Question: I am an Irish citizen and plan to arrive in Iran in June/July. Before this I will be in Egypt, Jordan, Syria and Turkey over the months of april, may and some of June.
What I'm wondering is whether or not I should wait to make an application for the visa closer to my departure date (I am in Holland now until the end of March) as I am aware that the visa has a 90 day expiration date. Is it possible to defer the starting date of the visa?
Alternatively would it be advisable to make the application in one the countries listed above?
Answer: For the visa to Iran you have three ways:
1. Fill in the visa form on http://www.uppersia.com/Iran-travel-services/iran-visa.html, it takes about 10 working days to get your reference number and two working days to collect your visa at the embassy by direct referral or one working week by posting the docs to the embassy. You can pay the visa fee in cash in Iran.
2. Fly to Iran and get a 15-day on arrival visa at the airport. This kind of visa is issued for 98 nationalities excluding USA, England, Canada, Colombia, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iraq, Jordan, Bangladesh, and Somalia. If your nationality is among the countries authorized to get it, you can collect your visa against offering your passport, a passport-size photo and about $50 to the staff at the airport. There is no need to fill in any form beforehand.
3. Refer to the Iranian embassy in your country and ask for a visa to be issued for you. Usually this way takes longer time about 30 days so it is not suggested. By the way, some of the embassies ask for an invitation letter, in this case you have to use the first option.
It is possible to collect your visa within three months after the number is issued by the MFA, but it is better to collect it as soon as possible. After being stamped in your passport, this visa is valid for 3 months to enter Iran. The exit may happen after this period. You can collect your visa in any of the Iranian embassies all over the world which should be specified while starting your visa application.
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