Compulsory Guide for Iran
 

I contacted an agency today to apply for an Iranian visa and I was told that there is a rule in place that those entering Iran with their own vehicle must have a guide throughout their entire jouney.

I can't see this as being a fun, affordable or viable option.

This is the first time I've heard of the rule besides the rule for US citizens. Can anyone tell me if this rule is definite or flexible and if there is any resource I can consult on this for the latest information?

I don't know personally but if you contact xxxxxxxxx he will let you know latest information about travel to Iran.
Which agency told you ?Maybe i can ask and post here

Same here, emailed an agent in Shiraz and told a guide is needed because of the elections. The rule will be lifted but when is a guess !!

Which direction are you going and when ?

Paul

we've progressed through our visa application to the point where we now have an authorisation code, and will b taking this in to the mumbai embassy on monday. we've told our agency that we are on a bike, but they have not made any mention of any need for guides etc

i would suggest that you query the need for a guide because of the elections, as these occurred in june 2013

Elections occurred in June 2013.

It was Persian Voyages. I was hoping to be in Iran around May/April this year coming from Turkey with the aim of flying the bike out from Iran to Malaysia. Hopefully the rule will be lifted - but if it's not I'll need to take Iran off the carnet list to reduce the premium when I apply.

Hi all,

any news about if the guide is required?
or is the ban lifted, as the elections were last year?

Greets

Not sure about the rule but try a different agency to see if you get the same response or not?

One other agency and xxxxxxxxxx both said there is no requirement for a guide. The agency said you have to have a fixed itinerary but guides are only for US citizens

I was just going to start a thread on this, when I see this thread already running.

As a background, I have travelled to Iran with my car three times, and never had anything like this at the application stage.

I just went onto the website of Touran Zamin – Iran Tour and Travel Co. – Iranian Tour and Visa. They were the agency I used on the second and third trips I made to Iran by car:

IMPORTANT: According to recent Regulations of Foreign Affair, If you travel to Iran with private vehicle (car/motorcycle/bike), you need to inform us in advance to get the permission for your Vehicle, There may be an authorized guide appointed for accompanying you in this case. Not reporting this may cause problems like entry refusal or deportation.

Seems like there is some truth to this. I wonder if they really will start to refuse you entry with a car?

I've seen a lot of Iran, so the country is mostly on my itinerary to connect others places. It's also the only country I will need a carnet for, so if this comes true, I will scrap these plans, given that UK registered car owners are now forced into dealing with the shameless racketeering of RAC carnets...

I guess we just have to sit and watch this one?

danielsprague - I've just been told by key2persia that although I don't need a guide I need to submit a day-to-day itinerary for the trip in order to get a visa. Is this a normal requirement in your experience? Even without the cost of having a guide, the problems faced by keeping to a tight schedule with my own (often unreliable) bike really put me off going to Iran.

Combined with the costs of aquiring an RAC carnet it makes the trip prohibitively expensive and basically rules out the possibility of me going. Key2persia did say you can get a carnet at the border. This isn't the first time I've heard of an Iranian specific carnet but do you know any details? It seems everyone has a different idea about the law there.

I submitted itineraries previously, but they were fabricated and I just put hotels down from a guidebook. If you do this, there is no reason for it being more expensive.

Touranzamin came back to me and said that there would not be a guide, it would just involve extra paperwork for them. Knowing Iranian borders, each seem to have different rules. I was once given a transit document (despite having a tourist visa) that I had to get stamped at every point along a pre-determined 15 day route. I just binned the thing and exited 3 months later without a problem.

Yes, you can do it without a carnet, you have to pay for some Iranian customs document. A friend of mine did this at the Mirjaveh border and paid $400 for it. Husseinthebiker (if I have spelt his name correctly) advertises on the ThornTree that he can assist in getting one of these customs documents at the Turkish, Azerbaijani and Turkmenistan borders. There may be issues with how long the import document is valid for, best contact Hussein about this.

I would definitely think twice about skipping Iran, it is a fascinating country quite unlike any other in my opinion.

Yes, you can do it without Carnet as i mentioned on some threads too,and of course i don't know details, but the best is to contact Hossein and read about his Carnet service here xxxxxxxx

Who knows what is ThornTree? :helpsmilie:

The thorntree is an online travel forum for all modes of travel, predominantly backpacking. It was part of the Lonely Planet website, but I believe it was bought by the BBC, the official media organ of the British regime. Since then, it has gone majorly downhill with less activity and much heavier censoring. :(

Still useful however. Find it at:

Thorn Tree travel forum - Lonely Planet

I suggested on this thread
http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hub...raveling-74575

that because Soleyman keeps recommending Hossein's services in practically every message, that he may be Hossein,

and mysteriously hours after I post, the thread he started is pulled.

