the visa.
When all documents were collected, the characterization had to be approved by the district committee of the CPSU. At the commission, the visa applicant was asked various questions about public affairs, personal life, and so on. One wrong answer, in the officials' opinion, and the visa could no longer be obtained.
If approval was still obtained, the applicant received a lengthy questionnaire covering both sides of an A3 sheet. It asked for various data about oneself and relatives, including not the closest ones – for example, the wife of one's brother.
The final step: contacting a company dealing with outbound tourism – Intourist or Sputnik. Here, the applicant could also be denied a travel package if an internal check showed he was not sufficiently reliable.
Incidentally, when a foreign passport was issued, the internal passport was taken away. It could only be retrieved upon returning to the homeland. Similar rules applied to those on business trips and to foreign citizens, for example those studying at Soviet universities.
Modern Realities
In the 20th century, exit visas were in force in several countries. In Germany, such practice was common during the Third Reich, in Italy – from 1933 to 1945. Permission to travel abroad in Cuba had to be obtained until 2013. Moreover, if a citizen of this Caribbean country left the homeland for more than two years, he would automatically be stripped of citizenship.
As of today, the institution of exit visas partially continues to operate in five countries around the world. In Saudi Arabia and Qatar, foreign workers must obtain permission documents. They can get a visa only after the employer issues them a document stating that he has no claims.
In Iran, there are restrictions for Jews. According to the laws of this country, they cannot travel directly to the US or Israel. Additionally, they can obtain an exit visa only if their relatives do not have a similar document.
In Nepal, only those who are going abroad for work are required to obtain permission documents.
Meanwhile, as of now, there are two countries left in the world where all citizens without exception are required to obtain exit visas. These are North Korea and Uzbekistan.
In the latter, the need for visas is explained as protection of the country from terrorism. Presumably, the authorities believe that Uzbek citizens abroad might join some extremist organizations, but many residents of the country believe that such a system is aimed at limiting the outflow of people who leave the country in search of a better life.
An exit visa in Uzbekistan costs $25, and its validity period is two years. Moreover, when leaving the country without permission documents, the country's legislation provides for large fines and even imprisonment for up to 10 years. Visa documents must be submitted at least 30 days before the planned trip, and the processing period is 15 days.
Interestingly, the package of documents, in addition to the usual foreign passport, photos, and application form, also includes several rather exotic ones. For example, a woman under 35 years old is required to provide a passport office with permission to leave the country from her husband, father, or brother.
However, such measures do not stop hundreds of thousands of Uzbek citizens from traveling abroad. True, most of them leave the country not for tourism purposes.