No Pak visas for Germans in Istanbul

[beddhist]

I'm stuck in Turkey. I have two expired Pak visas in my passport, but it didn't help: the Pak embassy demands a "letter of introduction". Once I managed to get into the German embassy fortress (took over an hour) I was told "your trip ends right here". I guess the Germans actually pushed the Paks into doing this, as I was told the German FO considers the area too dangerous to travel in.

I have read that they do the same in Delhi.

So, German bureauprats decide where I can or can't go.

Advice: get your Pak visas before going to India or Turkey.

[mika]

hi,

dont give up, the bureaucrats can be beaten in their papergame.

Some of my ideas: try Ankara, try Athens, try Damascus, try Tehran or go up to any of the Stans

There is a way, find it.

Mika

[Lars]

Hi there,

just heard recently that

a) it is not possible to get a Pak visa in Iran

b) a guy who had the same problem in Teheran flew to Dubai and got it. Just a rumour though, did not meet the guy personally.

Sue them! In my opinion the German gouvernment is abusing an international convention (=LOR) to prevent German citizens from free movement without appropriate legal reason. Will take some time though...

Lars

[Stephano]

Originally Posted by Lars

a guy who had the same problem in Teheran flew to Dubai and got it. Just a rumour though, did not meet the guy personally.

The 'motorradnomaden' [both German] got their Pakistan visas from Dubai last December. I will call the Consulate for you tomorrow and see if anything's changed.

Here's their web site info:
http://www.pakcgdubai.org.ae/more_ser.htm

Stephan

[beddhist]

Thanks to all for the suggestions and especially to Stefano for the effort. Yes, I have read about all of the above. I was in Ankara, didn't try Istanbul, as others have and were just turned away.

I have now changed my route and will head for UAE, possibly doing a loop of Oman and Yemen. If I can get the visa there then (if I can get another Iranian visa) I head back across the streight and continue.

Somehow this could be a blessing in disguise... These sorts of things sometimes are. I get to see places I would have ignored otherwise and I could arrive in Pak at a more suitable time to head for the mountains, which are now impassable. Who knows.

I don't think they could be sued successfully, as they are not directly preventing me from going. It's the Pakis demanding this piece of paper.

Just checked the link to the Pak embassy:

No objection letter from Consulate / Embassy of the applicant's country of origin required. This is what I read from Ralf and Eva, but they were given this letter.

Time will tell. Any dhows sailing to Mumbai?

[Stephano]

Originally Posted by beddhist

I have now changed my route and will head for UAE, possibly doing a loop of Oman and Yemen. If I can get the visa there then (if I can get another Iranian visa) I head back across the streight and continue.

I made 2 calls this morning. The man at the Consulate General of Pakistan, Dubai, said the following were required in order to process a visa:

2 photos
a photocopy of your passport
a letter from the German consulate
an invitation from a business in Pakistan
200 dirhams

When I explained that the applicant was a non-resident tourist who didn’t want to do any business he got a bit vague about the invitation letter but insisted on the letter from the German consulate. When I asked for clarification on the invitation letter he put the phone down on me.

I rang the Deutsches Generalkonsulat Dubai. The man was very specific that there was ‘no problem’ obtaining the required letter. I repeated the situation and he said ‘no problem’.

Seems OK to me. Hope that helps.
Stephan

[beddhist]

Thanks Stefano for your effort. This is what makes the HUBB family so special.

Yes, Pak officials can be very official at times...

Sounds very good, don't know why the same German outfit will deliver the letter in one place and not another. This may change as soon as their superiors get wind of it.

I'm coming!

Ciao,
Peter.

[SKILLO]

Hi beddhist,

We are in Pakistan now, but met german cyclists stuck in iran with same problem as you. Pak embassy wants a letter from german embassy, german embassy wont give them one. They were lucky to have second passport and got their parents to apply in gemany where pak embassy does not require a letter! Go figure that out? Now they wait for their second passport to be sent to them.

Just one thing about Pakistan, we are really angry travelling here so far, police escort everywhere we go on the moto, for our own safety they say, have had stand up arguments with them, tried to lose them many times (successful a few times), ignored them at check points and rode on etc etc, but still they persist. Has anybody else had this level of harassment in Pak?

Skillo

[beddhist]

I think they ARE worried about your safety. And remember, the footsoldiers only follow orders...

Where in Pak are you having this problem? Baluchistan, NW Frontier, ...?

[mika]

hello again,

Dubai sounds interesting, I have never been there, as I got my letter of from the German embassy in Istanbul in 1999 with no problems.

You could go from Iran to Dubai fly without the bike or take a boat, and go back to Iran.

A second passport (legal in Germany) is another option, or sending your passport with DHL to Germany from Tehran or so.

So there is a way,


Enjoy

Mika

[beddhist]

Yes, I have been thinking along the same lines and have now changed my route. In fact, I think it may be a blessing in disguise.

Tschuess,
Peter.

[strikingviking]

I too, had a few problems with visas on a recent world ride--at the time, for Gringos, Iran and Sudan were the only no-go. Pakistan did also state that no out-of-home-country applications would be considered.

After a little smoozing, I got an interview with the ambassador in Budapest and he was happy to assist by granting a two-week transit visa. I used this process several other times and it only failed for Sudan. Most officials, when they learn details of your journey, will be happy to assist. A brief slideshow works wonders.

[beddhist]

Thanks, must remember that, I have my PC with me. Only, I'm not good at the smoozing bit; don't even know the word.

[beddhist]

Just a quick update on the Pak visa situation here on the Western side:

German hitchhikers I met (and who also ran into the German brick wall in Ankara) have just obtained the required "letter of intro" from the German embassy in Dubai and so obtained their Pak visas.

Here in Yazd an English lady told me she just met some people very recently who got their visas without intro letter in Zahedan. If this is true then it is good news and a reversal of the recent situation.

Nevertheless, I'm heading to Dubai now, my parts should be there by now...