Now not only does Hossein have very mixed reviews... his 'friends'/or himself does not like being questioned. Can we have some honesty, and stop 'selling your products' unless going through the correct procedure on this forum?

As i read as there are more good representations about his reputation than bad on the HUBB then i start a thread about Hossein for clarification his situation but the thread pulled, can someone tells us why ??
Btw i am not trying to cover his mistakes he made in the past or advertising his services ,i just sharing my own information.
The member "Fern" said : his 'friends'/or himself does not like being questioned. but i would like being questioned

Regards!

thanks for your reply..

maybe a little more genuine advice and knowledge of your home country and travel experience than automatically recommending the paid services of someone you know?

Horizons Unlimited - The HUBB - Announcements in Forum : Ride Tales

Thanks for your reply and helpful advice :thumbup1:

Greetings !

For all the reasons you state, a Mod (me), with the agreement of the owners, pulled the entire thread you refer to. Spamming by Hossein, or his proxies (including Soleyman) is not permitted. Should Hossein wish to become a registered vendor and follow the rules, then fine, no problem, but free spam is not allowed.

thanks Chris for clarifying

Dear Chris
No worries about thread now i understand why it has been pulled ,but as i talked to him few months ago he would like to become a registered vendor and wants to pay the expenses for advertising too ,but how he must do that ?
Btw i sent you PM bier

advertising info here

Advertising Rates | Horizons Unlimited

As you read above and thanked Fern for already...

To come back to the original topic:

We crossed into Iran from Turkmenistan mid-November 2013 by car and stayed there for two month (exit Bandar Abbas -> ferry to Sharjah).

When we applied for the invitation (authorization number), we were told that we are not allowed to go by our own car unless we take a guide. So we said we will leave the car back in Uzbekistan -> got invitation and with that the visa.

At the Iranian border from Turkmenistan the only thing we needed for the car was the Carnet de Passage. It was no problem to enter by car - nobody asked about a guide. Also the extension of the visa after a month was without problems - there we mentioned that we are by car.

That was how it worked for us! I don't want to make any generalizations out of that!

OK, sounds like the MFA have changed their ideas, but the borders don;t know about it... sweet, just what I wanted to hear! :thumbup1:

Which border crossing from Turkmenistan did you use?

Same here... ;-)
Even tough I did send a mail to the embassy here in Belgium to try and get an updated confirmation for a yes or no.

We crossed Sarhakhs - we had to argue a bit with the Turkmenistan border guys over our route (we entered Dashoguz, so the closest border crossing would have been the one near Ashgabat) - but when we said that our Iranian visa is only for the Sarhakhs border, they agreed ...

Still no answer from the consulate.

This is the answer that I got from an agency:

So this doesn't look good at the moment to be honest.... and we were just hoping all would become easier in the future!

I am in the same position – hoping to enter Iran for 2-3 weeks around the early /middle part of May.

I recently applied online - and paid GB£80 - for a visa authorisation number/code through this agency 16 days ago, on February-10th - Persian Voyages. I am still waiting for a reply. I should hear back from them very soon now, I hope.

I have elected to personally collect my visa stamp from the Iranian Consulate in Dublin, Ireland, although I will need to be careful which day I select to go there (see below).

Iranian New Year March 21st and visa disruptions

It is worth mentioning that The Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Iran does not generally process visa applications for around a month, from the first week in March. Anyone hoping to visit Iran should, therefore, ensure that their application is processed outside this time-frame. Iranian Consulates are also often closed for several days throughout this period, which needs to be taken into consideration, especially if the intention is to personally visit the Consulate in question.

---------------------------------------

Yunno, I really do not understand what is going on here? I thought that lately diplomatic relations between Iran and the West have been growing friendlier - not more hostile. Indeed, the Iranian Embassy in London was re-opened only last week on Feb-20th, which must be a good sign and proves the point - link

There is no-way I will want to visit Iran accompanied and constrained by a local guide, which would be difficult to carry out, especially when I’ll already be riding 2-up on a motorcycle!

It will be interesting to see how this all works out. I/we will soon find out.

