HOW TO GET AN IRAN TOURIST VISA
Required Documents for Iran Visa:
- Passport Image that has at least 6 months validity
- Personal photo with solid white background (ladies are not required to wear head coverings)
- Filled out visa form
Invitation Letter (Authorization Number)
Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) sends an 18-digit code to the agency. The duration of sending this code varies depending on your nationality. Generally, for most nationalities, it will take around 7-10 working days and for special nationalities such as Americans, British and Canadians, it will take 1-2 months. Having this code, you can refer to Iran embassy in your country or Iran airports and receive Iran Visa Stamp at your passport.
The validity duration of this code for receiving Iran visa stamp fee is one month since the issuance time. And since the time of visa stamp reception, the tourist has three months time to enter Iran. And the important point is that exiting Iran must be done before the expiration of this three months validity.
The List of Iran’s Visa Free Zones
You can travel to the beautiful attractions of Kish Island, Qeshm Island, Chahbahar, Maku, Arvand, Anzali, and Aras without any Iran visa and stay there for fourteen days and to extend your stay, you can pay a low amount of money at the affiliated offices to MFA in Iran.
The following nationalities can enter Iran and stay in Iran for fifteen days without visa and to extend their stay they can pay a low amount of money at the affiliated to MFA offices in Iran:
Azerbaijan, Turkey,Georgia ,Lebanon,Serbia, Malaysia, Syria, Armenia, Venezuela, and Bolivia.
Iran Tourist Visa
The valid agencies in Iran can apply for Iran Tourist Visa; all the nationalities except Israel can apply for Iran Entry Visa. For the special countries of America, Britain and Canada, the duration, the terms and conditions of Iran Visa collection is different.
In general, the maximum validity of traveler’s stay with tourist visa is 30 days and they are regarded as single entry. To stay longer than 30 days, visa should be extended in Iran.
You can apply for tourist visa through valid travel agencies in Iran and after sending the required documents including passport image, personal photo and visa form, the agency will send your request to Iran’s MFA and usually MFA will issue an 18-digit code after 7-10 working days. Having this code and referring to Iran’s embassy in your country, you can receive your visa stamp.
- Visa Collection Place, you can choose Iran International Airports as well as Iran’s Embassy in your country.
- Tourist Visa consists of two costs: 1. The money that you give to the agency which is about 50 Euros. 2. Stamp fee which varies depending on your nationality and should be paid in Iran’s embassy in your country.
- We can apply for your visa as single entry. The procedures of double entry or multiple entry are different and travelers can go directly to the any embassy of Iran and apply themselves for double entry or multiple entry Iran visa.
- For receiving the visa in Iran’s embassy in your country you will need to have your original passport, Personal Photo, 18-digit authorization code and visa stamp fee.
- In some of Iran’s embassies and consulates, there is no need for your personal presence and you can follow this procedure of sending and receiving the visa stamp fee through post.
- Extending the visa can be done in major and large capital cities of Iran.
- In general, Iran visa is valid for 3 months and at the end of these three months it is not possible to extend the visa.
Iran Visa on Arrival (VOA)
What is it?
It is a direct Visa that can be obtained at the airport of arrival. Easy to process, it should not pose any problem.
However, there are certain exceptions that can not use this system to obtain the Visa and must use another system to access the country.
Journalists who travel to practice their profession.
Persons who have previously been denied access to IRAN
People who have visited Israel →Go with a passport in which the seal of Israel does not appear.
Nationals from Colombia, Somalia, USA, United Kingdom, Canada, Bangladesh, Jordan, Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan and India →Access denied
Nationals of Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bolivia, Egypt, Georgia, Lebanon, Malaysia, Syria, Turkey or Venezuela→ They do not need Visa
If you are not among the exceptions by following the steps below, you should not worry about anything.
List of airports where you can get the VISA on arrival:
• IKA: Imam Khomeini Airport
• TEH: Tehran Mehrabad Airport
• SYZ: Shiraz International Airport
• MHD: Mashhad International Airport
• TBZ: Tabriz International Airport
• ISF: Isfahan International Airport
• KIH: Kish International Airport
Necessary documentation:
-Travel insurance(With a letter in English that says insurance works in Iran)
– 2 passport photo (we recommend taking more if you intend to renew the visa)
-Flight of arrival and departure
-Passport (recommended to carry copies) (Minimum with 6 months validity)
-Reservation of the first night in Iran.
Process:
1. Search Stand “visas here”
2. Fill in the form (Basic data, such as name, surname, passport number, date of birth, name of your father, nationality and occupation)
3. Information of Sponsor/ person or place hosting you (Name, phone number and address)
4. Arrival flights and departure flights
5. Pay the visa, normally between 50-75 euros
Conditions of VISA:
– The visa lasts for 30 days.
– At the end of the period the visa can be renewed for another 30 days two times more.
Renew visa:
1. Carry with you: Two passport photos, 340,000 Rials (9 Euros), two copies of the current visa, passport copy, passport and visa
2. Go to the immigration office (There is one in each provincial capital)
3. fill in the form
4. Pay (Maybe they ask you to go to a bank to make the payment and come back with the receipt.
5. Collect the visa with the extension stamp that will allow you to be in the country for 30 more days.
List of offices: http://greetingiran.com/es/iran-visa-extension/
* It is advisable to go early in the morning. 2/3 days before it expires, if you leave with a lot of time in advance you could refuse the renewal.
Insurance:
IATI https://www.iatiseguros.com/contratar/es/tipo_seguro.html
worldnomads https://www.worldnomads.es/
Travel insurance mundi Spain http://www.mundiespana.com/seguros-de-viaje-baratos
There is also the option to take the insurance in the same terminal:
1 to 31 days: € 14
32 to 45 days: € 23
46 to 62 days: € 28
63 to 92 days: € 34
Sources:
http://viajairan.com/extender-visado-en-iran-consejos/ (extender visado)
