Problems with Iran Visa with IranianVisa.com?
 

My wife and I are on a RTW trip and are currently in Turkey trying to get our visas to Iran, Pakistan, and India. We are Americans. We have been in touch with IranianVisa.com and Hamid the owner. We have just received an email that our visas are approved but he needs us to send him $4500 to reserve the hotels, guide, etc. that are currently required for Americans to cross the country.

Obviously, this is a big amount of money to send and we are a bit leery. Does anyone have any recent experience with IranianVisa.com? We have read here and other places about people having good experiences with them, and other people having very bad experiences.

Any thoughts or advice?

thanks,
kevin and clara
motomoments.blogspot.com

iranian visa
 

hello kevin and clara,

first I want to tell you this. I would not sent him the money, it is far too much for a visa.

I travelled in 1999 thru Iran and I love the country and the people. So, all information I can give you is outdated. But in 1999 I heared it was impossible for Americans to get a visa. I met in Turkey a German that was refused a visa, I think because of his long hair and his dirty cloth. But than in Iran I met an American photographer, a very young guy, he had just gone to the embassy in Ankara and asked them very polite for a transit visa and they gave it to him. It was very easy to get an extention for a transit visa, I think I stayed more than three weeks on a seven day transit visa.

The transit visa I got in the consulate Erzerum, near the border. My advise on this is, dress very nicely (even if you have to buy a new shirt), shave clean, take a taxi to the consulate, dont tell them that you ride a bike, of course you are married and you have your Pakistani and Indian visas in the passport, be very polite ... and maybe you just get it.

Just to give you some ideas.

Greetings from Bulgaria

Mika

kevin and clara,

I cannot tell you anything about IranianVisa.com, but it sounds like an awful lot of money. Also, you don't say for how many nights you stay in Iran and I don't know how much a guide costs and does he have a car etc? This all makes it a little hard to comment.

However, we entered Iran from Turkey in late 2006 and took about $2000 US in cash with us, we left Iran after 3 weeks towards Pakistan and we still had about $1000 US in our pocket!! That was for 2 people, all accomodation, food, fuel etc and a $250 carpet!! So that gives you some idea how cheap it is in Iran and why I think $4500US for you should be a concern.

The Iranians are really really friendly & wonderful people, but there are scammers in every country, so be very careful....

Regards
John & Alanna

hi kevin and clara
totally agree with mika
i am in Turkey at the moment heading to Iran
should be there Sunday
good luck
joe

ps Hi Mika last time I saw you was in Argentina hope all is well

Thanks for the help!
 

Thanks to all who replied. Your concerns are what we have heard as well. The Iranian people by all accounts are really nice, the place is safe and cheap.

To the Celt, do you have a VISA or are you planning on getting one in Turkey somewhere? We are in Turkey as well (Gallipolli) and slowly heading East as we try and collect our visas and Carnet.

The $4500 is for the (required) escort, his car and gas, and for hotels for both him and us. We have a 12 day itinerary. We just met an Iranian in Istanbul yesterday who also said this was high. Problem (as always) is one of timing, need it and don't have much time.:confused1:

thanks,
kevin and clara

Hı Kevın and Clara,
Yeah got my vısa already got ıt from Iranıan Embassy ın Dublın before I left
great people to deal wıth, I thınk Mıka ıdea ıs the way to go. let us know how you get on and ıf I can help wıth roads ahead let me know.
regards
joe

Hı Kevın and Clara,
Dıd you get sorted wıth a vısa ???
have just read about a company called east turkey expedıtıons
tel 0536 702 8060 Mount Ararat Trek Mount Ararat Specialist Since 1995. Outdoor, Adventure, Trekking. JOURNEY TO THE CENTER OF THE EARTH....
Dont know anythıng about they but they arrange vısas
for Iran, thats all ı know...
maybe somebody else has heard of them ???
good luck
joe

Full story how I got my Iranian visa with IranianVisa.com
 

Finally I have my Iranian visa from the Istanbul, Iranian embassy using Hamid from Iranianvisa.com The story