First Pakistan is off the list (for me) – and now maybe Iran too. :(

Ho-Hum!
.

Hi Keith,

Yeah, same problem here as you've already understood.

That's why we changed our plans to go again to central asia, so by the time we've done what we want to do there it will be sept/okt and hopefully we'll know exactly what's the policy or Iran by that time.

If a guide is necessary then we go back the same way we came, through KZ and RUS. If one can ride freely again in Iran we'll come back through Iran Inch Allah!

It frustrates me a lot as I get a 50/50 at this time ind yesses and no's about the guide, so I hope by changing our plans completely and allowing more time before needing to know 'how to' it will be sorted.

it's a shame as Iran was on the top of my list of places yet to see...

:stormy:

The Asian overland trail is a living thing, according to the currents of our times.

In the 1960s people often stayed away from the Soviet border and went through Syria and Iraq.

In the 1970s Afghanistan was in its traveller heyday, the overland route went to Herat, then along the ring road through Lashkar Gah and Kandahar, up to Kabul (Herat to Kandahar to Kabul is a dream journey of mine...), then over into Pakistan. The crossing through Baluchistan was seen as very arduous and insecure, and it was unpaved.

Then in 1978 trouble started, and in 1979 the Iranian Revolution, and shortly after the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan killed the Asian overland trail.

I guess it was sometime in the mid 1980s, as the Karakoram Highway opened to foreigners, that the overland route slowly started to revive, re-routing south through Pakistan. As Iran opened up slightly following the end of the Iran-Iraq war, the route through Baluchistan as we know it today started to become popular.

In the early 1990s, the collapse of the Soviet Union suddenly opened up a vast swathe of Eurasia which had not been a viable overland route since the Mongol Empire disintegrated.

Then some people flew planes into some towers in America, and everyone got scared to go to anywhere where there were Muslims. As a result, very soon after Afghanistan was 'liberated' and made something of a comeback, though never to the same extent as before.

Pressure from Western Governments on Pakistan lead to the effective closure of the Khyber Pass in 2008, killing the chances of Afghanistan coming back into the mainstream.

2011 on, the Taftan - Quetta Highway becomes increasingly insecure, foreigners are disappearing and being attacked, as well as locals.

2014; despite some signs of a diplomatic thaw, Iran decides to insist on a guide for those with a vehicle, and perhaps for all British and Canadians (as well as Americans) regardless of transport.

At the same time, the first (strictly guided) travellers are crossing Burma from India to Thailand with their own vehicles, for the first time since the mid 1950s.

So, the Great Asian Overland moves into Central Asia. Maybe one day the Chinese authorities will grow some balls and be brave enough to allow foreigners to drive themselves around China, even if they may see the reality behind China's prosperous facade. Perhaps all the hype around Iran will settle, and Baluchistan will quieten down.

For now though, it looks like the day of unfettered travel across Asia are coming to a close for some time. All I can say is I'm damn glad I drove it when I did... now I'm just waiting for the Sahara to 'open' again, maybe I'll be there in 5 or 10 years!

Daniel

Cheers to that!

Too Much Perspective
 

Daniel thanks - It really puts perspective on things.

[Quote]: 'Too much, there's too much f***ing perspective now!'
David St. Hubbins - This Is Spinal Tap (1984)

;)
.

Tour Guide for Iran
 

Hi, there!
In fact it seems to be true that there is a new regulation in Iran requiring tour guides to accompany any individual traveller entring Iran by vehicle. For cars/trucks/buses it might be doable, but how they wish to do it on bikes is still a question to me.
The reason behind this rule seems to be security / control...
But, as on the other side the current government is opening up for contacts with the outside world, I doubt that such rules will be applied for long...
As a few friends of mine are planning to come an visit us in Tehran, I will stay in touch with the guys in the Tourist Ministry and other authorities here and will seek clarification. Sure that I will post as soon as I have news for you.
In general and as "this is Iran" (a usual excuse for anything strange happening here), there is always 100 ways around any regulation, I suggest HUBBers to keep calm, go on planning your trip! Those already at the border, try to negotiate your ways through without company. (May be it is just wise to pack properly so that there is NO way to have someone sitting in the back...)
Greets,
Daniel (not in Prague, but in Tehran :thumbup1:)

Entering into Iran without guide
 

Hello!
Compulsory guide was belong to election time which occurred in June 2013, so there is no reason for asking a compulsory guide.
As i contact some people in tourism department they said overlanders can enter to Iran without guide as same as past, once you got the visa border guards can not refuse you.You guys just keep planing your trip!

