Today we are travelling to one of the rising global destinations among explorers, Iran. We all see a lot of news and different stories being told about Iran everywhere daily, but who would not want to actually visit the country and write their own story about the country and credits to the beauty of Iran? That story promises to be a long love letter to Iran as it is recognized as one of the warmest countries in the world. And with its magnificent history and breathtaking legacy seen from the country's landmarks, there is no way you will not fall in love with it. In addition to physical cultural legacy, Iran has a variety of intangible cultural heritage components that are worth investigating during your visit. With a population of 83 million, Iran is the third most populated country in the whole Middle Eastern region and the capital of Iran, and largest city is Tehran. However worth mentioning the fact that if you hear the name "Persia", that means your conversation partner is referring to modern-day Iran as Persia was the previous name for the country. With a succession of imperial dynasties, the Persian Empire was one of the largest empires of the ancient world. Thanks to its big territory Iran has a lot of neighboring countries: Afghanistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Iraq, Pakistan, Turkey, and Turkmenistan all border Iran.
Now that we slightly know all the reasons why you should be hopping on the next plane to Teheran and start exploring the unheard beauties of Iran, there is one more thing that future travelers should take care of, and yes, you are completely right, as we are talking about Iran tourist visa! In this article, we will answer questions like “how to get an Iranian visa?”, “how long does it take to get an Iranian visa?" and most importantly, we will go through the Iran tourist visa requirements.
However, keep in your mind that not all nationals are required to obtain a visa, and according to that factor, we can separate the countries from all around the world into some groups. The first group is the one that needs to obtain a so-called "traditional" visa which includes some western countries such as Canada, the United States of America, and the United Kingdom. The second group of nationalities are the ones who are eligible for an e-visa; the list includes all of the European Union countries. The third group is consists of visa-free countries. Last but not least, the group of banned nationalities, which in fact includes only one country, and that is Yemen. Here we have mentioned only a few countries namely; however, in order to make sure whether you need a visa for your visit or not, please do not forget to check the full list which you can find on the "visa policy" section on our website.
So, how to get an Iranian visa? Foreign citizens can apply for Iran visas for a variety of reasons, including tourism, business, and other activities. You can apply for Iran tourist visa both online or in a traditional way which includes submission of a paper to the embassy or the consulate. Iran E-visa is a method of obtaining a visa for a trip to Iran over the internet. The first stage in the visa application procedure is to submit an electronic version of your online application. Certain visa applicants must have a visa interview, even though some candidates can apply for a visa without one. However, you have 10 business days to wait until the application passes all of the required procedures. As there are several types of e-visas, the type of visa that best suits you will be determined by the rules and regulations of the Islamic Republic of Iran, the purpose of your travel, and other factors. As an application, you should be able to fulfill all of the visa criteria. A consular official will examine your documents and records, and if accepted, the type of visa you are qualified for will be determined, of course.
However, in this case, too, some exceptions exist for specific nationalities. Nationals who are from Afghanistan and Bangladesh who reside in their own country must apply for a visa directly through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs e-visa website and get their visa through the Iranian Embassy or Consulate in their country. Moreover, Colombians, Iraqis, Jordanians, Pakistanis, and Somalis can apply for visas online through recognized travel companies. How long does it take to get an Iranian visa? On a usual basis, Iran e-visa for tourism purposes processing takes 10 working days on average. Even though depending on your nationality, the processing period for an Iran E-visa may vary. In some cases, you can also get an online Iran tourist visa on arrival. An Iran E-visa on arrival is available mainly for tourist and entrance purposes. And this type of visa will be valid for 30 days. Within Iran, you can extend your visa using the same online procedure. All travelers seeking to obtain an Iran e-visa on arrival must apply online at least two days before their arrival and receive their "Iran Visa Grant Notice" through an email.
What to do if you have problems with the e-visa platform or are not very closely in touch with technology? In that case, you should try the Iran tourist visa that you obtain from the embassy. How can you apply for an Iran tourist visa, and what are the documents required for Iran tourist visa? Foreign nationals interested in visiting Iran as a single traveller or in a group who are not eligible for an online visa will be required to showcase a tourist visa prior to their landing in Iran. One of the most important Iran tourist visa requirements is an application form. The candidate must fill out the application form completely and sign it. Secondly, you need to have a passport that is signed by the bearer and has a minimum validity of six months beyond the date of your departure from Iran. Also, the passport must be no more than ten years old and have at least one or two free visa pages. Next, two photos with a frontal view of the face covering 70-80% of the photo that is no more than 6 months old. Your travel itinerary also needs to be submitted alongside other documents required for Iran tourist visa. Also, make sure that both flight ticket reservations and hotel confirmation are included in the travel itinerary. Additionally, if your place of residency and citizenship are different, you'll also need a copy of your residence permit or visa, which must be valid for the duration of your trip. Also, let us not forget that another documentation that needs to be presented by you to the embassy in order for your application process to be successful is an authorization number. Which at the request of the Iranian organisation's equivalent, the Visa Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Iran issues an Authorisation Number.
One of the most common questions that disturbs the travelers to Iran, especially the ones who have applied not very early compared to their travel dates, is "how long does it take to get an Iranian visa?”. An Iran tourist visa takes most of the time between 7 and 10 business days to be processed and be completed for you to obtain. However, it is also worth mentioning the fact that the processing time might slightly differ, and it is solely dependent on the nation from which you are applying for a visa. And how high are the Iran tourist visa fees? The Iran tourist visa cost ranges from $23 to $137. And as it was with the processing time, the Iran tourist visa cost might also change depending on your country and nationality. So, how can you apply for Iran tourist visa? In short, unfortunately, if you are not qualified for an Iran E-visa on arrival, then you must apply for an Iran tourist visa at one of the responsible institutions, which most commonly are either Iran visa applications centers, embassies, or consulates in the country that you are currently living in.
However, suppose none of the listed institutions exists in your country. In that case, the best option for you will be applying to the embassy or consulate that is closest to your location, which most probably will be a visa center or an embassy located in one of the neighboring countries to your homeland. Also, based on legitimate grounds, the Police Department of Aliens Affairs issues applications for visa extensions, including entrance, tourist, and pilgrimage visas.