Transit Visa for Iran? Anybody gone through this lately...?
 

Can anybody tell me what I need to supply the Iranian embassy with to get a tranist visa for Iran? I am currently told that 7 days are the maximum time I can spent travelling through Iran.....anybody out there who has just recently been through Iran/through the process of getting maybe even extending a Visa...? Is 7 days really the maximum???
I am intending to cross Iran by bike to get to India sometime in September/October of this year and would like to know if I need any contact addresses or hotel reservations when I apply for a visa
(I would prefer playing it by ear rather than booking anything ahead).
I have just received my transit visa for India and Pakistan) am a german citizen and currently in Berlin. Any news relating to the political, social climate in the area (Iran, Pakistan) would also be highly appreciated.
Thanks in advance and hope to see some of you 'pilgrims' on the road.

Andreas

Hallo Andreas,

I am currently in Goreme, Turkey with another rider called Spud. We are travelling through Iran, Pakistan and India as well. Spud is British and I am German. We both applied for a tourist visa through the Iranian Embassy in London and we recieved 30 day visas, no problem at all, at a cost of GBP 47 and took 14 days. Vincent, another guy on the HUBB, had problems getting one through the Iranian embassy in Paris, so it seems to make a difference where you apply, which seems rather daft! As for political climate, I'll let you know if I come across anything worth mentioning. So far, in Turkey, everyone is wonderful - extremly freindly and hospitable.

regards

George

I know several people (German, Swiss, NZ) who recently obtained transit visas from Delhi. They needed a letter of recommendation from their own embassies and then the process was complete within 2 days. The cost seems to be the same no matter where you get your visa (for UK citizens it is GBP43).

A transit visa is normally valid for 7 days but you can extend it for free at any police station within Iran.

I have a 3 week tourist visa which I obtained by paying an agency the rather extortionist fee of GBP70. If I had known it was possible to get a transit visa I wouldn't have bothered but there are certain advantages:

Try Magic Carpet in London (info@magiccarpettravel.co.uk) or Bahman Gasht Tour and Travel Agency in Tehran (bahmantour@neda.net)

The agencies will issue a "Visa Permit Number". Magic Carpet take up to 14 days to get this, the Tehran agency may be quicker. Once your permit number has been issued, you have up to 3 months to pick up your visa from an Iranian Consulate of your choice. In Delhi I got my visa the same day. Once you have your visa you have 3 months to enter the country.

Regards,
Graham.

Graham,

thanks for the useful and precise information. I will try to obtain a tourist visa first and if that fails I will settle for the transit visa. Greetings from Berlin.

andreas

SpiritualRider:
I know several people (German, Swiss, NZ) who recently obtained transit visas from Delhi. They needed a letter of recommendation from their own embassies and then the process was complete within 2 days. The cost seems to be the same no matter where you get your visa (for UK citizens it is GBP43).

A transit visa is normally valid for 7 days but you can extend it for free at any police station within Iran.

I have a 3 week tourist visa which I obtained by paying an agency the rather extortionist fee of GBP70. If I had known it was possible to get a transit visa I wouldn't have bothered but there are certain advantages:

Try Magic Carpet in London (info@magiccarpettravel.co.uk) or Bahman Gasht Tour and Travel Agency in Tehran (bahmantour@neda.net)

The agencies will issue a "Visa Permit Number". Magic Carpet take up to 14 days to get this, the Tehran agency may be quicker. Once your permit number has been issued, you have up to 3 months to pick up your visa from an Iranian Consulate of your choice. In Delhi I got my visa the same day. Once you have your visa you have 3 months to enter the country.

Regards,
Graham.[/QUOTE]

Hý!

I travel from Indýa back to Germany(rýght now I have a majorbreakdown ýn Adana-Turkey) by Enfýeld. They only gave me a Transýtvýsa ýn Germany (I'm from Karlsruhe) of 5 days but getting a extension in Esfahan was so easy... The gave me 7 more days without asking why. I just have to pay 10000 Rials (that's not much).But have passportpictures ready!

I seems that they need the touristmoneybadly...

Enjoy Iran! It'sthe best country so far on my tour!

Stefan

It was fine for us to travel Iran on a transit visa and we just had to renew it in major towns as we needed to. Didn't cost much, a bit of paperwork involved, but nothing too hard.
And you need passport photos as well. LADIES take note that they will not accept passport photos of females unless they are wearing a veil or a scarf in the photos. But, then I have to add that is mostly the case. . . I did have one set without a veil accepted for the renewal of a transit visa so you can never be sure. Have some taken with a veil just to be on the safe side.

OUR VISA FOR IRAN RUNS OUT SOON SO WE DECIDED TO GET A TRANSIT VISA FROM ANKARA. WE WERE TOLD THEY ARE NOW NOT ABLE TO ISSUE ANY KIND OF VISA TO UK OR US CITIZENS ANY WHERE IN TURKEY.

I agree with all previous posts. I travelled through Iran past July, 2002. For those of you in a hurry, it can be done easily in four days. Carnet essential. Border crossings at Mirjave or Turkey no problem. Enjoy. It's a nice country, far removed from "the axis of evil."