Drive safe ! :scooter:

the post that I made in the other topic:

I also heard from quite a few tourists by car or motorcycle entering Iran without guide in the last few month (apart from us who also did).

So if your are willing to take the (in my opinion quite small) risk to be refused at the border when you don't have a guide, just apply for invitation without mentioning any transport (anyway - what has the kind of transport to do with the visa?) and go for it! This great country is definitly worth this risk!

Tour Guide for Iran
 

@bauerma:
The fact that some tourists make it into the country without guide is no proof for the non-existence of the obligation. At least not in Iran.
I think it is better to have an official proof so that not even at remote border crossings or in contact with some uninformed "Sherrifs" travellers will run into problems.
Therefore, I will try to get something written from a responsible unit inside Iran that I would post here so that everybody could carry a printed copy once arriving at the Iran border.
Please note: sometimes there are severe lacks of information between Iranian Embassies abroad and local authorities.
If you should run into something like this, it will not help you even if you recall the name of the person in the Embassy whom you talked to...
Iranian officials are used to all these fantastic fairytales they hear from their own people so they simply do not care...
The only way is friendly showing the guy standing in front of you your full respect, that you accept his importance and authority etc. - and that you personally ask him to make an exception so that you can visit his beautiful and lovely country...

I'm not going to be spooked by all of this and happily continue my preps. Just had extensive discussions last week with my visa agency about all paper work and submitted all the visa paper work including Iranian application this weekend. Not a word from them or other agencies I talked to about compulsory guides for Iran! It is their core business so I guess they should know first!

Totally agree. This looks like a disinformation thread - and given the few posts by the OP, moderators should consider changing the headline to "NO compulsory guide in Iran".

BTW: Iran has some of the friendliest consular & border staff in the world.

I got my visas within 24 hours in Munich. Super professional, well-organized and friendly. They even have a free coffee maker, drinks dispenser, passport foto machine, Xerox copier and TV in the waiting room.

I entered Iran from Armenia and from Turkmenistan. Border guards were so friendly, it seemed I could have gotten in without a visa!

Well that is one attitude to take. For someone not travelling with their own vehicle, this is a trivial issue. If someone leaves Turkmenistan say, with their car and is then refused entry to Iran because they ignored a change in the rules, then that person may not have such a cavalier attitude.

Nobody is trying to spook people, or spread disinformation. A number of travel agencies and embassies are reporting the need to take a guide. This seems to come from the MFA. It seems however that the staff at the borders may not be aware of this change, it may only be implemented at the time of visa application.

The aim of this thread is to establish from people's experiences whether it really is impossible to take a vehicle into Iran without a guide.

You may have found that the Iranian officials are helpful and friendly (not usually my experience), but rules are rules, if those officials are implementing them.

Things are changing in Iran. For example, the Iranian MFA no longer issues visas for independent travel to Brits and Canadians. It seems also that Pakistan is keeping foreigners out of Baluchistan. This is an area of the world where up to date information is essential, otherwise plans which people have spent a lot of time and money preparing may come seriously unstuck.

If there is a post on this thread which is not helpful, then I would suggest that it is yours.

I just got an email back from Key to Persia - No tour - no guide = no visa.

So, what are the plan B options from India - Fly bike to Kaz and ride through Russia ?

It's hardly disinformation. It was a genuine question that has got a lot of different replies with no concrete answer either way. The reason I haven't posted more is because I still don't know the answer and haven't had more to add.

The fact that you met friendly staff is nice for you, but not so helpful for the unlucky person who gets caught out with the wrong paperwork by the only unfriendly official in Iran.


That is interesting - that's the agency who told me I didn't need a guide for the visa. So a different answer from the same agency!

My current plan is to see if the visa is approved (I have been told to wait nearer to the time the visa is needed before applying) and then to try and arrange a temporary Iranian carnet. The RAC carnet is prohibitively expensive considering Iran is the only country that requires one on my route. If I can't get one then I'll have to try leave the 2 wheels behind and use the 2 legs instead.

I repeat: unless you are from the 2 or 3 countries that are on really unfriendly terms with Iran, don't bother about the guide, the visa application number or any other purported difficulty.

??


We are talking about visa agencies reporting to travellers that a guide is necessary if they are taking in their own car. Nobody wants to take their car / bike to Iran and then pay for a guide to come along with them.

