How to Get An Authorisation Code for an Iran Visa🇮🇷
OK, so Iran Visas are not the easiest to get (except for those lucky nationalities who can get them done in one day in Trabzon) and if you’re like me, and possess passports for Anglophone/English Speaking countries (I own a British and an Irish passport) then you’ll need to get an Authorisation Code before you apply for your visa. I went through the process in November 2013 and here’s an overview of how I did it. Hopefully this comes in handy for all of you reading.
What Nationalities Need an Authorisation Code for an Iran Visa?
The answer to this question is not crystal clear, but the way I see it are that there are five different categories to put a nationality in when getting an Iran Visa, please check your own nationality’s situation at the time of applying, things change:
1/ Those who don’t need an Iran Visa (Currently Turkey, Azerbaijan, Venezuela, Bolivia, Malaysia, Syria, Sri Lanka)
2/ Those who can get a Visa on Arrival/in one day in Trabzon (Germany, Slovakia, Portugal, Brazil etc.)
3/ Those who need the Authorisation Code before applying (Irish, British)
4/ Those who need a guided tour (US and some British/Canadians/Iraqis)
5/ Those who cannot visit Iran (Israelis)
* This is information I compiled from my travels and experiences rather than anything official from the Iran Government or Embassies. Please check your own situation.
Backpacking in Iran.
Find a Company That Issues Authorisation Codes for Iranian Visas
It’s up to you what company you choose to use, and there are a few of them. I went through Touran Zamin online and had NO problems with them. I totally recommend their service. Fast, efficient and most importantly SUCCESSFUL. They got me my code and helped get me my visa. Thanks, guys.
Thanks to Touran Zamin, I got my Authorisation Code and got my Iran Visa.
Filling in the online form for the Authorisation Code for an Iran Visa
As I went through Touran Zamin, I’ll tell you how I did it. Fill out their online form easily, thoroughly and honestly. The main parts of the application form that you need were:
1. Your itinerary for Iran
2. How many days you want to stay
3. Your job title
4. The place you want to collect the Iran Visa
And here are the answers I gave…
1. OK for the itinerary for Iran, I’ll make it easy for you, here’s the exact answer I put for a 28 Day tour (I checked a few itineraries and typed this up):
Day 1 – Bazargan border to Tabriz. Stay in Tabriz.
Day 2 – Tabriz sightseeing and Maraghe to visit the three Saljuq towers. Stay in Tabriz.
Day 3 – Drive to Tehran.
Day 4 – Stay in Tehran and tour the city’s Mosques.
Day 5 – Tehran to visit Archaelogical sites.
Day 6 – Tehran – Full city tour.
Day 7 – Tehran – visit the glass and carpet museums.
Day 8 – Drive to Hamadan.
Day 9 – Hamadan (Sightseeing).
Day 10 – Kangavar and stay in Sanandaj.
Day 11 – Maraghe via Takht-e Suleiman (Visit the Sassanian fire temple). Stay in Maraghe.
Day 12 – Drive to Anzali (via Ardebil to visit shrine of Sheikh Saffieddin Ardebili) Stay in Anzali.
Day 13 – Drive to Ramsar. Stay in Ramsar.
Day 14 – Sightseeing village and lagoons near Ramsar.
Day 15 – Drive to Gorgan, Gonbad-e-Qabus Tower, stay in Gorgan.
Day 16 – Visit Imam-zadeh Mahrough Shrine, tombs of poets Khayyam and Attar in Neishabur then drive to Mashad.
Day 17 – Mashhad sightseeing.
Day 18 – Drive to Robat-e Sharaf and Robat-e Mahi caravanserais and stay in Mashhad.
Day 19 – City tour of Mashhad to visit the Holy Shrine of Imam Reza and the museums. Stay in Mashad.
Day 20 – Drive to Shiraz.
Day 21 – Shiraz sightseeing.
Day 22 – Shiraz to Persepolis.
Day 23 – Shiraz Full day tour of Shiraz to see Eram Gardens, Nasir ol-Molk Mosque, Narenjestan Palace, the tombs of poets Hafez and Sa’di, Pars Museum. Stay in Shiraz.
Day 24 – Head to Isfahan on the way visit Pasargade and Yazd-e-Khast village and caravanserai. Stay in Isfahan.
Day 25 – Isfahan and do a full day tour of Isfahan to visit Hasht-Behesht and Ali Qapu palaces,
Day 26 — In Isfahan visit Sheikh Lotfolah and Imam Mosques. Stay in Isfahan.
Day 27 – Drive to Tabriz. Stay one night.
Day 28 – Head back to Turkey.
Fill out an itinerary for your stay in Iran. Admiring the murals of Tehran here.
