HOW TO GET AN IRAN TOURIST VISA

Iran visa for us citizens

If you have opted Iran as your next tourist destination, most probably you know that you should obtain a visa for travelling there unless you are coming from visa countries list.

Based on your purpose of travelling, your preferences, your social or professional conditions and your time limitations, you may choose a suitable kind of visa plus the best way to obtain it. In this article it is tried to explain all the subjects related to Iran visa and the steps that lead you to obtain it as easily as you can.

Kinds of visa for Iran

Entry visa

A foreign citizen holding an invitation letter from a company or organization or any other public or private sector can apply for entry visa to Iran. The purpose can be discussing an issue, signing a contract or negotiating.

Tourist visa

The most popular visa for Iran is the tourist visa as we have lots of foreign visitors annually. Iran tourist visa is for those foreign people who wish to visit Iran for tourist purposes.

According to what the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has regulated, a tourist visa can be issued for at last 30 days with the possibility of expansion in Iran. People who travel individually, in group tours or in family and friend tours can obtain this kind of visa to meet their purpose.

Pilgrimage visa

This can be used for foreign Muslims who want to visit the holy shrines and religious attractions in Iran.

Diplomatic visa

This kind of visa can be obtained by Temporary guests of diplomats and officials, diplomatic or consular offices’ Temporary employees, Diplomatic or Official passport holders (even with tourist purposes).

Education visa

Used for non-Iranian students or religious scholars intending to continue their careers in Iran.

Business visa

Visa for trading and business purposes or simply for working in Iran in any legal field.

Transit visa

It allows the visa holder to pass through Iran without any stay there.

Media or press visa

Visa for foreign media emplyees like TV and radio members and also for employers of newspapers, magazines, etc. to have reports, films or any other products depending on their profession.

Investment visa

Those whose investment in Iran is approved and permitted by organizations can apply for this kind of visa for technical or economical assistance in Iran.

Marital visa

A man married to an Iranian woman can apply for marital visa to Iran. Their children also can apply for that when they want to travel to Iran.

Medical visa

Foreign citizens who wish to travel to Iran for their medical purposes can easily apply for that if they have the letter of approval from one of the authorized medical centers.







Iran Visa Policy

Visitors who are going to visit Iran as their next tourist destination must obtain a visa from one of the Iranian diplomatic offices unless they are holding a passport from one of the visa free countries or countries capable of obtaining a visa on arrival.

All foreign visitors must hold a passport valid for at least 6 months on the date of application. Admission is not refused for women not wearing Islamic head cover, scarf, long sleeves. Israeli citizens are totally banned from coming to Iran for any purposes.

Iranian authorities are discovering a possible visa relinquishment program by which visa limitations will be lifted for 60 countries as an important part of Iran’s policy to attract more tourists.

Dual citizens of both Iran and another country are considered as citizens of Iran when visiting, and must hold an Iranian passport. This comprises all whose mother and father and husband or children born abroad.

Iran no longer affixes visas to passports and does not put stamps on entry as a response to the US sanctions on people who have visited Iran from 2011 on.

In 2018, the head of Iran’s Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts, and Iran Tourism Organization (ICHTO), announced that the country will not put stamp or stickers to passports of foreign tourists in an offer to reduce their concerns about travelling to other countries after visiting Iran.







Iran Visa on Arrival

Let’s make everything clear first. The easiest way of obtaining a visa for Iran is getting a visa on arrival, although not the best as you may be rejected just at the airport.

Another problematic issue with VOA can be the denials by some airline companies by which they may not allow the travelers to board with no valid visas That may be the reason why most of the people refuse traveling to another country without having a visa in hand. They are worried that they may not be given one and so they will have to pay a high-cost flight ticket unsuccessfully.

VOA which van be called as airport visa, is the kind of Iran tourist visa received by those nationalities who are qualified to travel to Iran for tourism. Those who travel to Iran for diplomatic and official purposes cannot obtain this kind of visa of Iran.