* Early Sept send scanned image of my passport page to Hamid with 32 euro I think.
* 3 weeks later receive an email telling me my visa has been approved and I can pick it up from Istanbul as I requested (since once issued it will only be valid for 3 months)
* Arrive in Istanbul Friday 2nd Nov but don't go to embassy as Lonely Planet says it is shut but open on Saturdays
* Saturday go to embassy it is shut (opening hours Mon-Fri 8.30am to 12pm only)
* Monday told my authorization letter has not been received. Chase Hamid who assures me he chased the Minstry of Foreign Affairs in Tehran to retransmit the approval to Istanbul
* Tuesday go to embassy authorization fax not recieved but public holiday in Tehran so nothing can be done. Hamid informed and says he will chase them again tomorrow
* Wednesday back to embassy, authorization fax not received. But 'magically' my original letter found - hardly surprizing given he looked through a much bigger pile today. Go pay 95 euros to a bank 600 metre down the road on the right (not 200m on the left as told), photocopy application form, get two passport pictures. Return to embassy and told to come back tomorrow to pick up visa. Explain that it is costing me too much staying here and he kindly gives me the visa half an hour later after the rest of the staff have gone for lunch


So in summary I woud not have got the visa without IranianVisa.com to get the authorization letter approved but somewhere between Hamid, the MFA in Tehran and the guys in Istanbul at least one buffon exists but I can't work out who it is

IranianVisa.com are a nightmare!
 

*DO NOT USE IRANIANVISA.COM*

I am currently having a very negative experience with iranianvisa.com who I had hoped were going to help me with my application for a visa for entry to Iran.

They were not able to confirm that they could provide my visa for the dates that I had requested (due to the Iranian new year) but proceeded to submit and bill me for their service anyway.

After several rude & threatening emails demanding that I send them funds, I transferred the funds to the details they supplied from Lloyds bank in London and provided documentary proof of the transfer to Iranianvisa.com. It is possible that language difficulties are the reason for the tone of their communications - either way this is not good.

Having transferred funds to the bank details that they provided, the person at iranianvisa.com (who is using a free gmail account) is threatening to register my 'non-payment' with Iranian authorities unless I send the funds _again_.

If they haven't received your payment, I can understand why they wouldn't be processing your application yet. After my payment went through, I got my approval number emailed through about 3 weeks later which was plenty time for me to get my visa in Quetta. Just make sure you haven't left it till the last minute.

Hi Kevin and Clara, and everybody else.

Things have be cleared here a bit. You guys are American. That sets you guys a bit apart concerning the Iranian Visa.

Most other people would get an Iranian Visa in 10 working days. Going through the normal channels, I am not talking about an agency.

We were in Erzerum and got our visas pretty easy [2003] but the two Americans who wanted to pushbike trough Iran had no luck. I don't know what happened in the end.

But we met an American travelling solo in Iran with a [compulsory for Americans [he told us]] guide. He had to pay a large amount of money as to imitate a group of 12 [I believe it was 12, don't know for sure]. He told us you had to travel in a group with a fixed itinerary.

So I guess you would have to look for some specific information concerning only Americans who got a visa for Iran.

I don't think any of us non-Americans can get you the information you need, for you are the exception in the rule here.

Good luck, and keep us informed.

Adventurous greetings,
Coen

I also have had a few issues with iranianvisa.com. After sending nothing more than an initial enquiry e-mail asking how things work and stating my itinerary they have been sending many rude and threatening letters demanding payment and stating they have incurred costs I need to repay. Someone called Sarah from iranianvisa.com has also told me that I am being reported to the MFA and that my file has been blacklisted. All a little over the top I think.

I have decided to go with Iran travel agency Iran tour agency Iran tour operator tour and travel to Iran visa fly to Iran tourism who seem more competent and have a live chat button on the website from which you can get immediate responses.

We have just waited for 6 weeks to get our pasports back from the iranain embassy to start our trip next friday only to find out that they have been reefused!!! BASTARDS!

Excuse me for being dumb but, did you have an authorisation, then sent in your passports and they were refused ?

Pete

The way the visa companies work (eg Iranianvisa etc) is you pay your fee, submit your application and all being well, you get emailed your visa authorisation code after a few weeks. In your application, you specify where you want to pick up your visa, in my case I specified Quetta.

At the Iran consulate in Quetta or wherever you specified, you pay your visa fee, fill in your visa application and give them your visa authorisation number and give them your passport. The following day, I picked up my passport with my Iranian visa in it. Hope that helps.

we put our passports, invitation letter and money to the iranian embassy in london, we wanted to collect them from london before we left, it took them 6 weeks to then refuse the visa but would not give us a explanation!!!

:censored::censored::censored::censored::censored: !!

Mike, this is why I ask because of what ad has just posted ! It reads to me that he put passports in for visa stamp without authorisation number. or am I still missing something. ( probably:blushing:)

Pete

Iranian visa.com saga
 

Hi just for the record I'm trying to get my visa with Iranianvisa.com (for better or worse) and just got an email saying they are hpoing I'd have my number for Wednesday or Saturday next week (to pick up in Delhi) ?

