My wife and I are on a RTW trip and are currently in Turkey trying to get our visas to Iran, Pakistan, and India. We are Americans. We have been in touch with IranianVisa.com and Hamid the owner. We have just received an email that our visas are approved but he needs us to send him $4500 to reserve the hotels, guide, etc. that are currently required for Americans to cross the country.

Obviously, this is a big amount of money to send and we are a bit leery. Does anyone have any recent experience with IranianVisa.com? We have read here and other places about people having good experiences with them, and other people having very bad experiences.

Any thoughts or advice?

thanks,
kevin and clara
motomoments.blogspot.com

hello kevin and clara,

first I want to tell you this. I would not sent him the money, it is far too much for a visa.

I travelled in 1999 thru Iran and I love the country and the people. So, all information I can give you is outdated. But in 1999 I heared it was impossible for Americans to get a visa. I met in Turkey a German that was refused a visa, I think because of his long hair and his dirty cloth. But than in Iran I met an American photographer, a very young guy, he had just gone to the embassy in Ankara and asked them very polite for a transit visa and they gave it to him. It was very easy to get an extention for a transit visa, I think I stayed more than three weeks on a seven day transit visa.

The transit visa I got in the consulate Erzerum, near the border. My advise on this is, dress very nicely (even if you have to buy a new shirt), shave clean, take a taxi to the consulate, dont tell them that you ride a bike, of course you are married and you have your Pakistani and Indian visas in the passport, be very polite ... and maybe you just get it.

Just to give you some ideas.

Greetings from Bulgaria

Mika

kevin and clara,

I cannot tell you anything about IranianVisa.com, but it sounds like an awful lot of money. Also, you don't say for how many nights you stay in Iran and I don't know how much a guide costs and does he have a car etc? This all makes it a little hard to comment.

However, we entered Iran from Turkey in late 2006 and took about $2000 US in cash with us, we left Iran after 3 weeks towards Pakistan and we still had about $1000 US in our pocket!! That was for 2 people, all accomodation, food, fuel etc and a $250 carpet!! So that gives you some idea how cheap it is in Iran and why I think $4500US for you should be a concern.

The Iranians are really really friendly & wonderful people, but there are scammers in every country, so be very careful....

Regards
John & Alanna

hi kevin and clara
totally agree with mika
i am in Turkey at the moment heading to Iran
should be there Sunday
good luck
joe

ps Hi Mika last time I saw you was in Argentina hope all is well

Thanks to all who replied. Your concerns are what we have heard as well. The Iranian people by all accounts are really nice, the place is safe and cheap.

To the Celt, do you have a VISA or are you planning on getting one in Turkey somewhere? We are in Turkey as well (Gallipolli) and slowly heading East as we try and collect our visas and Carnet.

The $4500 is for the (required) escort, his car and gas, and for hotels for both him and us. We have a 12 day itinerary. We just met an Iranian in Istanbul yesterday who also said this was high. Problem (as always) is one of timing, need it and don't have much time.:confused1:

thanks,
kevin and clara

Hı Kevın and Clara,
Yeah got my vısa already got ıt from Iranıan Embassy ın Dublın before I left
great people to deal wıth, I thınk Mıka ıdea ıs the way to go. let us know how you get on and ıf I can help wıth roads ahead let me know.
regards
joe

Hı Kevın and Clara,
Dıd you get sorted wıth a vısa ???
have just read about a company called east turkey expedıtıons
tel 0536 702 8060 Mount Ararat Trek Mount Ararat Specialist Since 1995. Outdoor, Adventure, Trekking. JOURNEY TO THE CENTER OF THE EARTH....
Dont know anythıng about they but they arrange vısas
for Iran, thats all ı know...
maybe somebody else has heard of them ???
good luck
joe

Finally I have my Iranian visa from the Istanbul, Iranian embassy using Hamid from Iranianvisa.com The story

* Early Sept send scanned image of my passport page to Hamid with 32 euro I think.
* 3 weeks later receive an email telling me my visa has been approved and I can pick it up from Istanbul as I requested (since once issued it will only be valid for 3 months)
* Arrive in Istanbul Friday 2nd Nov but don't go to embassy as Lonely Planet says it is shut but open on Saturdays
* Saturday go to embassy it is shut (opening hours Mon-Fri 8.30am to 12pm only)
* Monday told my authorization letter has not been received. Chase Hamid who assures me he chased the Minstry of Foreign Affairs in Tehran to retransmit the approval to Istanbul
* Tuesday go to embassy authorization fax not recieved but public holiday in Tehran so nothing can be done. Hamid informed and says he will chase them again tomorrow
* Wednesday back to embassy, authorization fax not received. But 'magically' my original letter found - hardly surprizing given he looked through a much bigger pile today. Go pay 95 euros to a bank 600 metre down the road on the right (not 200m on the left as told), photocopy application form, get two passport pictures. Return to embassy and told to come back tomorrow to pick up visa. Explain that it is costing me too much staying here and he kindly gives me the visa half an hour later after the rest of the staff have gone for lunch


