Hi there,

We are planing to visit Iran in April/May with our own car. In 2010 when we have been there with our bikes all we needed was visa and Carnet for the vehicle.

Now I'm receiving informations that from June last year it's not possible to enter Iran with your own vehicle even if you have carnet. It's quite funny becouse I can not get 100% confirmation from Iran embassy here in Slovenia. They are not sure if this restriction is still valid or not.

Is here anyone who recently entered Iran with his own car/bike or anyone who was refused on the border?

We are planing rond trip through Iran nad northern Iraq (kurdistan), so if this restriction really exists we will enter and exit Iraq from Turkey (Silopi).

With kind regards

GRegor

Hi Gregor

I am in exactly the same position. Many previous visits to Iran, waiting to apply for a visa but will not go if I need some guide.

I've also just learned that British and Canadians now need a guide to be in Iran, with or without car.

Very interested to know anything you manage to find out about this.

Greets

Daniel (German passport)

__________________
4.5 years around Eurasia in a Toyota Hilux|http://eurasiaoverland.wordpress.com/
Pictures Here|https://picasaweb.google.com/113619413612674951960

When I will have any new information I will let you know

hi there,

i'm a malaysian and will start my motorbike travel from kl to spain on 1 April 2014 after shipping my bike to kathmandu. i have similar problem here in kl where the iran embassy is yet to give me a visa or any confirmation whether i could travel into iran. i have been waiting for 12 days.

cheers.

Look at these threads:

http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hub...for-iran-74382

http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hub...fice-ask-74845

The consensus view at the moment is that it is a new and poorly understood rule, and that you can probably enter and drive around Iran without a guide, so long as you don't tell the embassy / inviting organisation and get a visa as per usual.

__________________
4.5 years around Eurasia in a Toyota Hilux|http://eurasiaoverland.wordpress.com/
Pictures Here|https://picasaweb.google.com/113619413612674951960

hi all,

my name is zainal from malaysia and plan to ride 2 up into iran with my motorbike. we applied for iran visa in kuala lumpur 4 weeks ago. just received an offer from the travel agent saying that my visa would be approved if I agree to engage guide.

the cost for the 2 weeks guide + car + hotel is USD3,500. they said if we do not want the guide, then there is no visa.

the travel agent/guide in iran is called asitravel.

we are not to keen to use guide because no fun to be 'guided' all the time. has anyone any idea how to work around this problem or can confirm that guide is now compulsary in iran?

my wife and i plan to ride from malaysia to europe and africa for 13 months. we are starting on 1 april.

we have received visas for all the countries from nepal to europe except iran. what is the possibility to get iran visa in pakistan? any help is greatly appreciated.

zainal

hey Zainal,

Daniel gave two links one post above. Please read them to find out that there is no solid answer yet to your question.

GRTZ,

JP

Merhaba,

The problem is the local tourism companies.They want to make more money with the service and power given by the government.In real, new government is more friendly to foreign visitors..Just be careful for business contacts in forums and unauthorised guys at gates trying to make paperwork for you against a commission which they never say at the beginning..

So what to do is below..(Approved several times together by foreign friends)

1-Try a different local tourism agent for code number which is the starting prosess for visa.I can recommend a trustable local tourism company for this..You can pay the code fee online or when you are in İran.If something goes wrong,please inform me, I will contact my friend there.Or you can find other company names here in Iran threads..
Iran Visa | Online Visa for Iran | $35

As a general information, we don't need visa for Iran and this is a friendly work done to be helpfull..

2-After you get your registration code number, you can apply for visa at any Iran embassy or consulate.You will pay the visa fee to the bank,fill the form and give it back with the bank receipt..waiting period for visa in İstanbul is generally 4-5 days after application is completed.Bank details and visa form will be given by the consulate staff.At this step,say you have the code number and want to apply for visa..This is how it is done here for travellers heading to Iran (except USA. residents)and same at each consulate as I am told by the Iran consulate İstanbul..

Iran is definitely the country not to be missed,with traditions,colors,dishes, friendships and much more..Hoping internet will be more free there soon and we will be able to meet friendly Iranian travellers here to answer all questions about Iran, friendly and sincerely and E-visa will be possible at other gates beside some airports..

For Pakistan, highly recommend local biker-traveller friends' advices you can meet in forums here.

Wish you all the best..

__________________
Mehmet Zeki Avar
''Borderlines divide countries,HU friendship finds a way to reunited"
https://www.facebook.com/mehmet.avar.12?ref=tn_tnmn

Thanks JP, hope there would be good news for all soon.

Hi Mehmet, I've shared your info with the travel agent/guide (asitravel) and they still insist that guide is required. I posted below their reply.

I will try to apply the online visa that you have suggested.

