URGENT VISA INFO FOR IRAN

[JBatley]

We are off on Monday 27th and have missed out on timing to get our Iranian Visa in the UK before we leave. The options are to try and get one in Turkey ( if we don't get it god knows what we will do as this will only be 3 months into a year long trip ) OR leave the paperwork here with our Passports ( we have two each so will still have one Passport each ), wait for the Visa to be sent out - to my parents, say - and then get them to DHL the Passports with Visa to us once received.

Has anyone ever tried to get a Iranian Visa in Turkey ???? I have a British Passport and Jenny has one British and one Irish one.

We have to make a decision by Thursday night ( 23rd of May ). HELP.

Thanks

Cliff & Jenny Batley
www.twowheeltrekkers.com

[Simon Kennedy]

Iranian immigration offices have various policies. These frequently change.
In Turkey it was no probem to get an visa with my Irish passport, but Brits were being refused at the time (ruining many trips). My advice would for UK passport holders to pay the money and get a visa at home if it's possible. Definitely. Irish passport holders can get a visa anywhere. I got mine in Erzurum in two days.

[ollieholden]

Definitely get one in London if you can. They are extremely unreliable in Turkey - sometimes no problem sometimes refusing. We were refused three times (Brit passports) but met loads who got them in a week or two. Do the DHL thing, and if it all seems like a load of money, it's a lot more to re-sort out your plans from Turkey. Also - use a visa agency (eg Magic Carpet or Travcour - someone may be able to recommend someone better) as they do this stuff every day and know what to put on the forms etc.

[Susan Johnson]

From Adrian Greygoose, June, 2001

Iran needs to be organised before you leave but the visa can be collected at any Iranian high commission in the world once it's been booked. I'm doing mine through Magic Carpet 01344-622832(UK),Zahreh Majidan seemed most knowledgable and helpful. For £95 they arrange the visa and issue you with a reference number which when presented at an Iranian High Commission is then cross referenced and the visa subsequently issued. There is currently a £43 charge for the visa for Brits but the Irish seem to get most things related to Middle East formalities cheaper. Letters of recomendation are also no longer required.

For more info, see this thread: http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/ubb...ML/000086.html

From that thread, it looks like you can obtain Iranian visas in Ankara, Turkey. But if you have time to contact the company Adrian mentions, probably best to do that and get it organized in advance.

Let us know how you go.


------------------
Susan Johnson

"It matters not what goal you seek
Its secret here reposes:
You've got to dig from week to week
To get Results or Roses."
Edgar Guest

'One world, two wheels'
www.HorizonsUnlimited.com

[ollieholden]

what happens to one person has no bearing whatsoever on what happens to the next, so don't rely on the "we got it in Ankara so therefore you will" idea - we drove from Damascus to Ankara on that one and still got refused.

Use an agency for the best chance.