It is understood that we could just not tell them about the vehicle, but what we are trying to find is if anyone has been to the Iranian border with their car / bike, and been let in without a guide.

As for a visa application number, most embassies / consulates will simply refer applicants to an agency to obtain a visa authorisation number. Few embassies will do this themselves, and the consensus is that they take longer, and have a lower chance of success, for whatever reason.

Plan B .. and 'C'
 

I haven't heard back yet from my agent with a definitive answer. She thinks there's an outside chance that, because I submitted my request for an authorisation code way back on 10th February, I might be able to 'slip under the net' using the former unrestricted travel rules. But I’m not holding my breath!

I was only ever going away for 2-3 months on this next trip in any case, starting April-6th (from Nepal). If my up-and-coming plans get scuppered, bearing in mind my Indian tourist visa restrictions and carnet constraints, I can:

Plan B - See a bit more of India than I have been planning for. Eventually arriving in Mumbai (or Delhi), then either:

• B.1 Store the bike in Mumbai /or Delhi somewhere. Come back home to the UK. Return to Mumbai/Delhi during September when the Iranian visa situation may have changed (reverted). If not, I’ll still have time – seasons-wise – to head-up north with the aim of potentially crossing the Stans at that time of year; or

• B.2 From Mumbai/Delhi, air-freight to either Oman or UAE. Explore some desert; maybe ride up to Qatar and Bahrain. Definitely look around Dubai's Metropolis. Leave the bike there for three months. Return in September and review the situation. If Iran is still a no-go zone (for independent travel) then I'll onward air-freight to either Ankara or Istanbul; head across to Georgia /Armenia before looping back through Turkey → Bulgaria, then south → into Greece for some late summer sunshine .. on a beach!

:palm: :thumbup1:

-----------------------------------------------

There is, however, a third option:

Plan C

Q. Are there any other overlanders out there willing to share the cost of a local Iranian guide? Duration about 18 days – starting mid-late September. Itinerary:

Ferry from Sharjah, UAE to Bandar Abbas, Iran.

Bandar Abbas → Shiraz → Persepolis → Abarkouh → Yazd → Na’in (Naein) → Isfahan → Abyaneh Village / Kashan → Qom → Tehran → Ramsar (Caspian Sea) → Rasht → Tabriz → Norduz.

Exit Iran at Norduz into Armenia.

Anyone interested?

:mchappy:.

Hi to all...
Hardly waiting for some new experiences about the guide ...just recently asked STAN-TOURS and they told me as some of you wrote- you can not go to Iran with your motorcycle...

I am planning a trip from Slovenia across the countries to Turkey, Iran, Turkmenistan and upwards to Pamir and Kazakhstan, Russia, Mongolia, Russia - - -HOME

I just got my MFA code via Stantours this week and I am applying for my Iranian visa in Canberra on Friday. There is no mention on the application regarding method of transport...

Car or Bike??

GRTZ,

JP

I wonder what the deal with transit visas is. I'm pretty sure that all the Turkish / Kazakh / Afghan truck drivers hauling goods across Iran are not taking guides??

Ministry of Foreign Affairs
 

Hi all!
I have contacted the MFA of Iran in Tehran and talked to the person responsible for the visas / residence permits of us foreigners (non-diplomats) here.
She checked with the other departments in the ministry and then told me frankly that there is absolutely NO legal requirement to employ a tour guide for entrants with vehicles!!
She said, upon applying for the visa the applicant shall name brand and plate of the vehicle as well as point of entry plus have a CdP (!) - and that's all!!
:mchappy:
Hope this decreases the uncertainty - and increases the interest in coming to visit this amazing country!!
:welcome:
Greets from (as almost always) sunny Tehran,

Daniel

Great news. I guess we just keep quiet about the vehicle, then once in Iran, everything is normal... unless you have a British or Canadian passport.

Applying for my authorisation tonight.

What should be wrong/abnormal with British or Canadian Passports?

They are now subject to the same restrictions as Americans, must be on a tour.

Just remember don't blame the Iranian government, blame the yanks, and the UK/Canadian governments as their closest allies for their dubious foreign policy.

Americans etc.
 

@liammons:
When I asked the responsible lady in the MFA here in Tehran she made no restriction regarding nationality of the travelers.
To my knowledge only groups of tourist travelling through Iran (as soon as you need a bus to travel, i.e. more than 5 foreigners) need a tour guide, as buses are regularly subject to controls in the country.
But individual travelers - no matter of which nationality - are not restricted in this regard.
Nevertheless, I will have a double check on Sunday (now the offices are closed due to weekend) and keep you posted.