"DEAR SIR,
AS I HAVE EXPLAINED IT TO YOU ACCORDING TO THE ISLAMIC REPUBLIC OF IRAN RULE ,ANY TOURISTS INTEREST TO ENTER TO ANY IRANIAN BORDERS WITH HIS OWN MOTORBIKE OR ANY OTHER CARRIER THEY MUST HAVE AN IRANIAN GUIDE ALONE WITH HIMSELF (AS ESCORT)TILL THE TOURIST LEAVES IRAN FROM ANY TOURIST LEAVES IRAN FROM ANY BORDERS (SINCE ALL TOURIST WITH ANY NATIONALITY MUST BE CONTROL UNDER IRANIAN GOVERNMENT DURING STAY IN IRAN )
THE ESCORT COST IS A MAIN REAEAN FOR INCREASING SERVICE COST.
YOU CAN CONFIRM THE ABOVE MENTION FROM ANY OTHER IRANIAN TRAVEL AGENTS.
-THE ITINERARY HAS BEEN SEND TO YOU (FOR DECREASING THE PRICE YOU CAN CANCEL SOME OF THE PLAN I HAD GIVEN TO YOU PRIVIOSLY)
-I HAVE RECEVED THE NEEDFULL PERMITION FROM AUTHURITIES AND WAITING TO RECEVE YOUR FINAL REPLY FOR VISA .
-FOR YOU KIND INFORMATION ALL IRANIAN AGENTS ARE UNDER CONTOL OF GOVERNMENT AND WE ARE NOT ABLE TO INCREASE ANY WITHOUT KNOWLAGE OF GOVERNMENT .
-PLESAE NOTICE THAT EVERY IRANIAN CALENDER THE COST OF ENERGY,LABLE COST AND HOTEL ARE GEETING INGREASE BETWEEN 20-25% AND DATE OF HIS VISA WILL BE AFTER THE IRANIAN NEW YEAR CALENDER .
LOOKING FORWARD TO HEAR FROM YOU SOON
BR
AEEN SAFAR IRANIAN"

You need to try another agent, not mentioning anything about motorcycle etc. Then you can get the visa without a problem, and can enter Iran with your motorcycle and without a guide. That is the theory at least. There have not been any reports of tourists with their own transport having problems when entering Iran with a visa, which seems to suggest that it is only an issue at the visa issuing stage, not at the border.

__________________
4.5 years around Eurasia in a Toyota Hilux|http://eurasiaoverland.wordpress.com/
Pictures Here|https://picasaweb.google.com/113619413612674951960

Seems its different with each Iranian consulate and travel agent????

What I wrote is what I see,meet and hear in İstanbul from travellers while waiting for visa here and also what ı got by email from tehran..Emailed again.

1-Just a few weeks ago, done by a broken toyota from taftan gate to dogbiscuit/turkey and without any guide and supported online by Turkish and Greece travellers..A big hello from all of us and hope he will share his experiences with you..
https://www.facebook.com/jon.beardmo...on=friends_tab

Hope will be all regular soon..All the best..

__________________
Mehmet Zeki Avar
''Borderlines divide countries,HU friendship finds a way to reunited"
https://www.facebook.com/mehmet.avar.12?ref=tn_tnmn

Here is the reply I got from the friendly company for visa regist.code.nr..
Iran Visa | Online Visa for Iran | $35
*********************
Hello dear Mehmet,
It's nice to hear from you again. Of course we can apply for these nationalities in the normal way and they don't need to book a tour like Americans.
As long as they have a valid Iranian visa on their passport, there is absolutely no problem and they can enter and travel in Iran by land. Just they need the international car Plate and driving license if they are going to travel by their own vehicle.
I will wait for their application.
Let me know if you have any further question.
Have a nice time,
********************************
Am 18.03.2014 20:24 schrieb "zeki avar" <mrcolonel50@yahoo.com>:
Show message history

__________________
Mehmet Zeki Avar
''Borderlines divide countries,HU friendship finds a way to reunited"
https://www.facebook.com/mehmet.avar.12?ref=tn_tnmn

OK good - but brings up another question... where to get an international plate? My bike is registered in the US. And I have an International Drivers Licence from the US but it's only valid for a year (stupid) and it's expired. Can I get another one from RAC UK for example? I have US drivers licence.

Iranian vehicles need 'international plates' to leave Iran. These have Latin script instead of the Arabic (Persian) script used on domestic Iranian licence plates. Your country licence plate will be fine.

Regards the IDP, I am 99% sure you can only get them in person, in your home country. It's standard for them to be valid only for one year. I would say you will be fine without one...

Interestingly, the 1949 convention IDP, to which Iran is a signatory, no longer has the details in Persian, which the older 1926 convention IDP does have...

__________________
4.5 years around Eurasia in a Toyota Hilux|http://eurasiaoverland.wordpress.com/
Pictures Here|https://picasaweb.google.com/113619413612674951960

I've got my IDP by post the last 2 years in Ireland from AA Ireland using photo copies a UK licence.

They don't seem to be too fussy once you pay your money!