'I've visited every country in the world - this one was hardest to get a visa for'

A YouTuber who has visited "all 197 countries in the world" has disclosed which nation proved most challenging when it came to securing a visa.

American travel vlogger Drew Binsky has amassed over five million subscribers and garnered millions of views in recent years by documenting his adventures across every corner of the planet.

In one video he unveiled the five countries that presented the greatest obstacles when applying for a visa.

Reflecting on his earlier journeys, he identified four of the five most problematic nations as Iran, Eritrea, Syria and Venezuela.

However, he revealed that Libya in North Africa topped the list as the most difficult to access, describing the "whole process was so confusing" and admitting it caused him "so much anxiety".

Explaining that tourist visas aren't issued, he also noted that holidaymakers must instead apply for business visas.

To obtain the business visa, he faced two choices: visiting the Libyan embassy in Washington DC, USA or making the journey to Rome, Italy.

Opting for the Italian route, he paid $500 (£375.72) to reduce his waiting time from a maximum of 14 days to what ultimately became five working days.

Following his eventual arrival in Libya for a three-day visit, he calculated that the entire venture, including visa costs and flights to Rome, totalled nearly $5,000 (£3,756.97). Discussing the hefty price tag for his journey, he remarked: "That's just part of the process, if you want to visit every country that's what you have to do for Libya, all the land borders are closed you have to fly in and have to get it that way and it takes forever, and it's annoying."

Despite the steep expense for a brief stay, he expressed being "super happy" about completing the "awesome" trip.

Drew pointed out that there are four different types of visa, with the two he mentioned being a tourist/visitor and a business visa.

Visitor visas typically allow individuals to enter a country temporarily for tourism, visiting friends or relatives, and other permitted activities, though the specifics can vary by destination.

On the other hand, a business visa is tailored for foreign nationals engaging in business-related activities such as attending meetings or conferences, with the definition of 'business activities' differing across various nations.