Iranian tourist visa

[Sir Humphrey Appleby]

How easy are these to get hold of? I'm not American so I don't need a tour guide or an exact itinerary etc, would really love to go in January.

How much do things cost as well? I've had a look on the internet and it seems really cheap but nothing too up to date.

 

[acidboy]

does your country have an iranian embassy? isn't that the place to start?

 

[Sir Humphrey Appleby]

I doubt they'd give a British citizen much help with applying for a visa, much less tell me how much things cost and tips for travelling there. I'll have to get it when I'm abroad anyway.

 

[randallr]

No idea why you'd want to do this considering what has happened recently. No, you're not an American but everyone knows the Brits and Americans are friends.

 

[heartworm]

You'll have to apply for a visa at an embassy. Prices may differ from country to country, so call and ask at the embassy where you plan to get it from. Do it well before you want to enter, it might take some time. Your passport must be valid for 6 months after your visit. Most importantly, if you have an israeli stamp or visa you will NOT be let into the country, you'll have to get a new passport made if this is the case.

 

[cptjeff]

If you're a brit, it's probably a bad idea to travel to iran right now. Any western nation really.

If you have an iranian embassy, ask them. If they aren't helpful, take it as a sign and don't go.

 

[GQgeek]

Didn't they capture British sailors in international waters saying they were "spies" a while back? Sure, they were released due to international pressure but still. Don't know why you'd want to go to Iran right now. Just seems like a bad idea.

 

[ShayaEXQT]

have i got this right.... you wanna go to iran? is this a joke? i would rather be drowned or buried alive...

 

[johnH123]

You're the type of person who costs a country money, time and sometimes lives when you knowingly go to a dangerous country, get in trouble and expect to be bailed out.

Go find a falafel shop, sit in it for a few hours and call it even if you're that desperate to see the Middle East.

 

[acidboy]

do you know something about iran that we don't know? is the club scene there wild? do beautiful women throw themselves to tourists there? do they have good tailors? is it a shopping mecca (pun intended)?

 

[Pennglock]

Backback across the border IMO.

 

[fashion_newbie]

I'll offer an alternate view. I made a 10 day stop in Iran (in February). I am also an American citizen. I went with two fellow Americans. We worked with a travel agency in Tehran, the visa took less than a month and the trip was generally flawless. We happened to be in the region and figured it was worth a shot.

The gov't is terrible. However, the cases mentioned above of 'spies' crossing over have been instances of people being where they shouldn't. Now, that is a tough line to draw since the borders aren't clear. Nonetheless, as far as I know, there has not been a case of tourists, going in with approved visas, having any sort of issues.

We also had a 'guide' who happened to be this 50-some year old man who had spent 4 years in America in the 60's. He loved America, didn't care where we wanted to go and what we wanted to do. As long as we got back at night by 1 am and called him to let him know, he was ok.

Again, the gov't is fucked up. The people are not. I have visited over 50 countries in my lifetime. I have never met a general population as pro-American as the Iranian people. Everything they want but cannot have is symbolized in their minds by America. While they generally do not like American foreign policy, they love the idea of America and what it offers to its people - most of all, the freedom to live day-to-day life the way one wants to. Finally, the history is incredible.

I am pretty sure there is a British embassy in Tehran, we walked past it multiple times a day. Iran is quite cheap. It is not a particularly poor country however but day-to-day expenses are quite reasonable, especially if you don't have to incur the cost of a guide. There are also quite a few tourists in the country, something I did not expect. Mostly Aussies, Kiwis and the French. Obviously lots of bus loads of Koreans and Chinese too but that is to be expected.

Where are you thinking of going? We flew into Tehran, spent a few days, then flew down to Shiraz. Over the next week, we drove all the way up to Tehran with stops along the way. The highlight of the trip was the hospitality of the people, followed by some of the historical sights. Walking through Persepolis made almost every ruin I have seen growing up seem like a waste of time. Isfahan is also a really pretty city and if the gov't wasn't psycho, would be filled with tourists in any other country.

 

[fashion_newbie]



is the club scene there wild?

So, we met this guy from Paris who worked at a telecom company and was stationed in Tehran for six months. Some JV between the French and Chinese. Regardless, since Iran is a dry country, he said the house party scene in Tehran makes Paris seem tame by comparison. Unfortunately, we didn't partake in any such activities.

 

[david123]

I haven't been but would like to go too. If you're British I very much doubt you'll find it prohibitively expensive. I would guess a bit more expensive than other Middle East destinations since the income level is a bit higher. Ignore all the negative replies here from mindless, provincial, self-pitying Americans who have been convinced by government hacks that everyone hates them and don't understand why anyone would leave their national borders anyhow. I would be extremely surprised if you encounter any hostility at all and I'm sure you'll have a great trip. If you have an Embassy, call them. The people working there are there for this sort of thing and will help you, assuming official policy is to provide tourist visas at the moment. The hikers incident is very strange and seems more about internal factional conflict in Iran at this point, but I think in the vast vast majority of cases, countries on poor terms with the West find it a lot easier to just throw you out even in the extremely unlikely case that you get yourself in trouble. If anything, low crime levels and access to weapons probably put Iran well on the safe side of possible travel destinations.

 

[Pennglock]

I should add that if Iran doesn't work out, there is always Yemen.