Hi Daniel

Have a look at this thread and the links to the Lonely Planet and Trip Advisor Forums...

http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hub...s-aiming-74847

Also this thread:

http://www.lonelyplanet.com/thorntre...63656#21263656

MFA
 

I've talked to MFA staffs in Tehran and here is summary of their answer :
At the moment British and Canadians have to go on organized tours or hire a guide just for themselves like Americans and since about 10 days ago this rule came into effect. So this means no more independent travellers from mentioned nationalities.
BUT they mentioned other nationalities still can get the visa and travel to Iran by their own vehicle, indeed officially a guide is required if entering on your own vehicle, but nobody checks and you should be alright if you don't mention it as many others did the same process in the past years.

Greetings !

Organized Tours
 

Hi,
I have checked with the MFA again as well as with the Embassy in Germany:
"Organized Tour" or "Tour Guide" or "Travel Agency" does not necessarily mean that you have to join a group or that you have to accept company by a guide in person.
They informed me that what US-, British, Canadian citizens could also do is to contact a Travel Agency in Iran, let them have the travel details (Name, Passport number, make of vehicle, license plate, point of entry, planned route etc.) and they will send a note (certainly not without fees) to the border police (its recommended to have a copy with you for confirmation).
With this the traveler may enter and travel without further restrictions in the sense of Tour Guide company...
As many of the visa applicants (even Americans, Brits, Canadians) use an Travel Agencies anyhow to get their reference number from the MFA for the visa, this step should be done by the agency.
All in a nutshell: Tour Guide is not a person on your rear seat, it's rather a form or letter in your wallet!
The rest is up to case by case negotiation with the guy in charge!

Thank you for doing your best to clear-up the situation Daniel. Your information is very valuable.

All the best

Keith

Thanks Daniel. That's really helpful and good news. Sorry if I'm making you state the obvious - but does this mean that no carnet is required after all?

CdP for Iran
 

@paperfoot:
sorry to disappoint you, but, no, Carnet de passage is still required for bringing in the vehicle. At least officially.
This thread was related to the question whether a Tour Guide is compulsory.
My advise is to get a CdP even though there might be ways around this rule. But only for peope that accept the risk of getting into some discussions upon entry and within Iran...
For more details check for the threads related to CdP in this forum.
Cheers,
Daniel

Hi guys!

This is my first post on Horizons unlimited. I am a British backpacker and usually use TA and Lonely Planet but had a browse on this site and saw there was much more activity on here.

I am travelling in Iran for only 1 week in the last week of this month, entering and exiting at IKA Airport. I applied for my visa code in the first week of February. I received my code before the new rules regarding British and Canadian citizens came into place and collected the visa in Istanbul last month with no mention of this new rule even though I stated on my visa application I would be travelling independently. My tour operator has said I will be fine to travel independently but I can't get the thought of an unexpected surprise at the airport out of my head.

Yes it is a bit different to travelling with a motor cycle or car but I will keep an eye out for whats being said on here in the next couple of weeks.

Rules
 

@stuartdOdds:
these rules are no real rules.
I called again the foreign ministry today regarding special rules for travelers being citizens of the US, UK, CAN or else.
There is no such rule requiring them to have a Tour Guide!
What is necessary is a reference code for the visa, which usually is acquired by Travel Agencies outside of Iran thru their partner agencies inside Iran.
There - for individual travelers - some details of the port of entry, duration of stay, route etc must be disclosed.
But, besides these rather harmless regulations neither the ministry nor the official Touring and Automobile Club of IRI did confirm the existence of a rule regarding a Tour Guide being compulsory for foreigners.
So, in case you reach the Iranian border, do not get offended by lengthy, intransparent procedures. Just stay friendly and negotiate your way through.
In Iran we say: "if somebody makes the pot hotter than the soup" then this somebody wants to make things more difficult than they really are...
So, good luck - and you will will definitively have a wonderful stay in Iran!
Greets,
Daniel

For years, the rule has been that Americans cannot travel independently in Iran.... perhaps this is not a de facto rule, but it is certainly de jure

Either that or all the visa agents are taking the law into their own hands...?

I'll second that.

