Iran visa
 

We have just opened a bottle of bubbly........... nine days after applying we have been given our authorisation number :D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D:D
This part of our trip has been giving us sleepless nights.
We are so looking forward to travelling through this diverse country.

Pete & Caf

Where/ how did you get it?

We used Persian Voyages, there office is in the UK and they were great to deal with, returning emails on the same day and very helpful when we phoned.

Pete

Good to hear, hope current events won't hamper your trip.

So let me get this straight - it seems there are 2 steps to get an Iranian visa.

1. Get a Letter of Invitation (LOI)

Best bet are travel agencies like amoot, key2persia, stantours, persianvoyages. For a fee they get you a LOI which then allows you to proceed to step #2:

2. Apply for a visa

Options for this appear to be:

The official Online Electronic Visa Service website http://evisa.mfa.gov.ir:7780/mfa/

IranianVisa.com (is this official or just a travel agency?)

The process can apparently take anywhere from 15 days to 2 months, getting denied is not unlikely (especially in current political climate after the elections) and the visa, when issued, is valid for 3 months and allows you to travel in Iran for 30 days. It is possible to extend it when you're in the country.

Makes sense, or am I confusing something? I'm about to embark on a visa-hunting expedition for Iran and Pakistan and am wondering what the best way to attack this is.

Thanks!

Iran visa
 

Congrats to Pete and Caf!!

Answer to apapdop: When you apply to the visa agency (we used Persian Voyages too, who are cheaper than magic carpet) they provide the LOI to the Iranian Embassy, gain you a visa number and you take this number to the embassy with passport and application form. We have elected to pick up in Istanbul - so will take all this to that embassy instead where you are issued with the visa.

We were advised to apply for two weeks only and then extend when there. We were also advised to apply to pick up in Istanbul as it may imply that we are travelling as opposed to spying, which is apparently what can be suspected of British applications that are within the UK and for 30 days.

Hope this helps.

Jo

Great news, congratulations guys.

And if this isn't clear enough evidence to stay clear of IranianVisa.com and use these guys instead I don't know what is. Ten weeks and counting for me.

I just got my authorization code from key2persia.com - also very friendly and efficient communication :thumbup1:

:clap:
Just wanted to tell if anyone has been as worried as I have been that I just got my authorization code for my Iran visa, Swedish citizen.

Leaving Sweden for Thailand during next week.

Freddy

Hi,

Just a heads up if people are reading here and not in the southern asia section, I too received my authorization number today after a week in the hands of persianvoyages.com. And I'm a Brit!

Cheers,

Ian

:thumbup1:

Got my authorisation number too on Monday, after having applied 3 weeks earlier through persianvoyages.com - Greek citizen.

Mind you this is for a SINGLE entry visa, as I was told they don't issue multiple entry visas at the moment.

The email I got was very dodgy (from unknown/free domain, person I had never talked to before, sloppy typing/spelling) and I'm trying to call the travel agency to confirm it's legit. (called them yesterday, were busy, took my details, didn't call me back)

-A

Well, that was short lived:


Ho hum. :(

Cheers,

Ian

Still waiting
 

Hi Pete and Caf
Who did you apply through?? We have applied 5 weeks ago and is still waiting
Susanne

Just to close this off with no bad feelings, I checked up on the dodge email and it was genuine from an associate of Nasrin of persianvoyages.com.

Checked with the embassy that they got the authorisation and now looking forward to picking up the visa from Athens :thumbup1:

Alexandros

I'm currently on the road to Oz now in Goreme, Cappadoccia, and requested a visa authorisation number from persian voyages over 2 weeks ago. They sent me an email saying that British citizens now may or may not need a tourist guide for their trip so I replied saying do whatever they have to, just get me a visa. I rang up the other day to be told that I now needed a guide and have the feeling that they have just sat on their asses for 2 weeks whilst I have passed through my designated pick up point in Istanbul. They are only now finding out how much a guide will cost me. I am not a happy bunny.

My backup plan is to turn up at the border and try to get a transit visa and maybe invent some story about having a grieving wife waiting for me in Pakistan. Either that or go up and over and fly from Tashkent to Delhi. I am currently travelling with a couple of other Brits who got their visas on the day of the election results. They are now wonderng whether they will get to the border and be told they need a guide.

Duncan

apply directly to Iranian embassy
 

Hi
Has anybody had any good result applying directly to Iranian embassy for visa?? Since we have waited 5 weeks for iranianvisa.com we are getting a bit desperate. We have Danish passports
Susanne