This kind of visa can be delivered at main Iran international airports. So you are not able to get this on the land borders. The airports in which you can obtain Iran VOA are:

● 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

If you get a VOA it will have 30 days of validity. It has been issued since January 2017. And you can only extend it in the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Just note that they will only do visa extension if they consider it as necessary.

The process is a bit complicated and usually ends with maximally 14 days of extension. Please also note a VOA yet needs the documents and that there are requirements and not all the nationalities can get a visa on arrival.

source: youtube.com







Iran Visa Online

As it was mentioned earlier you can apply for e visa before you head to Iran. This way you are on the safe side and the risk is less compared to VOA. You just apply for it and fill in the online application form and wait for the answer from the Iranian embassy.

They check your documents and reply your application. In most of the cases the applicants get confirmation, but if you were not lucky enough and got rejected, do not worry at all. Just contact PERSIAPASSENGER and we can help you with your visa process.

Iran Visa Application Form

Online Visa Application form, is for momentary travel to Iran. The Application should be submitted online to E visa Department, Ministry of Foreign Affairs website.

Consular Officers in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will use the information you have entered on the application form to process the visa application and, also the process may be followed by a personal interview, regulate an applicant’s admissibility for a nonimmigrant visa.

Visa applicants must acquiesce a completed Online Nonimmigrant Visa Application form for all nonimmigrant visa categories, including Entry, Tourist, Work, Treatment, Press, Student, Family, and Investment visas. More information about types of Iranian visas can be find in this article.

Please do care about all the questions on the electronic visa application form and answer all accurately and completely; else, you may have to apply again for your application and postpone your visa interview appointment.

The FIRST STEP in your visa application process is submitting your online application electronically. Some visa applicants may be asked by the ministry to attend a visa interview, however some of them may qualify for a visa of Iran without interview. You should wait until your application pass all the required process in 10 business days.

If the embassy or consulate at which you apply notifies that you must have a visa interview, the visa application procedure cannot be completed until you take part in an interview with a consular officer.

After changing your application status, a Status email will be send to your email. You also can check the application status through the website.

The following step are those that you should take after you completed the visa application form online:

Print and keep the page appearing when you completed the email verification process after submitting your online visa application that is your e visa application submission notice. (You do not need to print the full application.)

Verify your email address during the process of your online visa application submission. All communication about your visa application, confirmation or rejection will be done through this email address.

You may be asked to attend a personal interview based on the appointment system will manage for you.

If you are not announced to attend an interview, you should wait for your application pass all required process within 10 business days. After changing your application status, a Status email will be send to your email.







Visa of Iran Free Countries

Armenia, Egypt, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Malaysia, Serbia, Turkey, Bolivia, Lebanon, Venezuela.

Iran Tourist Visa Duration

The standard tourist visa duration is 30 days regardless of the way that the visitor has applied for his/visa, but this duration is a bit different for visa exempt countries. visa of Iran

duration for the visa exempt countries are as follows:

Armenia and Turkey (90 Days)

Egypt (20 Days)

Georgia (45 Days)

Azerbaijan, Serbia, Bolivia, Lebanon (30 Days)

Malaysia and Venezuela (15 Days)

Note that in all the cases there is a possibility of extension. You can go to the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and ask for your visa extension. The confirmation or rejection is depending on them and the extension days are limited.

Nationalities that can apply for Iran VOA

European countries:

Albania, Azerbaijan, Belgium, Armenia, Spain, Russia, Romania, Croatia, Slovenia, Slovakia, Ukraine, Italy, Ireland, Germany, Austria, Sweden, Switzerland, France, Cyprus, Belarus, Bulgaria, Denmark, Luxembourg, Poland, Georgia, Norway, the Netherlands, Hungary, Yugoslavia, Greece.

Asian and Middle Eastern countries:

Uzbekistan, Australia, the United Arab Emirates, Indonesia, Bahrain, Brunei, Japan, Singapore, Syria, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Palestine, Kyrgyzstan, Qatar, South Korea, North Korea, Kuwait, Lebanon, Malaysia, Mongolia, New Zealand, Vietnam, and India.

