Please read and post reports on the border crossing between Turkey and Iran below.
We summarize all info on the Iran border crossings page.
Border Crossing Iran-Turkey: Esendere-Sero
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Thank you!
Before asking a border crossing question, make sure you have read the relevant article about the country. Overview page: http://caravanistan.com/border-crossings/
Before submitting a crossing report or question, have a look first to see if a topic already exists. Existing forum topics are linked to from the border crossing pages on the site.
Thank you!
Re: Border Crossing Iran-Turkey: Esendere-Sero
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GiacomoLuppi
- Posts: 11
- Joined: Sat Jan 28, 2017 12:13 am
- x 13
Border Crossing Iran-Turkey: Esendere-Sero
I crossed this border the 9th of April, walking from Iran to Turkey. A Taxi from Oromyie to the border cost 300.000 IRR (7 USD), maybe I could bargain but the vehicle was in really bad conditions and the driver was so friendly, so maybe my money will help him in the maintenance of the car 
The border looked busy with a lot of trucks and people carrying goods. As a foreigner they allowed me to skip all the queue. I think I was the first foreigners since a long time because in both sides they didn't know what to do. The guards in both sides told me politely to wait while they were calling some colleagues for asking the procedure. Bakcpack checked as usual, they weren't looking for something special, just curious about what a backpacker is carrying on his shoulders. In turkish side there are a lot of minibuses waiting for bringing people to the first town. Anyway I hitchhiked on the first truck that I met. Although it was the 9th of April there was snow in both sides, specially in Turkey the temperatures were bloody freezing. In the first turkish village I took a bus to Van for 6 USD
The border looked busy with a lot of trucks and people carrying goods. As a foreigner they allowed me to skip all the queue. I think I was the first foreigners since a long time because in both sides they didn't know what to do. The guards in both sides told me politely to wait while they were calling some colleagues for asking the procedure. Bakcpack checked as usual, they weren't looking for something special, just curious about what a backpacker is carrying on his shoulders. In turkish side there are a lot of minibuses waiting for bringing people to the first town. Anyway I hitchhiked on the first truck that I met. Although it was the 9th of April there was snow in both sides, specially in Turkey the temperatures were bloody freezing. In the first turkish village I took a bus to Van for 6 USD
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interrailer
- Posts: 29
- Joined: Thu Jan 27, 2022 9:56 am
- x 1
- x 15
Re: Border Crossing Iran-Turkey: Esendere-Sero
Crossed this border last week. Took the Nightbus from Teheran to Urmia. Arrival at 6am. It was snowy so taxi driver (spoke some English) wanted 2 Mio. Rial for the route, maybe with nice weather you can get a better price. According to a local standard price for Urmia to Sero terminal is 1,5 Mio Rial.
There would be also shared taxis for 400.000 Rial available.
Road was blocked by a truck due to heavy snowfall, taxi driver used the other driving direction for a while to get there, almost no traffic and also except some small villages nothing in between.
At the border would be some money changers available but didn’t ask for the rate (likely a bad one).
Border crossing was very smooth, also almost no queues. C-ray scan on both sides of the border. Compared to my last exit from Iran (Astara), they didn’t let me keep my visa Print-out this time… even not on request. Is this new or just the „rule“ at this border?
At this border also on the Turkish side they spoke good English.
From Esendere were minibuses to Van (150TL) and Yüksekova (50TL) available.
The one to Van filled up more quickly, but as I didn’t have enough Lira with me for that and also because it would be super uncomfortable for 3,5 hour long trip, I decided to take the minibus to Yüksekova. Waited almost two hours until departure (the Van bus took 40mins to fill up). Here the minibuses really leave only when all places are occupied it seems… In Yüksekova they didn’t want to exchange me money in the two banks near the bus station, but luckily for Van Gölü bus company you can also pay by card. 100 TL to Van. After a bit more than 3 hours got dropped in the beautiful city of Van.
Overall good experience but long waiting for bus on Turkish side. There would have been also a minibus at 7am from Urmia station via Razi border for 2,5 Million Rial -> cheaper option (for single travelers) and less dependent on waiting for bus to fill up.
Also almost no cars/trucks going through border during the two hours I spent there… maybe 2-3 cars and 2 trucks!
There would be also shared taxis for 400.000 Rial available.
Road was blocked by a truck due to heavy snowfall, taxi driver used the other driving direction for a while to get there, almost no traffic and also except some small villages nothing in between.
At the border would be some money changers available but didn’t ask for the rate (likely a bad one).