So in summary I woud not have got the visa without IranianVisa.com to get the authorization letter approved but somewhere between Hamid, the MFA in Tehran and the guys in Istanbul at least one buffon exists but I can't work out who it is

*DO NOT USE IRANIANVISA.COM*

I am currently having a very negative experience with iranianvisa.com who I had hoped were going to help me with my application for a visa for entry to Iran.

They were not able to confirm that they could provide my visa for the dates that I had requested (due to the Iranian new year) but proceeded to submit and bill me for their service anyway.

After several rude & threatening emails demanding that I send them funds, I transferred the funds to the details they supplied from Lloyds bank in London and provided documentary proof of the transfer to Iranianvisa.com. It is possible that language difficulties are the reason for the tone of their communications - either way this is not good.

Having transferred funds to the bank details that they provided, the person at iranianvisa.com (who is using a free gmail account) is threatening to register my 'non-payment' with Iranian authorities unless I send the funds _again_.

If they haven't received your payment, I can understand why they wouldn't be processing your application yet. After my payment went through, I got my approval number emailed through about 3 weeks later which was plenty time for me to get my visa in Quetta. Just make sure you haven't left it till the last minute.

__________________
Mike


www.singapore-scotland.blogspot.com
www.argentina-alaska.blogspot.com
My little Vid: India/Pakistan

BMW R1150GS
Suzuki DR650 SE: Ride it like ya stole it. Oh, somebody just did...

Hi Kevin and Clara, and everybody else.

Things have be cleared here a bit. You guys are American. That sets you guys a bit apart concerning the Iranian Visa.

Most other people would get an Iranian Visa in 10 working days. Going through the normal channels, I am not talking about an agency.

We were in Erzerum and got our visas pretty easy [2003] but the two Americans who wanted to pushbike trough Iran had no luck. I don't know what happened in the end.

But we met an American travelling solo in Iran with a [compulsory for Americans [he told us]] guide. He had to pay a large amount of money as to imitate a group of 12 [I believe it was 12, don't know for sure]. He told us you had to travel in a group with a fixed itinerary.

So I guess you would have to look for some specific information concerning only Americans who got a visa for Iran.

I don't think any of us non-Americans can get you the information you need, for you are the exception in the rule here.

Good luck, and keep us informed.

Adventurous greetings,
Coen

__________________
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- On the road since 2003 in a vintage Land Cruiser

I also have had a few issues with iranianvisa.com. After sending nothing more than an initial enquiry e-mail asking how things work and stating my itinerary they have been sending many rude and threatening letters demanding payment and stating they have incurred costs I need to repay. Someone called Sarah from iranianvisa.com has also told me that I am being reported to the MFA and that my file has been blacklisted. All a little over the top I think.

I have decided to go with Iran travel agency Iran tour agency Iran tour operator tour and travel to Iran visa fly to Iran tourism who seem more competent and have a live chat button on the website from which you can get immediate responses.

We have just waited for 6 weeks to get our pasports back from the iranain embassy to start our trip next friday only to find out that they have been reefused!!! BASTARDS!

Excuse me for being dumb but, did you have an authorisation, then sent in your passports and they were refused ?

Pete

__________________
Vietnam, Cambodia & Thailand 2016
Buenos Aires to NYC 2012-2013: www.facebook.com/curryhunt
India and back 2009-2010:

The way the visa companies work (eg Iranianvisa etc) is you pay your fee, submit your application and all being well, you get emailed your visa authorisation code after a few weeks. In your application, you specify where you want to pick up your visa, in my case I specified Quetta.

At the Iran consulate in Quetta or wherever you specified, you pay your visa fee, fill in your visa application and give them your visa authorisation number and give them your passport. The following day, I picked up my passport with my Iranian visa in it. Hope that helps.

__________________
Mike


www.singapore-scotland.blogspot.com
www.argentina-alaska.blogspot.com
My little Vid: India/Pakistan

BMW R1150GS
Suzuki DR650 SE: Ride it like ya stole it. Oh, somebody just did...