Lou

I note you are in contact with Hossein regarding carnet / insurance for Iran. I have checked the link and have tried on the first two numbers which are unobtainable. The third rings but as yet is unanswered. Also tried by email but no response as yet. He may be travelling.

I am based in Dubai and am looking to travel at the end of April / Early May. Could you let me know how you are progressing with Hossein and have you any updated contact information. Also any relevant travel info for routes back either to the UK or to Poland would be much appreciated. I am not sure if I am going by bike ( UK registered) or by 4x4 (UAE registered) just yet.

many thanks

Here is a link for ferry information from Iran, Bandar Abbas to Dubai / Sharjah and Oman. It includes prices, times, distances and contact details for transport agencies.

Iran ferry ship, persian gulf shipping ticket, Travel Iran persian, Tour Operator Iran persian gulf, IranTravelingCenter

It also contains information for other Persian Gulf ferries from Iran ports:
Bandar Bushehr
Bandar Lengeh
Khoramshahr
Abadan

to:
Bahrain
Qatar
Kuwait
Damman, Saudi Arabia
Kish ( Island)
Qishm (Island)

Anyone travelling on a southerly route from Europe to the Middle East may already have third party insurance coverage on their existing insurance for other countries under the green card system. Here is a link to a map showing coverage.

Green Card System

and a link to further information on the green card:

Council Of Bureaux › Status of the Green Card

No, I'm not in contact with Hossein, I just know that some people did this one year ago.

Hi All

Thanks for all the info - very helpful. I got in contact with Hussein by email and he replied after some time that he could help me out with a carnet but that he lives 2000kms away from Bandar Abbas and I should give him notice so he can make his way down and meet us at the border. He said that it would cost around $300 per bike. He did give me a number to call - 09144138096 but I havent called it yet as Im still doing the visa first.

I hear conflicting ideas about getting on the boat without a carnet. I heard that immediately at customs you would be put in prison if you didnt have the carnet at this point and also that you wouldn't be allowed to actually get on the boat in the UAE without the carnet already in place. So I am a bit nervous to use someone who would meet me at the border but at the same time I guess this is all part of the travelling experience!!!!!! Still, this is our first country and I don't want to get nicked on the first day!!!!!

However, I do have a big problem about getting the carnet here with the ATC as
1. all my money is in UK bank accounts and don't wanna transfer money over as I will loose on the exhange rate.
2. I will have to use a guarantor to get the money back as I won't be in the country again and this seems to complicate things as the guarantor also has to put down a deposit?

All in all, I see it as a challenge and it will be sorted. Iran is definitely a country that I want to visit and this will probably be one of my last chances as I won't be returning to this region any time soon!

I willl let you all know of any further developments.

Thanks
Lou

when I travelled to Iran last spring, I didn't prepare any Cornet before the trip. All things were made at the border (but I entered from Azerbaijan). I travelled through the whole Iran and went back with a Caspian sea ferry directly to Russia. At Iranian border agents made for me TRANSIT documents for my car for 5(five) days. I was in Iran for 2 weeks (5 days ended exactly in Bender-Abbass) and when I was loading to the russian ferry, in Anzali, agents made for me corrections for some money and 'closed their eyes' on my additional time I was in the country (about 9 days over limit).
The reason that I didn't get Cornet de passage (or how it called, I don't know) - that the point of exit from Iran must be the same as point of entrance (if I entered from Azejbaijan, I need to go back through Azerbaijan also). Since after Iran my way was routed directly to Russia over the sea, they said me they can only do transit documents for me.
I paid about 150 USD for the agent. This included all taxes, border fees, and agent's fee, also I didn't do anything but waited for 4 hours while that agent was running through the customs area making signs, staps, paper copies, etc,etc,etc..
They gave me about 12 papers (A4 format) for the car )) Everything was in Farsi. As I understood, there were letters, certificates, tables and all other sh*t.

When I was leaving the Iran at Anzali port I paid additional 100 USD for the same procedure and it took about 10 hours in total to prepare all documents.

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Hi mosq, were did you get the info about exit point being the same as entry point ?

