Visas & Planning - Iran - page 59

Pasargad Tours ( www.pasargad-tours.com ; Tehran)
Touran Zamin ( www.touranzamin.com ; Tehran)
MORE TIME, PLEASE - VISA EXTENSIONS
First the good news: there is usually little difficulty in extending a 30-day tourist visa to 60 days. It's possible, but
harder, to extend again, up to a maximum of 90 days. The following summary of how the extension process works
is notoriously prone to change. Check the Thorn Tree (lonelyplanet.com/thorntree) or with a specialist visa agency
for the latest.
Choose Your City
If you want a long extension it's worth planning your itinerary to be somewhere friendly when the extension is
needed. In general, cities familiar with tourists are best: Shiraz has for years been the city of choice, with Esfahan
also getting positive reports. Second-string options include Kerman, Yazd and Tabriz, but these don't always issue
the full 30-day extension. Tehran, Mashhad and other cities are less reliable. Check the Thorn Tree
( www.lonelyplanet.com/thorntree ) for recent reports.
The Process
Head for the Police Department of Aliens Affairs (edareh gozannameh), in the relevant destination chapters. Note
that the office might have changed name to the Passport & Immigration Police by the time you arrive. You'll need:
❑ ❑ your passport and two or three mug shots
❑ ❑ two photocopies of the picture page of your passport, your current visa, entry
stamp and any other extensions you've had (most offices have a photocopy service)
❑ ❑ IR300,000 (at the time of research; check this) for the extension, plus small notes
for forms.
Pay for two copies of the appropriate forms. You'll then be directed to a Bank Melli branch to deposit the cash - just
say 'visa' and the bank staff will in fill the forms for you. Return with your bank receipt and the visa extension will
be issued within an hour or two, though in some cases (hello Tehran) it can take several days.
Timing & Overstaying
In theory, you can only apply for an extension two or three days before your existing visa is due to expire, and your
extension starts on the day it's issued, not the end of your original visa. Cross-check the Persian calendar dates so
you know exactly when your visa expires.
If things go awry, a doctor's note on official stationery stating you were unwell might act as a quasi-extension at
the border, or be used for a short extension in the nearest Aliens Bureau. But don't rely on this.
If you do overstay, even by a few hours, expect to be detained.