Border crossing was very smooth, also almost no queues. C-ray scan on both sides of the border. Compared to my last exit from Iran (Astara), they didn’t let me keep my visa Print-out this time… even not on request. Is this new or just the „rule“ at this border?
At this border also on the Turkish side they spoke good English.
From Esendere were minibuses to Van (150TL) and Yüksekova (50TL) available.
The one to Van filled up more quickly, but as I didn’t have enough Lira with me for that and also because it would be super uncomfortable for 3,5 hour long trip, I decided to take the minibus to Yüksekova. Waited almost two hours until departure (the Van bus took 40mins to fill up). Here the minibuses really leave only when all places are occupied it seems… In Yüksekova they didn’t want to exchange me money in the two banks near the bus station, but luckily for Van Gölü bus company you can also pay by card. 100 TL to Van. After a bit more than 3 hours got dropped in the beautiful city of Van.
Overall good experience but long waiting for bus on Turkish side. There would have been also a minibus at 7am from Urmia station via Razi border for 2,5 Million Rial -> cheaper option (for single travelers) and less dependent on waiting for bus to fill up.
Also almost no cars/trucks going through border during the two hours I spent there… maybe 2-3 cars and 2 trucks!
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Francesco1966
- Posts: 8
- Joined: Fri Jun 08, 2018 5:29 pm
- x 5
- x 1
Re: Border Crossing Iran-Turkey: Esendere-Sero
Hi,
I crossed this border last week, Iran to Turkey. I used public transportation, and everything was quite smooth.
In greater detail:
1) I took the night bus from Teheran (Beyhaghi/Argentina terminal) to Urmia, leaving at 20:00 and arriving in Urmia around 6:30.
2) Then I waited in the local bus station for the 8:00 bus to Van, which I had booked in Teheran through the hostel I was staying at (price around 10 €, I don't remember exactly).
3) The bus turned to be a 20-seats minibus, which left, half empty, at 8:50.
4) After one hour or so we reached the Iranian border in Sero, dragged uphill our bags for about 300 m up to the checking station, found no queue, and had our passports checked (mine looked a bit surprising to the guards, since all the people were either Iranian or Turks, so I had to wait for about 10 min to be cleared).
5) After that, we dragged uphill (again...) our bags to the Turkish checking station, had our vaccination status checked (I have an EU certificate with three doses), had our bags thoroughly checked, and had our passports stamped.
6) Eventually, we (I carefully followed a Kurdish/Turkish guy who seemed to have a great experience of the whole process, and was quite friendly to me as a stranger) found a different minibus on the Turkish side, this time packed full, and in about three hours we reached Van, arriving at 13-13:30 (consider that Turkey lags Iran by 1.5 hours).
I crossed this border last week, Iran to Turkey. I used public transportation, and everything was quite smooth.
In greater detail:
1) I took the night bus from Teheran (Beyhaghi/Argentina terminal) to Urmia, leaving at 20:00 and arriving in Urmia around 6:30.
2) Then I waited in the local bus station for the 8:00 bus to Van, which I had booked in Teheran through the hostel I was staying at (price around 10 €, I don't remember exactly).
3) The bus turned to be a 20-seats minibus, which left, half empty, at 8:50.
4) After one hour or so we reached the Iranian border in Sero, dragged uphill our bags for about 300 m up to the checking station, found no queue, and had our passports checked (mine looked a bit surprising to the guards, since all the people were either Iranian or Turks, so I had to wait for about 10 min to be cleared).
5) After that, we dragged uphill (again...) our bags to the Turkish checking station, had our vaccination status checked (I have an EU certificate with three doses), had our bags thoroughly checked, and had our passports stamped.
6) Eventually, we (I carefully followed a Kurdish/Turkish guy who seemed to have a great experience of the whole process, and was quite friendly to me as a stranger) found a different minibus on the Turkish side, this time packed full, and in about three hours we reached Van, arriving at 13-13:30 (consider that Turkey lags Iran by 1.5 hours).
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Re: Border Crossing Iran-Turkey: Esendere-Sero
I cross the border with my bicycle on Sunday 21.08.22.
Very smooth, no queues. I went alone pushing my bike through the pedestrian path. Turkish control without problems (they did not scan my bags). Iranian control 20 minutes asking me some questions because of my german passport being spanish. Bags were scanned (I had my stove bottle full of fuel) without complains. It took in total around 45 minutes.
Very smooth, no queues. I went alone pushing my bike through the pedestrian path. Turkish control without problems (they did not scan my bags). Iranian control 20 minutes asking me some questions because of my german passport being spanish. Bags were scanned (I had my stove bottle full of fuel) without complains. It took in total around 45 minutes.
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