Iranian Embassy, London

[Fern]

Oh dear, looks like diplomatic relations between UK and Iran are really on a slippery slope now.

Does the fact that both have expelled each others staff, mean that they won't be issuing Visas now? Or could one travel to another Iranian embassy for a visa?


Hopefully it'll blow over for when I apply in a few months, otherwise its through the stans!

[kujo4pm]

Hey Fern,

International relations are a bitch. Why can't everyone get along and let us ride through their countries? Because then Adventure motorcycling would just be motorcycling and it would harder to justify taking months off to do it.

I am getting my cousin in Berlin to ring the Iranian embassy there to find out. Will be in touch.

Does anyone know a way of improving your chances of getting a visa? I have an Austrian passport and an Australian one, my mate has a UK one and an Australian one. We've both decided to go on an Aussie one so our chances are the same but it still seems pretty slim. Are their particular agencies which are better than others? Have any people failed with trying means and succeeded with others?

Thanks,
Kurt

[pecha72]

Maybe from Ankara? Here´s an older thread about the subject – but I have no personal experience of applying in Turkey, because I got my Iranian visa from Helsinki before I left.... and I think with a UK passport it could be a tall order from anywhere right now:

http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hub...n-turkey-36129

[Fern]

from the BBC
'
James Reynolds
BBC Iran correspondent
As I write these words, Iran's flag continues to fly from the balcony of the embassy building. A single police officer stands at the front door. A police van with six police officers inside is parked outside, its engine running (presumably to keep the officers warm).

A few doors down I watched two men load several dozen cardboard boxes into a removal van. One box appeared to contain a flatscreen TV. On another, the words London Council Affairs Visa Sectionn were scribbled in Farsi.

Nearby at Iran's consulate a small number of visitors were allowed inside to collect visas and passports. But the staff did not accept any new applications.'

oh well!

[henryuk]

Fern,

I'm having exactly the same problem. I was planning on going Iran-Pak-India but now am going Russia - Kazakhstan - Kyrgyzstan - China - Pak - India, problem solved!

A little birdy who works in the visa field focussing on central asia told me that it 'was still possible' to get a Iran visa as a UK resident but didn't expand on that.

The big advantage of the northern route is you get to ride the Pamir Highway AND the Karakorum Highway pretty much back to back. It used to be very expensive to get in from Kyrg as you needed a guide but if you have a chinese visa I've been told you can get across at Irkeshtam OK so I'm going to try and just turn up with a visa and blast across, maybe spend a day in Kashgar going 'wow I made it into China'

[Fern]

cool! I've already got a one year multiple entry business visa for China, and I travel there every few months. I was thinking of trying to get my driving licence out there before I go, *'ve been told that if you do your test in a remote non touristy place, the computer theory part is all in Chinese, but you can have ***an assistant***** help you through the process. cough cough.

That just leaves the bike and border headache. I wonder if these guides are state licensed, if not I could employ one of our existing employees to travel out? Maybe not, they are city dwellers who I don't think would be up for overlanding, someone with local knowledge and expertise would be better.

When are you thinking of leaving Henry? I was thinking of doing Oz to London starting Oct, but as I've found out i'm eligible for 12 month oz and 12-23 month NZ working visas, i've swapped round, and that means London to NZ, so trying to hit Nepal before Oct. So prob leaving April now.

I know James and Emily [url=http://motoventurers.com/about]Motoventurers: honeymoon world motorcycle adventure

[Fern]

ah! message warped after the link I put in. Anyways James and Emily joined together with others to use Newland travel to get through that bit of China, possibly all schemed out somewhere on the hubb, I will drop them a line to see how they did it and what it cost.

[henryuk]

Sweet, I was contemplating just getting a visa, turning up at the border and winging it but I'll admit that plan does have a few issues.

I'm leaving lateish June if all goes according to plan. I'll be going through Russia and dropping into Mongolia from Ulan Ude, then turning back west to enter Kyrgzstan from Kazakhstan. Are you also going from Kathmandu to Bangkok to go over Burma - that is also my plan.

Looking at the map the only sensible option once out of China is to go through Srinigar then up to Leh so you can ride the Leh-Manali road. I've seen some pictures from that road - it looked amazing.

[Fern]

wow, Ulan Ude is as far east as Vietnam. I'll prob go via Russia after I have worked in Oz and NZ. Who knows, 3 years is a long time! But hey, always got to be thinking about the next big one even if you are setting out on a mammoth of one tomorrow.

I will go via Ukraine, but I really want to see the Balkans and Turkey to, might go round in a bit of a circle. There is the Odessa Instanbul ferry in the summer.

'Srinigar then up to Leh so you can ride the Leh-Manali road.' reading a few RRs about that at the mo. Looks great.

[henryuk]

As we're both aiming to be in Nepal for October do you fancy trying to arrange the same China crossing to bring the cost down?

[Fern]

The earlier through the better, I reckon the passes are snowed over by sept near KKH, defo up for doing the route with fellow travellers and sharing costs through China, perhaps we should put a thread up in the relevant bit to gauge interest..?

[henryuk]

sounds good - I've just seen another thread where people were going through as a group of 5. I am pretty flexible timing wise as I am doing the road of bones on my way back to europe after some time working in Aus and am riding through Mongolia after that. On my Elefant I know I could make it to Kazakhstan in about two weeks but my next bike is a bit of an unknown quantity - no fairing and a 60s motor

[Fern]

was that an old thread as group of 5?

I haven't even got my bike yet!?! I'm waiting on my court case and a big sack of ££££. Thats in feb. My old DR400 is in no state to grace the road yet, and I can't see a faired GS500 suxuki doing it, I bet it could but not the bike of choice.

I'm flexible with dates, really got to start making some more definite penciled decisions.

So potentially we are looking at Aug Sept for the KKH?


What is your next motor?? Is it a classic bike? If I read correctly somewhere? If you need advice about bonnies or commandos then my dad is a bit of a maestro.

[henryuk]

I didn't check the original date it may have been an old thread with a new posting.

I was at first planning on taking a Commando, they are just amazing bikes but they are damn heavy. I've tracked down a Triumph 650 engine from a Trophy and am putting it in a Metisse frame with modern wheels brakes and suspension and a larger tank etc. It should weigh in at less than 150 kg and I travel very light so hopefully it will be good and nimble. After hammering around on a 750 last time I am not that bothered about top speed for this trip. Plus I'm taking it to a lot of classic events in Aus and the US.

My cagiva Elefant will be back on the road soon all pimped out but I need to sell it so I can subsidise my 'bloody team mates for the Africa trip - at the mo we have about 500 quid to share between us and we leave in 5 weeks!

[Fern]

send us your paypal details and i'll bung you enough £ for one frontera tyre!