I'll keep you posted how it goes as Iranian visas don't exactly seem to be flowing at present ???

Pete (another one)

What itinerary did you use?
 

Great to hear from travelers using iranianvisa.com as it gives us an idea what to expect but I still have a few questions albeit a precursor to the visa itself...

Has anyone a sample itinerary either from north to south or vice-versa that they used when completing the Iranianvisa.com web-form?

Does the duration of the visa issued depend at all on the itinerary given? What is the typical tourist visa duration given by embassies?

Cheers,

TurboCharger

Was your payment made through a bank transfer? How long did it take and what confirmation did they require?

Yeah, I had to sign up to some money transfer site that they use which initially take off a small amount from your account (like $0.02 or something) which you have to verify with them, then pay the $30 or whatever it was, so that adds a wee bit of time to the process, overall not too much hassle really. Just don't leave it till the last minute. Would need to check back through my notes for timescales but sure it was about 2 or 3 weeks once the payment was confirmed. I was travelling all that time so didn't really affect me at all. I got emailed my code when I was on the KKH, so could collect my visa in Quetta when I eventually got down there.

still no visa...but I've got a number !
 

Hi, if you see my other posting I have now got an approval number through Iranianvisa.com, though they have no record of it yet at the Delhi Embassy ! In truth I only got the number about 8 last night, so perhaps they'll only fax it thorough to Delhi today ?????? Fingers crossed.

I too just recived my visa code, brit passport in London. cant wait to get there now! I used Perisan voyages, which were very good, easy payment. Woudl use them again.
George

Iranianvisa.com
 

Hi, just for hte record I picked up my Iran visa today, in Delhi. I went through Iranianvisa.com which wasn't without its (minor) problems, but it seems who ever you go with it's a bit of a lottery (and I cocked up by applying bang on Iranian New Year and by not having an online payment facility set up in advance).

Iranianvisa.com (Sarah) did respond to all my emails (though not always the same day) and did not tell lies about when they thought I would/wouldn't get my approval number, etc. I'd use them again simply as they worked for me and I now know what time frame to be looking at.

For the record in Delhi it took a full week from accepting my paperwork to getting my visa back, when I've read it is normally 2-3 days. Someone else here has been given the same 7 day turnaround too, so this looks to be the norm in Delhi at least. As such don't expect to be whizzing in and out of Delhi, particularly if you need a Pakistan visa as well...you'll need two whole weeks most probably...

Pete

Yes or no
 

Getting twitchy now,

I've just had this response from about my application from IranianVisa. Is this the norm, or is this a prelude to a 'no'?

"The current results for applications by British passport holders are not very good and there are rejections and delays expected.
We are keeping an eye on your application status and will keep you informed."

2 of our group have just been rejected for their authorisation number, Brits living in Germany. 4 of us are waiting to hear about ours.

Does anyone know how soon they can reapply?

Iranianvisa.com were also quite threatening with me, that if I didnt make immediate payment I would be blacklisted and unable to get into the country - ever! So I used moneybookers, not realising they took 2 fees from you!

Leaving me 40p short, again threatening emails until they had their 40p.

Still waiting for my auth code, if I'm getting one, its been 11 days so far and I paid for the fasttrack service.

Still not heard about mine either. I paid for the fastrack service, five weeks ago!!

I've just chased them up so will wait and see.

I think my plan if rejected is to go to one of the embassies in India, show them my pakistan visa and see if there's anyway they can let me in, even just with a transit visa. Anyone know if that's likely to work as I'm not keen on going through another agency, though I hear Stan Tours is pretty good.

Good luck to everyone waiting. See you at the border. Hopefully.

Hello All,

Bugger, have just been notified by iranianvisa.com that our application has been rejected by the MFA. We are currently in Delhi (British and Australian) so will now head to Pakistan to apply there directly, where we have heard about positive results for French nationals.

Anyone had any recent experience applying in Islamabad?
Any other suggestions....?

Cheers and good luck to everyone waiting,

Andrew

P.s. Met an Italian guy in the Delhi Iranian embassy today who got a 7 day transit visa for Iran, 10 days wait for issue.

After nearly 2 months (paid extra for fasttrack and then extra again to move collection point to Istanbul) we were eventually told by IRANIANVISA.COM that we had been rejected. They asked if we had been rejected before. I replied 2 1/2 weeks ago and have still heard nothing. I'm not at all immpressed with their comunication. We have now just been rejected again in Erzurum after applying directley at the consulate here so now off to try and find a way through Syria etc.

