To travel to the Islamic state of Iran, Russians need a visa. The purpose of the trip does not matter, whether it be a tourist tour, an occasion to stay with relatives or transit travel - a visa to Iran is necessary in any situation. Features of obtaining this document will be considered in more detail below.
Reference code, or features of obtaining
The reference code is a kind of permission to visit the country issued by the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs in advance of departure. The receipt of the code occurs after checking all the data submitted to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and is the guarantor of a positive visa decision both when applying at the airport and when applying at the consulate.
It is impossible to obtain a reference code when preparing a visa to Iran for Russians directly to the Iranian Foreign Ministry, the conduct of this procedure is controlled by accredited travel agencies. You can request a code via the Internet by answering several questions on the online questionnaire, including entering personal data, passport details, information about work or study, a detailed route for your planned trip, and dates of your trip. It is also necessary to pay a consular fee of about 2000 rubles. by credit card or electronic payments.
The application processing process is carried out within 7 business days. The answer will come to the e-mail indicated in the process of filling out the questionnaire. If the Ministry of Foreign Affairs rejects the application, the amount paid will not be returned.
Getting a visa at the airport
The pre-received reference code will significantly speed up visa processing at the Iranian airport, as this document guarantees the check passed by the tourist, that is, the visa is obtained in the accelerated mode. In other words, if you definitely need a visa to Iran - do not be too lazy to get a reference code, it will provide you with unhindered entry into the country.
In addition to the reference code at the border, you will need:
- Passport valid for six months after the end of the Russia-Iran trip.
- Payment of the consular fee of 60 euros.
After receiving payment and checking the submitted documents, the visa stamp is pasted into the passport, the procedure will take no more than half an hour.
Without a reference code, a visa will be delayed for several hours: the border control should check and send the tourist data for consideration to the Iranian Foreign Ministry. The list of required documents is expanding significantly:
- Passport containing 2 blank sheets.
- A completed application form.
- Color photo 3x4 cm.
- Return ticket from Iran to Russia or a third country.
- Confirmation of the hotel or invitation and contacts of relatives in Iran.
If the check is successfully passed, the visa is put in the passport, however, there is a risk of refusal - in this case you will have to refuse the trip.
Tourist visa
Tourist visas are issued by the Iranian Embassy in Moscow, as well as consulates in Kazan or Astrakhan. To obtain a visa you need:
- Valid passport with two blank pages for making stamps.
- 2 color photos 3x4, without corners, on a white background.
- A visa application form completed in Russian in 2 copies.
- A detailed travel itinerary indicating stops and hotels for overnight stays, as well as hotel reservations as proof of the availability of accommodation in Iran.
- Consular fee check.
- Health insurance that covers the entire trip.
Transit visa
A transit visa to Iran is issued if a trip from Russia takes place to a third country with an intermediate entry into Iran. The list of documents is similar to the list required for obtaining a tourist visa. The difference is that you do not need to attach a detailed route plan and hotel reservations, but you need a ticket and a visa to enter the country of destination. This type of visa, like a tourist visa, is pre-arranged by the Iranian embassy in Moscow.
Guest Visa
For those who want to visit relatives or friends in Iran, a visa is issued by invitation. The list of necessary accompanying papers is the same as for a tourist, but instead of booking hotels you will need an official document from the invitations. To issue an invitation for a Russia-Iran trip, a relative living in Iran must contact the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs with a copy of the passport of a citizen of the Russian Federation and write a corresponding statement of intent to invite a guest to the country. The completed questionnaire will be sent to the Iranian consulate in the Russian Federation and will play the role of an invitation.
After the application is received, the future guest of the Iranian republic must provide the consular department with a color photo of 3x4 cm and a color copy of the page of the passport with personal data. Next, a request is sent for a visa permit number. The response from the ministry with the permit number comes, as a rule, in a half to two weeks. The received code, along with all the documents collected in advance, is submitted to the consulate for a visa.
The cost and validity of visa documents
The cost of a visa to Iran when applying for a single tourist or transit trip will be 2980 rubles, for a double entry 3700 rubles, a multiple visa will cost 8500 rubles. To pay the fee, you must contact Bank Meli Iran CJSC, in Moscow it is located at ul. Mashkova, d.9 / 1.
A tourist visa is opened for up to 30 days, a guest visa is issued according to the period specified in the invitation. A transit visa is valid for up to 48 hours. When applying for an urgent visa, the fee increases one and a half times.
Important points when applying for a visa
If you are a parent and are interested in whether you need a visa to Iran to travel a minor child, the consular officer will answer unequivocally - yes, I need it. A child who has even reached the age of 14 and has his own passport must be accompanied by an adult in Iran. If the child does not have a passport, he must be entered in the passport of one of the parents. Consular fee for a minor will cost half the cost of an adult visa.
It should be remembered that Iran is an Islamic state, and there are certain prohibitions and restrictions on its visit. According to Muslim traditions, a woman entering the country should not allow herself to wear outer clothing with open legs and arms, too tight or translucent, her head should be covered. To regulate these rules, there is a morale police, zealously monitoring the appearance of tourists.
Another important point for the traveler is that since 2013, visiting Iran with a passport containing notes on visiting Israel is not possible. Some sources say that it will be possible to visit the country one year after crossing the Israeli border. Be that as it may, there is a risk that with Israeli stamps you simply will not be allowed through the Iranian border.
It is likely that Iran will soon cancel the visa regime for Russian citizens.
Consulate in Moscow
In Russia, there are 3 official embassies of the Islamic Republic of Iran: in Astrakhan, Kazan and Moscow.
The Moscow Consulate is located at ul. Pokrovskaya, d.7. The consulate provides a full range of paperwork services that require a visa to Iran. Reception of documents is carried out by employees from Monday to Friday from 9:00 to 16:30, lunch break from 13:00 to 15:00.