Just heard from my UK-based agent this morning, after a wait of almost four weeks (i.e. since Feb-10th):

"We are not able to continue with your visa application as, at the moment there is a rule in place for British to have a guide but it may change in near future. I will contact to update.

Kind regards"

:nono:
.

Thanks for the feedback guys, much appreciated!

So you think I will be ok to travel independently? I received my visa code on the 19th February after sending off the application on the 6th Feb. I got my visa stamped on the 25th February.

I am a 21 year old British student travelling to Iran alone during my mid semester break, which might make airport officers a bit more wary of me. I would hate to have an unpleasant surprise at the airport by not having a tour guide or being part of an organised tour.

You say the tour operators might be taking things into there own hands but in these threads it states the MFA are enforcing the rules...

I also wonder if travelling during the Persian New Year Nowruz will have any affect on things.

Sorry if I sound a bit panicky here but I've been looking forward to this trip for so long and would it hate it if was scuppered!

Nowruz
 

Hi,
I would say: no worry!
This is Iran. There are no 100% applications of rules - even those that really exist.
Regarding Nowruz:
yes, all Iran is in a special state of mind during these days. And traveling. So there is people everywhere traveling, camping, having their "spring-break".
That does rather mean that they are in a happy mood, so even less stressful regarding visitors.
So, again: friendly encounter with the authorities helps along everywhere.
And if you need to convince someone that you are a peaceful, friendly person, no threat to Iran etc. just tell him very friendly how much you are interested in his country, that you have heard so many positive things about the famous country of Iran and the hospitable Iranians, so that you wish to meet and see.... and that people should not trust the media or politicians but meet in person with the world... - this will break every ice so that they will let you go your way!
If you run into problems, gimme a call. I send you my phone number through private message.
Greets,
Daniel

Hi FLH80 and others on this thread,

A German traveller has just posted on the "Wuestenschiff" forum that his request to travel through Iran by car was rejected outright by the Iranian embassy in Berlin. Even his argument that he had commissioned a licenced guide did not convince the consular official. If this the new rule of the game, there would indeed be another dead end street in the Middle East. Can anybody confirm this or describe recent opposite experiences?

Greetings,
Achim

I've taken the opportunity to delete a few recent unhelpful off-topic posts. Hope that's ok with everyone. :smartass:

no worries.. just nestling in for a bit of mingmongpingpong. :taz:

In other news, i've just emailed the Iranian Embassy in Wellington NZ asking if they will let me in with a motorbike and British passport. Be interesting to hear their answer. Will update if they get back to me. :confused2:

Key2Persia have got back to me - they can't provide visas for Brits or Canadians, regardless of vehicle, unless we sign up on their tours. I asked about whether there was a workaround based on the previous posts in this thread, but rules is rules apparently.

Stuart - you'll be fine. I've been to Iran twice (for a total of just over four months) and independent travellers aren't loooked upon in a strange way.

The only thing is.. if you're there during Nowruz you're going to be in for a bit of a surprise! Tehran is EMPTY. I went biking around it last year and couldn't believe the air clarity and how there was no reason to stop. I saw less than a hundred vehicles on the road since everyone had gone to their hometowns. A special time for sure.

Achim,
tell him to contact me directly, and I will see what I can do for him.
Sent you my personal email as PM.
Greets,
Daniel

I got a reference number through Stantours, dropped my passport off at Iranian Embassy Canberra and got a call two days later to pick up my visa (even through they said two weeks when it was dropped off!).

No where on the application form did it ask for method of travel...only point of entry. Why would you raise an issue like motor vehicle if you are not asked???


Take the path of least resistance.

Today i visited the Iranian ambasy in slovenia for tourist visa to Iran and the guy there just said that they don't like to give visa for people entering iran with their car because of the situation in Afgan, Iraq, Syria but he said that we should get it in eight working days, we hope so! And nobody told us that we need a guide to travel through Iran.
I realy don't know where is the catch entering Iran with your own vehicle!!!

Got the Visas
 

We obtained our Iranian visas from the Dublin Consulate this morning, Monday-24th. Full 30-day ones too. A quite charming and good-humoured Iranian officer dealt with our applications. The whole process took no more than three hours. No mention made about (a) our travel itinerary, nor (b) our intended mode of transport. It was all too easy.

Now we're good for independent travel around Iran up until June-22nd.

I'm typing this message from Dublin Airport - awaiting our return flight back to Bristol, England, this evening.

:)
.

Iran is a very nice country, i have been there in 2002 and i absolutely loved it