Visa Extension in Gorgan, Iran

[steven]

Please read and post reports on the visa extension process in Gorgan below.

We summarize all info in the Iran visa extension page.

[cloudmachine]

We, a German couple with 30-Day-Tourist-Visa, single entry, went to Gorgan for visa extension, 3 days before the expiry. We arrived at 9 a.m. when the place was already very crowded with people most probably from other Asian countries applying for visa extension as well.

To enter the building we had to leave our phones and were supposed to give an address. We told them that we were tourists and would leave town the same day, which they accepted. Being the only tourists around we were allowed to enter the officials’ office directly instead of having to wait with all the others. After checking our passports and asking for how many days we would like to extend we were asked to go to the bank and also bring some passport copies.

We told him we wanted an extension for 30 days, but we finally got 31 days on top of our first 30 days. We could probably have asked for more.

After paying 350.000 Rial each at the Melli Bank we were allowed to go back into the office right away. The man even filled both our forms for us, we only had to sign them. Due to his bad English we didn’t have to answer any interrogating questions and after getting two more stamps at the office of the “Big Boss”, who didn’t speak much to us either, we had our extensions done in less than 75 minutes.

How to get there:

We looked for the Foreign Affairs Department the day before we applied for the extension. As we were only able to locate it by finding somebody who took us there, here a “little” description: (Sorry we couldn’t remember the street names)

Find the central Shahrdari Square and head east on Shahid Beheshti towards Mashad. After about 500 meters there is a big tower on the right painted in white and red. That’s the Melli Bank Tower where you will have to pay the money later. (googlemaps referrers to it as “Supervision of the National Bank of Iran, Gorgan Branch”) Just behind that building you turn right into a narrow street and then again right into the second upcoming dead end, named B-something 4th street. The entrance to the police department is again on the right side. (People in town will also know when you ask for Molaghaty Street, as it is called e.g. in the Lonely Planet and in Farsi on googlemaps: ملاقاتی)

Coordinates of the police department: 36°50'29.1"N 54°26'39.9"E

Bring two pictures, a photocopy of your passport as well as of your visa and the entry stamp. Pay 350.000 Rial. (You can find a copy shop near Melli Bank)

[evanrprice]

Thanks to the above couple, all the details were precisely correct.
I arrived at 8am and was dealt with very swiftly and efficiently (again helps that they don't speak English so questions are very limited) and I had my visa extension within the hour including the short trip to the bank.
Regards
Evan

[Bart-Jan]

Thanks for the above description.
Got my second extension there today, address is Bezehti 4th alley, street going right just after Melli bank is Bezehti street.

There is currently an English speaking guy doing military service there. He was extremely helpful.
Even though I still had 12 left of my previous extension after some explaining I got an extension of 30 days from the last day of my previous visa.
The cost was 345000 Rails.
Everything done in an hour, they filled in the paperwork for me however I needed 3 photographs but no photocopy of my passport

[hitchhikable]

Checked on 2018-07-19
Apparently not much changed from 2 years ago.

Successfully received my 2nd extension in Gorgan for 30 days (embassy visa, not VOA). Requested 5 days prior to expiry of the 1st extension.

I was assisted my Mr Jafari who spoke some English, you may try asking for him.

Brought:
Copies of passport, visa + entry stamp, 1st extension stamp (2 copies of each)
Photographs (3)
34'500 Toman to be paid at Bank Melli

For address in Gorgan, I said "Hotel Shahab" which I just saw on Google search, they didn't ask more questions, so you can try that.

Unlike in other cities, here in Gorgan they don't give you 2 blank forms to fill, but rather ask you questions and type it for you, then print in three copies. This is why they ask for 3 photos. They also took fingerprint with paint of the right hand index finger (on all three copies).

Mobile phone was collected on entry, interestingly, cigarettes and lighter as well. I arrived with my big backpack and they asked to search it. So after a quite thorough search and opening all compartments I was allowed to leave it with guards on the entrance. So make sure to not have anything funny in your things.

Time: from 10 am to 12 noon = 2 hrs for everything

[notesfromabiketrip]

2018/08/15

2 guys with Spanish passports, single-entry visa (30 days), we wanted a first visa extension 7 days before expiry date and were told it was too early.

No problem finding the police station thanks to the description above. We were there at 7:30 am, it was open and empty, just a couple of young guys behind their desks doing nothing. Neither spoke English but after checking with the boss upstairs, whom we never saw, they told us to come again 3 days before expiry date. When they finally understood we would neither spend 4 days in Gorgan nor reach Mashhad within 7 days they went back up but came down with a no again. They told us to do it in Bojnord (capital of North Khorasan Province). Due to a change of plans (Turkmenistan Visa denied) we ended up back in Tehran and got the extension there.