Iran e-visa system

[Yogeshpgupta]

Hello,

The evisa site is only for obtaining reference number. But just after two days of launch many embassies went missing.
Three French cyclists applied in that 2 day window when Tbilisi embassy was also an option, but they never got the reference number.
The evisa system does not ask you to pay, but i am not sure if the cost of visa would be same as before once this evisa reference number system becomes operational.
You still need to visit the embassy to submit your documents (application form, photosx2, insurance copy, original passport, one hotel address only with phone number (booking not required).

[MountainMan]

I applied for the eVisa on January 27th and went to the embassy in Tbilisi the following Monday to submit the original documents as required by the eVisa website. The embassy staff seemed rather confused and told me to come back when told to do so by the ministry by email. I waited 4 weeks and my application status is still 'waiting for verification'. In the meantime I contacted one of the travel agencies to obtain a verification code through them, but I was told that if my eVisa submission is considered as an application the MFA could refuse to issue them a new authorisation code. I don't have much more time and flights were very cheap from Baku, so I'm going for the VOA instead. Things might change in the near future, but in the mean time, at least for Tbilisi, is best not to be in a hurry if applying through the eVisa system.

[Chris]

I just spent quite some time with Iranian visa and also the e-visa system. I am in Tbilisi staying at a couchsurfer from Iran, and to me it seems that the website is not operational yet (March 2017), or has some serious errors who make it impossible to fill it out. First, the link to the English version (https://e_visa.mfa.ir/en/) is dead. If you go to the normal site, the website is only available in Persian, and no option to switch it to English (which is hilarious considering it's intended to be used by foreigners). I seriously tried to fill out the form with the help of Google Translate and my Persian friend, but some of the fields only allow you to respond in Persian, and we gave up when we had to select the state in which we are born - the only options available are provinces of Afghanistan it seems. So this page is in my opinion not ready to be used by most people (yet).

I shortly considered just going to try VOA at the Armenian border, but according to the reports here in the forum this doesn't seem to be an official way and I don't want to have to turn around there. Since I still have some time in Georgia I'll go through the traditional process with an agency, and then getting the visa at the embassy in Tbilisi. I'm happy to report back in the respective forum once I've got it. *fingerscrossed*

[levelo]

Hello,

Yes, it is very confusing...
My own experience at the Paris consulate is this :
I called them up beforehand and they told me that all I needed was to fill in the e-form on their website ( as said before their pixel requirements for both the picture and passport scans are hard to meet ) and have a hotel booking. I got a receipt with a barcode once my e-form went through, it bore the logo of the MFA in Tehran.
I showed up at the consulate a few days later since they still need your finger prints. The staff looked at my e-receipt, scanned it, and cancelled it right away. Then asked me to do as usual, which meant getting the authorization code through an agency... I really thought that the whole point of the e-form was to deal directly with the MFA. I don't know if I was the only person in that case ( I already spent 2 months in Iran in late 2016 and they saw it ).
I was a bit nervous about this cancellation but eventually I received my authorization code and they proceeded with my application. I dropped my passport and collected my visa one week later.
Hope that helps,

L.

[Dorenda]

I'm interested to hear any recent experiences with the e-visa system, cause we also tried to use it today, but the embassies/consulates were we could go were missing (Batumi/Tbilisi/Yerevan). In the end we picked another one, and when we will be in Batumi, we'll go to the consulate to ask if the number that we are now waiting for can be used or if it has to be cancelled and we have to start the traditional procedure, or still something else...

[benjamin_apra]

I applied through the online form (I am in Bishkek right now). I received an answer 2 days later, rejecting my application, for the following reason : توضیحات: از طریق میزبان در مرکز اقدام شود .
In the form, I had put the adress of a friend in Iran, who told me this means that he should have gone through some procedure to allow me to stay at his place. Maybe he should have provided a LOI.... Well, I don't really know !

[olmo30]

Any other recent updates about the online form?

Another question, the visa page of Iran mentioned that you have to enter Iran within 3 months from receiving it. Is this really the case or can we apply a few weeks earlier? Because we also need visa's for Turkmenistan & Uzbekistan.

[rebus]

I tried to obtain a authorisation code for a Iranian visa online, but it was twice refused (once for an 'entry' visum and again for a 'tourist' visum). The refusal comes very quickly (2days), so you know very soon that it doesn't work that way. The explanation is very short but clear: take contact with a travel organisation. Because I travel alone without organisation that's difficult...

Now I'm in contact with 'IranianTravelingCentrer' (ITC) and they support me to obtain a authorisation code. But the payment seems to be very difficult and I need to go to their agent in Teheran to pay... Will I get my code then without paying in advance, based on trust? ... So far I didn't sign that contract yet.

But, reading the posts on Caravanistan... for a 18-day trip, I don't need a visa in advance any more and can count on a Visa On Arrival, that counts for 30 day's?? Or do I have to be extra careful, because I got 2 refusals yet form the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and arrange everything in advance? I feel most safe with the latest option...

[steven]

Either get a LOI through us or ITC, or, if you are flying in, you can usually get a VOA.

[asianrider]

Another negative experience here. I've applied through the website without any problem, but after 3 weeks the status is still "Verification pending". I'm worried it won't get anywhere, so I'll start another application through a travel agency as usual.

Laurent