Cheers
Pete

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Vietnam, Cambodia & Thailand 2016
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exactly at the border (Astara town, between Azerbaijan and Iran, near Caspian sea). when agent didn't allow me to write exit point "Anzali" in Carnet, I went directly to the border's chief and asked what the hell is going on.. they said me that this is the rule, that "if you enter to Iran with Carnet then you must exit to the same border point where you entered. If you want to exit to another country, then it means that Iran will be transit country for you, and you need to have transit documents."

As I understood from what they said later: when you do transit documents, some iranian transportation company must "control" your vehicle. they write that your vehicle is under control of "ABC company", give all certificates, transit route table and other stuff and then you can go through Iran. There are several transport companies for your choice and from every company there is an agent at any border point around Iran.
I can post that documents, if someone can read Farsi.

All this sounds too hard and fantastic, and I didn't believe them even I entered Iran, I thought that they fooled me and just took money for nothing... But maybe such customs procedure is true, because Iran like paper works, and for every move you will need a bunch of papers. (for example, when I exchanged 100 USD to Iran Reals at the bank, I posted about 5 signs, then stamped 4 papers, then they made copies and only then exchanged me that $100)..

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My adventures stories, photos, and future plans.

Late 2008 we had no issues with standard, pre-organised Carnets and entering and exiting through different border crossings.

The "on the border" system sounds far easier and cheaper, but I'd be interested to hear more news of it.

Ben

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i am sailing from Sharjah to Iran on 08 Nov.
I have my Oasis tickets and they have retained my original Carnet and Cert Of Tourism isued by AA Dubai on behalf of RTA. Oasis have advised me both these docs are required to board and they handle these formalities with the Authorities to speed things up.

Wrt the Carnet Guarentee,Stefano is correct re undervalue and haggle. I put up Dh.25k for a 1 yr old LR Defender after haggling. Best to go in there on a Sat morning when its quiet and relaxed. I have put down a cash deposit and my daughter in law is going to redeem it when I send her the Carnet back. I have put her name on the receipt slip for the deposit. There was no mention of a counter guarentee from her!!!!This may also be your best method if you have a friend you can trust to send the Carnet back to and redeem the deposit for you but remember to have his name put on the cash deposit receipt.

I have arranged Green Card through Home in Holland and Iran is a member of the GC system.

Don't forget to allow approx 4 wks(max) for your Iranian visa.

Enjoy your trip.

Hi Guys

Some great info.
I will be traveling through Iran at the end of Feb begging of March then into Turkmenistan Uzbekistan Kazakhstan Russia Ukraine Slovakia Czech Republic Germany Luxembourg Belgium France UK.

the Automobile club here have told me that I don't need a carnet as I will be exporting the bike on export plates, I thought this was a bit odd so I called the Iran embassy and they told me that what ever the Automobile Club have said is what I do.

So now I am very confused. The joys of traveling.

Peter

I'd be very sceptical of that. It doesn't really make sense either, wouldn't a car on export plates be even more likely to be sold in Iran? Try contacting Iranian customs, they're the only ones who can give competent answers.

There have been reports of people getting into Iran without a carnet though. The guy I'm thinking of paid something like 200 Dollar for some sort of insurance against him selling the car, but had to wait a day at the border.

They're definitely not going to just let the vehicle in without anything. I'd play it safe and try and get a carnet.

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I did Sharjah to Bandar Abbas in August, carnet from Qatar was 50,000 QAR plus about 800 for the carnet itself, the 50,000 was returned in days, but I did present the carnet in person. I dont think you can get on the ferry without one. The ferry website is way out of date, the only route is Sharjah-Bandar Abbas, Sunday evening 10pm, and Thursday I think as well, arrive on Saturday to start the paperwork, then turn up at about 4pm on Sunday and faff about for 6 hours before the ferry leaves, all part of the fun. We went on KTM 990s, brillant bike for the trip, Rob

Incidently I was able to contact one Hossein Ravanyar (he says he can organize a Carnet de Passage in Iran) Iran Overland :: Explore Iran Overland - Hossein Ravanyar - Tabriz and he wrote back which I believe many people have tried and failed - looks like he's back in action!

Hi Alan, I guess by the time you get this you may well be gone. If not why, if so, how did you get the carnet issue resolved.