Hi, I was thinking of going to the embaqssy tomorrow and apply for the visa.
I am italian, but i have been living in london for over 5years.
Is there any way around the invitation letter? I know that i can apply thought the visa service company but I would rather avoid spending £30 fee. any suggestion on how i can get the visa without invitation letter and without applying through the visa service??
thanks
eva
Reply to this Hello Eva 😊
I think you might be able to put down a hotel name, instead of the letter of invitation. I am not certain about this, but think I remember somebody saying it. Then you send the applicaiton to an Iranian consulate without the code from the visa agent and hope for the best.
Mel
Reply to this So, did you hand in the visa application to the consulate yesterday?
Reply to this No, I was not sure what to do. I guess the best is to ring the embassy and ask how important the invitation letter is, but also I have know someone who is originally from iran. he might be able to get one for me!
wish me good luck ; )
Reply to this Good luck with getting anybody to help when you phone the consulate. I could never get any definte answers from them on the phone.
You could try asking the consulate if a hotel reservation will do instead instead of a letter of invitation. That is what some people do. Then book a fancy hotel room in Tehran. After you get the visa, cancel it. The hotel wont ask you for credit card details or anything like that, because you cant use credit cards in Iran. They might give you some kind of booking number or something that you can show to the consulate.
Reply to this We are starting the same process here in NZ at the moment. We have been in contact with the Iranian embassy (surprised to find one in NZ!) and each time we have to email a different person who doesnt get back to us for ages then asks the same questions as the person before (even if the answers are in the email!). Lucky we arent planning to visit Iran until later this year, gives us a bit of time to get organised. We are also starting to read other peoples blogs on Iran - an amazing place, potentially hard work but more than worth the effort.
Reply to this Hello Karen and Colin 😊
Once you get the visa, then Iran is a relatively easy and inexpensive country to travel in.
If you want to make it faster and less complicated to get the visa you could use an agent such as
www.iranianvisa.com to get the visa code for you. It means paying an extra 50 Euros for the visa getting process, but you might end up paying that anyway if one of the consulates turns down your application and you have to apply again at another consulate.
Mel
Reply to this Hello hello,
i finally managed to get the invitation letter from a friend who has family in Iran. do you know if I have to put any particular info onto it. The letter states the name of the person hosting us, the purpose of the visit and so on. Does it need to be signed by the host??
eva
Reply to this one more thing...i read somewhere on the web that you need to have your head covered when taking pictures of yourself to send with your visa application. is it true???
Reply to this It is not always true, but as a precaution I would do it, in case some conservative person at the consulate thinks of it as a reason to reject your visa application. As well as that they put a copy of they photo on the visa which you will have to show when entering Iran. A photo of you well covered up with no make up may be the difference between being waved quickly past the immigration in Iran and being hassled with questions. I would go with the very covered up and no make up look untill you are well clear of the immigration when entering Iran.
It mostly isnt too bad in Iran, apart from the police and the immigration. Dont attract the attention of either if you can avoid it, even if as a foreigner they will be more lenient with any dress crimes.
Reply to this thanks once more. you are so full of precious informations
grazie
eva
Reply to this Hi Eva
welcome to Iran, Don't worry about any thing Iranian are so friendly, all of like to invite you to have meal with them in their home, normally they use to have meal at home not fast food or restaurant.
You will be one of Iran's fan after visiting. At the Tehran air port they will give you a scarf hair and it's not too important, I suggest you visit ISFAHAN, SHIRAZ, TABRIZ as well as North of Iran. At least need two weeks to watch them all, air plane is also so cheap. You can find any kind of wether that you like, in north of Iran you can go sky and in south you can go swiming in sea.
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.... in south you can go swiming in sea.
Are women allowed to swim in the sea in Iran? That seems like the sort of thing there would be a law against.
Reply to this I thought women could swim if they were fully clothed.
Reply to this I thought women could swim if they were fully clothed.
Then, I hope there is someplace warm avaliable to change out of that head to foot outfit and into another like it. 😉
I didnt go swimming in Iran at all. Maybe it is a good thing that I skipped it. . :D
Reply to this hello everyone, it's time to cross all of our fingers... I sent my application for the Visa yesterday...I ll let you know how it goes.
: )
Reply to this Actually I said that to transfer my meaning about variety of weather in Iran, it's a big country with 4seasons.
I can't swim but same as every country if you want to do any thing that is forbidden, you need very very close friends, if you really like to swim, you can ask your close Iranian friends to help you, I didn't go to south of Iran- Persian Gulf- but in Caspian sea my friend bring me to a privet area then I saw many females and males swimming and enjoy together in the coast same as other countries.
Also in public places you need to have cloth, I saw some photos in google:
http://images.google.com/images?q=swim+women+iran&gbv=2&hl=en&newwindow=1&sa=2
some photos are only for fun, I didn't see any female to cover her face/fingers only a little scarf on the head, Iranian people are open mind, don't worry, take it easy. Foreigners are special !
Even my special friend prepare beer, alcohol, ... haha
Make strong friendship, Have good trip!
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