I am Canadian passport holder, traveled 100+ countries. As anyone else, do not enjoy conflicting/unclear information when travel "planning".


Could you share your recent (2010 or 2011) experience of obtaining Iran visa while you are on the road (away from your home country), and NOT using an on-line agency.


Here's what i have heard / read:
.

1. Many persons APPLY FOR and COLLECT it in 1 day in Trabzon Turkey.... the whole process...no e-authorization code, no agency, nada beforehand



2. Canadian poster on another website used an agency, to pick up in Turkey (i#1 states e-code/agency not needed), and Iran embassy would not give him a visa [he had the e-code authorization]
Iranian visa for Canadian in Tbilisi - APPROVED! - Lonely Planet travel forum


3. I was in Azerbaijian 2.5 yrs ago and visited an office that said i could APPLY FOR and COLLECT visa the next day(36-48 hours) for 50 Euro. Again, it did not require using an on-line agency/no advance e-code.



I'm not for using these agencies since: i've read mixed reviews on internet, they appear to not save much time or success rate, have a basic cost, require money to be wired to an individual in Germany or Turkey (cost of wire) which my bank requires originals of requests for wire. Why don't the agencies whose individuals in Germany/Turkey accept a credit card? Why don;t they guarantee Visa apporval?
Traveling from Turkey to Iran: Iranian visa information : www.outtheresomewhere.ca


Thank you for any help / sharing experiences you can provide.

Has anyone tried doing it them selfs through this website

Iran ministry of Foreign Affairs

Welcome to Ministry of foreign affairs , Islamic Republic of Iran

I had a look - you fill out the form add a scan page of your passport and a photo and .... wait to hear back?

If you have done it yourself - how long it take?

Thanks
Danielle

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Just looked at the MFA tourist visa site and well it only proposes two land borders (Shalamcheh and Mehran). Both of which are with Iraq... not at all useful for most overlanders travelling via Turkey or Pakistan. Maybe that's why you need to use an authorised Travel Agent.

Oh and to answer the Visa Credit Card question - Iran doesn't do trade with Foreign banks, well at least none that are associated with USA. (it's the whole anti-US thing they think the US is the devil and everything US does is evil and conspiring to destabilise the regime). Meaning that your credit/debit or other bank card won't work in Iran, you must have cash $$$$

Let us all here know if your find another way to get your visa.

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

Iran MFA website -- i've tried a bunch of times and the website hangs when trying to upload 100kb photo (i noticed now it has a note 15kb...but it does not say this is maximum or approximate size). Back in 2009, i did a test application and photo apparently uploaded but i did not have answers prepared for all questions and then i did not know exactly where i would pick up, etc so did not proceed in 2009)
Many people say the website doesn;t work.
Many people, especially the agencies, say using that system you will be denied. Yup, all this fear, doubt screws you up ...if the approval process was 1-1.5 weeks, i'd give it a shot, but 5 weeks, forget it. However, the agencies , according to many people on internet aren;t much better/fast.


Iran agencies having representatives living in Turkey / Germany .... so they do not like a credit/debit card from a European bank ?? or from Paypal ?
They really know how to make it more costly and inconvenient to pay them.

Visa / border entry ... if you have the Visa paper, then almost 100% of time, such is honoured at borders all around the world (yes, always border officers have the right to ignore/not accept any Visa papers obtained from their own embassy). Many people have done the route through the northern Iraq /Kurdistan region.


I'm checking with persons living in Trabzon (using Facebook, Couchsurfing, etc) on current situation to applying and obtaining visa in Trabzon.
So much conflicting information ... i've met many travelers first-hand who did NOT have e-authorization, went to Trabzon, applied for and received visa in 1 or 2 days (Europeans, Japanese, Korean).

On internet, 1 Canadian said he had the e-authorization (which you get from Iran travel agency) and still they would not give him the visa. Another Canadian had no problem in Turkey.

Stuff like this makes you wonder whether or not to go to countries that make it such a PITA to visit. ... and hey, maybe i'll use an agency and pick up visa in Georgia or Armenia (avoiding that $60 visa fee for Turkey, the highest of any country in the world , that Canadians pay to enter Turkey).
It's the concepts/principles that cause the frustration.

We used Money Bookers but it will depend on the Agency... Just like paypal with more fees


I'm not having a go at you, but it is any country's perogative who they decide to let in and who they refuse. Should you should be treated differently from others? Surprising to think so for someone having travelled as extensively as yourself. I hope this isn't the case.

The visa is the price it is and it is set reciprically by consulates/embassies in each country, so try looking at the cost of the visa for Iranians looking to travel in Canada, I'm sure it's not cheap either. I was told that it was the most expensive for US citizens (as opposed to Canadians) but this might just be because they need to be escorted during the entire time in Iran. Be glad you're not from the US...