There is also a French guy here who applied through iranianvias.com on the 11th May and he still hasn't had a code yet. They havn't replied to his e-mails for 2 weeks now.:thumbdown:

Iran Visa
 

I know it doesn't help you people trying to get you visa's but must be a different system here in NZ. I applied directly to the Iranian Embassy in Wellington. Received my Visa the next day. Go figure!

Try using www.persianvoyages.com they sorted our, recieved our number on Thursday after a nine day wait. They always replied to emails the same day and were very helpful when we phoned, another plus for us is that they are UK based so transfering money was straightforward.

Pete

we used key2persia.com after iranianvisa.com got arsy and told us they had got us banned from iran (?!) when we didn't pay the day they wanted us to after they had ignored us for days.

anyway, the next guys were a lot more professional and we got our code with no problems.

the visa getting was quite easy once we were in ankara too.

all the best
nicky

DO NOT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES use IranianVisa.com
 

I cannot believe this company is still kicking about, they took money from myself and 3 of my friends in 2009 and NON of us got a visa!!!!!!


Magic carpet are meant to be very good, but we never did get a visa in time and ended up going through bloody Kazakhstan instead :(

Just to keep this post updated.
For me iranianvisa.com not so bad. Have got visa after 24 days, no problems, no hassle. Have british passport.

My experience this Summer:

German passport, IranianVisa took 5 weeks.

After three weeks I just went to Trabzon in northeast Turkey and tried my luck. Got it express, same day, 75 Euro (next day is 50, but it was just before the end of Ramadan).

For the "less controversial nationalities", Trabzon seems to be something of an insiders tip.

Julian

don't pay!!
 

Hi!

We have recently crossed iran on our motorcycles and applied for the visa in Ankara Turkey. The only thing you need for a visa is a entry code from a travel agency! This code will be sent to the Iran embassy were you will apply for your visa. for us (Dutch) the whole process was 9 days and we only had to pay for the visa (50 euro) for US the prices are the same but the proces can take longer... So we used Poonel travel agency (Iran/Teheran) they sent us the code and booked a few hotels(cheap ones) on the route. Ask for mr. Kamran Zaher he will help you! There is also a list of travel agencies at the embassy that can provide you with a (entry)code. NEVER EVER PAY that much money!!!!!!!!!

Good luck!!!!

Roy and Lathoya

Actueel - De Jimdo-website van nowayback!

We used Iranina Visa .com only a few weeks ago and got our code and did get it all sorted. It does sound like there might be cheaper ways to get it done but we didn't have any problems getting our code or then the Visa.

Contact details we used are info@iranianvisa.com we where getting reply from someone called Sarah.

J

Thanks Thoy, good to know it.
Next time I'll be smarter.

Hi we just used Iranian visa . com and after we wired the money to a UK bank account they sent the code in about 5 working days, about 1 week later we applied for the visa at the chosen Istanbul consulate and I (British) had to pay €150 and my wife (Irish) €50 then 3 days later we went back to the consulate to collect the visa with no worries.

Obviously some people have had problems with this agency and that is pretty lousy but just putting my experience across.

Do not use iranianvisa.com
 

AFTER 48 DAYS I'M STILL WAITING FOR THE REFERENCE CODE. DO NOT USE IRANIANVISA.COM THEY ARE COMPLETELY UNPROFESSIONAL. I WAITED FOR THE CODE IN ISTANBUL, IN ANKARA AND IN ERZERUM. EVERY TIME THEY HAVE STUPID REASONS BECAUSE THE CODE IS NOT ISSUED . ( REASONS LIKE : THE COMPUTER LOST YOUR DATA, ahh aaahhh).

Hi Surya,

Are you still in Turkey? This summer I was in the same situation your are in right now. I was in Eastern Turkey, waiting for my confirmation code from Iranianvisa.com.

I got my visa at the Iranian consulate in Trabzon. I paid 75 Euro for express, same day. Normal is 50 Euro and two days, I think.

They don't issue visas for all nationalities, but you should give it a try nonetheless.

Cheers, Julian

FYI:

Iranianvisa most definitely IS or has become a scam. They just took my money and did NOTHING but finding excuses for 3 months now. Contacted Touranzamin and they fixed it in 4 working days.

Check out this fb page I created about it and read others experiences.

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Irani...527247?fref=ts

Tnx for liking it!


Tom