Countries such as Brazil, Colombia, Cuba, Venezuela, Mexico can apply for 30-day Iran VOA as well.

The price for a VOA depends on the nationality of the passport holder, 75 euros for most of the Europeans and 145 euros for Australian passport holders.

Iran Visa Authorization Code

Those nationalities who are not placed in the VOA list should receive the authorization code by the help of an agency beforehand and get their visa in the Iranian embassy in their countries. They can get their code (by applying for visa of Iran in advance) in 2 business days with just 19 EUR.

Visa for Iran requirements

Are you going to plan your next vacation to Iran? If you have started, you may already have known that you need a visa. Visa requirements are different depending on the kind passport you hold and your nationality. For some, they are pretty straightforward, while for others may end up feeling like a pain.







Iran Visa requirements for Europeans

If as a European passport holder, your nationality is one of those nationalities that have no or the least difficulties to get a visa for Iran. One way to obtain your visa is VOA (visa on arrival).

The visa for Iran requirements include:

1. A passport which is valid for at least 6 months.

2. A ticket which is confirmed for returning within a 30-day period

3. A photo for attaching to the application form

4. The stamp fee, which can be paid to the visa for Iran & airport Passport Office. Iran airport visa fee is different depending on the applicant’s nationality. It is 75 euros for most of the nationalities.

5. A letter of invitation or a voucher for hotel reservation. The letter should be sent from the Iranian travel agent to Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Iran 48 hours before you arrive to the airport.

6. Mandatory but not mentioned officially: a printed valid travel insurance for Iran.

PERSIAPASSENGER can help you apply online and get you visa in advance.

Iranian Visa for US, UK, and Canadian Citizens

British passport holders are one exception among European passport holders. Although they are Europeans, they will be treated as US and Canadian citizens and they have to provide the documents as these two nationalities and pay more compared to the other Europeans.

All the travelers from the USA, Canada, and the UK must be in a company of a certified guide for all the time in Iran. This fundamentally means that if you do not hire a private guide for your entire trip of Iran, you must be a part of a prearranged tour.

These requirements include:

1. A passport which is valid for at least 6 months.

2. A ticket which is confirmed for returning within a 30-day period

3. A photo for attaching to the application form

4. The stamp fee, which can be paid to the visa for Iran & airport Passport Office. Iran airport visa fee is different depending on the applicant’s nationality. The fee 50 EUR for Americans, 60 EUR for Canadians and 180 EUR for British citizens.

5. A letter of invitation or a voucher for hotel reservation. The letter should be sent from the Iranian travel agent to Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Iran 48 hours before you arrive to the airport.

6. Mandatory but not mentioned officially: a printed valid travel insurance for Iran.

The above mentioned nationalities cannot get a visa on arrival and have to perform the process beforehand.







Iranian visa for Pakistanis and Indians

Those people who hold Pakistani passport are not among those nationalities who can get an Iranian VOA and have to apply for e visa in advance. On the contrary Indian people can get a visa either in advance or on arrival.

The required documents and the process of obtaining visa for them are exactly the same as other passport holders. For both Indians and Pakistanis the documents required include:

1. A passport which is valid for at least 6 months.

2. A ticket which is confirmed for returning within a 30-day period

3. A photo for attaching to the application form

4. The stamp fee, which can be paid to the Iran Visa & airport Passport Office. Iran airport visa fee is different depending on the applicant’s nationality. It is 75 euros for most of the nationalities.

5. A letter of invitation or a voucher for hotel reservation. The letter should be sent from the Iranian travel agent to Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Iran 48 hours before you arrive to the airport.

6. Mandatory but not mentioned officially: a printed valid travel insurance for Iran.

PERSIAPASSENGER can help you apply online and get you visa in advance.

Are you ready for a great journey of Iran?

Please book at least three weeks ahead of your travel date.



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