BTW Filling out your profile will help members better direct information relevant to your circumstances. Oh and Welcome to the HUBB!!!

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

Just received a message from club members who are in tehran now on the way to china.

Petrol prices for foreigners just increased in İran.Now 700 tümen which was 100.
Very cold,always snowing.Inflation is riding around the world and we are sponsoring it)))).

Orijinal message.
Şu ana kadar soğuk ve yağış peşimizi hiç bırakmadı; fakat moralimiz son derece iyi...
Tek sıkıntımız 100 Tümen olan benzin fiyatı şu an 700 Tümen
Enflasyonda dünya turuna çıkmış... Sponsoruda biz olduk )

Visa is the problem between governments but the cost is paid by the people.
What you get is what you give so the powers of clubs and rider magazines are important when they are together..No visa for turkish and iran travellers.

After 105.000 mails to Russian and Turkish Prime Ministers sent by Turkish Riders, today its signed in Moskow by 2 Prime Ministers that nomore visa will
be needed for 2 sides beginning from 17.april.2011.
Same will be with India after June-2011.Now we are working to defeat visas to China for Turkish Riders.

Hope there will be no more visas in the future.

Best Wishes

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''Borderlines divide countries,HU friendship finds a way to reunited"
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Hi TurboCharger, i probably confused things in my post ... no problem with the Visa fee for Iran , but rather then conflicting information, and the travel agencies who could be scaring people into using their service and yet, from many posters have complained about these Iran travel agencies. So, i'm trying to not have the agency-headache (and the costs of course for FedEx maybe $75 to 100, + wire transfer cost $40 on top of the agency fee).


The Visa cost that bothers me a little is the Turkey arrangement (with Canada - it is what it is, but i'm wondering what did Canada do to Turkey?)


Response from 1 Couchsurfer in Trabzon...says a Canadian he met could not get the Iran visa in Trabzon , and he gave me email of a canadian who did get iran visa but Trabzon Couchsurfer did not know where/when/how.

Or perhaps it's the US sanctions against Iran preventing US corporations trading with Iran? Originally unilateral to boot.

I can't find any definitive document as it appears to hark back to the US Embassy siege in '79 and the web isn't being forthcoming but there were new sanctions applied last year to prevent the wilier trader accepting CCs, cashing them in Dubai then wiring the money home.

I did wonder about the VISA/MasterCard stickers in Imam Square...

I can't fault you there, that much is true.

The main Bank Melli Iran in any sizeable town has a pretty honest rate for USD, EUR and GBP. I seem to recall CAN$ and AUS$ too, in some of them.

Cheers,

Ian

1. Response from a medical doctor living in Erzurum who contacted the embassy:
<<<
Hi xxxxxxxx

The number of Erzurum Iran Consulate is: +90 (442) 315 99 83
According to the info they gave, without e-authorization it would take 1-2 weeks to issue the visa because they have to send the papers to Iran and wait for a response.

Instead, they suggest to get the visa from the Istanbul consulate when you arrive in Turkey. Their number is +90 (212) 513 82 30. >>>>


So, it seems possible to get Visa without e-authorization beforehand, in Turkey. Of course, you can get denied whether or not using an Iran travel agency....so, why pay agency+wire cost+FedEx fees(in my and maybe others' case) only to find you've been denied? if you are in the country anyways, go to embassy start the process, and if denied at last you have not lost that money.

[the Istanbul situation though, i think is incorrect -- for Istanbul i heard it has never been possible to obtain the visa without e-authorization OR it takes several weeks. In other words, Istanbul is not so feasible].



2. Credit cards. The transaction would be : Traveler sends money to Individual in Germany/Turkey .

(a) currently travelers wire money to the person in Germany/Turkey. Person in Germany/Turkey could do whatever they want with the money, including wiring it back to Iran.

(b) so, why doesn't the Germany/Turkey person not set up a facility to accept payment from a European Bank (Euro $ denominated) credit or debit card? Of course, this probably requires the person in Germany/Turkey to not be a citizen/birth of Iran (IF there is something about sanctions)


So, i'm trying to decide whether :

A. Iran in springtime (late April/May).... new season colours, moderate temperatures, travel via Turkey. Then proceed north Georgia,Ukraine, Belarus, Baltics If cannot get Iran visa within 2 weeks, this blows the trip significantly.

OR

B. does something else until early June, then Ukraine/Baltics, Belarus early July, Georgia late July, Iran in August and onward eastward. Apply for Iran visa in Ukraine and wait the 4 weeks [if that fails, then use travel agency maybe pay another traveler to wire the money...save the FedEx courier cost and maybe Europeans it's simpler/faster/less cost to wire money]

I was denied my visa through the Iranian Consulate in Ottawa. I don't really know why.