Hi
Does any one know if it is possable for some one with an English passport to get a visa for Iran from Istanbul, i like the idear of visiting Iran and touring around, but with the way things are at the moment between the UK and Iran i don't think there is much chance. Any one out there know better Thanks Skip

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Do the best you can with what you have,
A stranger in a strange land now heading North South East West to.....

I am surprised you haven't had a reply from someone with more recent experience, but this was situation as of June 2011:

The process is a lengthy one. You must first apply for an authorisation number via an Iran based agent. You'll find the details of some recommended agents in other threads. The agent will email you the current form. When you apply for the authorisation number you nominate which country you will collect your visa from. When you have been advised of your authorisation number (which may take several weeks as it involves security etc checks) you then complete another form and take it with photos and the approriate fee to the Iranian Embassy in the country that you nominated. That embassy will have been notified in advance of your name and authorisation number. They are supposed to keep record of the notification for 90 days but I have been told that some of them dispose of them after only 17 days - which means you start again. The visa can still be refused regardless of the fact that you have an authorisation number

When I went to Iran in 2011 the process for getting a visa on a UK passport took about 2 months altogether. I suspect it may now take even longer and could be refused for any reason - which does not have to be disclosed to you.

Iran was one of the highlights of our trip. A lovely country and lovely people who could not understand why there is such bad feeling between the UK and Iran. A common question was - "why does your Government hate us". Try explaining that to someone on the street! There were English tourists who pretended to be Australian to avoid the questions. I have to stress that it was puzzlement that was behind the questions not antagonism. On the subject of nuclear weapons the Iranian people told us they do not want the bomb but they do want nuclear power though one did point to the fact that 3 of their neighbours - Russia, India and Pakistan - all have the bomb with the tacit approval of the West so why shouldn't they as a matter of national security if they want it.

Check out the tread 'UK severs ties with Iranian banks'

+1 to what Deolali said.

Also it might be worthwhile going to Ankara instead of Istanbul for your visa, because it is a little bit smaller and cheaper and then if the Visa isn't ready you can plan ahead and visit surround areas while waiting for the visa.

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TurboCharger + Francois (our BMW R1200gs) '07
www.riding2up.net, blog.riding2up.net

Is Iran making their visa more difficult for UK citizens?

For Germans (and I assume for most other EU citizens) it is pretty easy. No authorisation number, no agent. Just an overnight application at a consulate, that's it.

If you need help or free follow me escort to any consulate building in İstanbul,feel free to contact us or group Bikers without Borders..

İstanbul is a very great city and the fastest growing and developing one.
We will be happy to be helpful.

System for İran visa is the same as explained above before.
For pick up visas,here are adresses of İran consulates in Turkey.They don't have any websites yet.

ANKARA Büyükelçilik:
Tahran Cad. No: 10, 06700 Kavaklıdere, Ankara
Telefon: 468 28 20 - 21 (pbx)
Faks: 468 28 23 – 427 35 41

İSTANBUL Konsolosluk
Ankara Cad. No.1, Cağaloğlu, İstanbul
Telefon: (212) 513 82 30
Faks: (212) 511 52 19
iranconsulateist@ircgi.org

TRABZON Konsolosluk
Taksim Caddesi Kızıltoprak Sokak No: 3, Trabzon
Telefon: (462) 326 76 51
Faks: (462) 326 76 52-53

ERZURUM konsolosluk (Close to İran bordergate)
Alparslan Bulvarı, Osman Gazi mah., 201. sok., Eres Yapı Kooperatifi, D Blok, Yıldızkent, Erzurum
Telefon: (442) 315 99 83
Faks: (442) 316 11 82

Wish you all the best.

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

Hate to disagree.

Officially, you have to apply at an embassy/consulate and applications are sent to the Foreign Ministry in Tehran for consideration. Having an authorisation numbers (for example through an visa agency) means that your application has already been filed and approved, and you now only need to get the actual visa in your passport.

However, some consulates (eg. Trabzon) apparently have their own processes and issue visas in a couple of days. This is the exception though and I wouldn't count on it.

Practical travel information on Visas in Iran - Lonely Planet Travel Information

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Where is Julian?

eljulian@
right...thats why we recommend consulates which are less crowded such as in Trabzon and Erzurum.
Last year 2 Belgium, 1 Uk. biker, 2 NL. bikers got their visas at Trabzon after making their first applications there without any authorisation numbers..
I think they like bikers

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

We (1 Austrian, 2 Germans) received our tourist visas twice overnight at the Irani Consulate in Munich, Germany. Without any authorisation number. Very friendly and efficient.

Two friends of mine, again one Austrian, one German, and independent of each other, received their visa-on-arrival at Tehran Airport.

To me it seems that the "difficulty" of getting an Irani visa is a bit hyped up.

The first time it was reasonably easy... Great time there, no problems at all, so the 2nd should be easier. So, 2 years later... it took me two months and great effort. My girlfriend, no problem. As for me, someone had to go (on my behalf) to the Ministry of Foreign Affaires in Tehran to answer some questions - What if I go to the Embassy myself? - No, it has to be there. - But who??? I could solve it, but it was difficult.

As eljulian, I also have to disagree. It may be easy. But it may also hard and also be refused.

I'm British, applied for an Iranian visa at the very end of December, had it approved 10 days later, went to the Iranian embassy in Abu Dhabi to collect it yesterday and had no problems at all. The young lady that dealt with me was very pleasant and helpful and i was finished there in under 30 mins, although i do have to actually collect the passport again after today sometime, whenever i can get back down to Abu Dhabi.

One word of warning, i had to show evidence of travel health insurance, so remember to take a copy of the policy documents that you have with you in case you are asked for it.

J

Hi
Thanks for all the great in put i think i will try and sort out the Irannan visa when i get to Turkey thanks again Skip

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Do the best you can with what you have,
A stranger in a strange land now heading North South East West to.....

One further slight hiccup when i sent someone else to collect it, was that they required fingerprints for the Tehran Interpol files. I therefore had to return again to the city to do this.
I'm not sure if this is the same process in other Iranian embassies, but i had to go to the Abu Dhabi Ministry of the Interior to get the prints done and verified (105 Dirhams), then returned to the embassy, where the visa was issued within 15 minutes.
Good luck when you apply and remember to ask them exactly what they require, to save a wasted journey at the collection stage.
J