2. 28 Days (in the end I got 30 days: 21 days and below is realistically too short a time to see the entire country)
3. Teacher
4. Trabzon, Turkey (spelt Trabuzuan sometimes)
The rest of the form was straight forward things like name, address, date of birth etc. You also need to attach a copy of your passport. Take a high res photo of it and this will be fine. Once you’ve filled the online form in and checked it – send it. You will receive a confirmation e-mail straight away from Touran Zamin.
How to Get An Authorisation Code for an Iran Visa
Then you need to pay for it. Payment must be done by bank transfer. I luckily had one of my accounts set up for online internet transfer and was able to send the funds (50 Euros) immediately. They tell you full details of the account that needs credited.
How much does it cost to get the Authorisation Code?
This depends on nationality, where you want to collect the visa and if you want normal or fast service. I was on an Irish passport, wanted to collect it in Trabzon and wanted normal service, so I paid 50 Euros. It’s 35 Euros if you collect it in certain embassies. I was collecting it in Trabzon, Turkey which costs 50 Euros for some reason. No moaning, as we love travel. Bite the bullet and pay it.
What next once I’ve filled in the form and paid?
I decided to e-mail Touran Zamin to confirm they had received my application form, my payment and were processing my application for the code. They replied to say they had received it and I should receive my code within a week. If they don’t reply to you, try and send the e-mail to all of their three addresses: [email protected] , [email protected] , [email protected] .
Tel: +98 21 888 44 519-20, 88 84 74 74 , 88 30 50 45 , Fax: +98 21 888 44 518
How Long Did it Take to Get the Authorisation Code?
It took me 7 days (only 5 of which were working days). I was sat in my hotel room in Ankara, Turkey when I found out the code had been successful and straight away my girlfriend and I decided we would head to Trabzon that night for me to collect the visa the next day. Confirmation from Touran Zamin is a simple e-mail. I headed to a print shop to print the e-mail and we boarded the night bus to Trabzon. My girlfriend, being from Hong Kong, didn’t need the code and had got her visa on the day, a week before in Trabzon.
While you’re waiting around – get some decent sightseeing and backpacking in – we headed out to the awesome Sumela Monastery for a day.
Getting an Iran Visa in Trabzon, Turkey
Once you have the code, you need to collect the visa. You have 30 days to collect it, but you still need to go through the normal visa process which includes filling in the forms, fingerprints, handing in photos and payment. I have written a full guide on that procedure here: how to get an Iran Visa in Trabzon in Turkey.
My Iran Visa which I got in Trabzon, after getting the Authorisation Code.
Safe travels my friends!
Hi Jonny,
I just stumbled upon your blog.
Thanks for having created this page.
As a Canadian, I’ve been trying to understand how to get a visa for weeks and now it just got clear !
Safe travels,
Catherine
Thanks for the comment Catherine – I just met a guy in Tabriz from Vancouver in Canada and he also picked up his Iran Visa in Trabzon having applied online in advance!! Iran is a great country – really worth getting the visa for. Good luck and safe travels. Jonny
I’m surprised you had to provide them with a full schedule and all those details. I as well needed a authorisation code, as I was picking up my visa in Yerevan. But I have applied online, after 6 days I got an email with confirmation and after 3 days I could pick up my visa in the embassy in Armenia. Got an visa the same day when I visited. Easy peasy for me! But i’m Polish and maybe for us it is easier than English or Irish.
And I agree 21 days is not enough for Iran. I had an visa for 30 days and than got an extension, unfortunately I had to be back in Poland for a wedding it is a shame cos I would stay easily 3 months in Iran, amazing country!
Marysia @ My Travel Affairs recently posted…Friday Lens Affair #62
Hi Thanks Marysia – I filled in all those details as I wanted to make sure we got the visa. I recommend others to do it too as it makes it fullproof, that’s all. I’m sure you could probably get the visa without filling in that much but I wanted to make sure. We did our full 30 days too – amazing country. My post on Getting an Iran visa is here by the way, this is just the Auth Code post: Safe travels. Jonny
Very useful and helpful post, Jonny! I had no idea about this authorisation code which only proves how unprepared we are! 😉 Thanks!
Hitch-Hikers Handbook recently posted…Travel Photography Competition of the Year 2013 – Winners!!!
Hi guys – you only need it if you’re from an English speaking country. My girlfriend from Hong Kong got her passport issued ON THE DAY without the code, as did our backpacking buddies from France and Belgium. Safe travels. Jonny
Hey Jonny ! Thanks for the article ! I’m in greece right now and planning how and where to get the visa for Iran and I’ll do more or less the same. A lot of people recommending this Touran Zamin company so guess I’ll go with them and get in in Ankara. The definition of where to get it is kinda tricky…if it takes really 6, 7 days I could go for Istambul, but maybe Ankara is a better option. Well, thanks again !
Hi Enrico, sorry if I wasn’t clear enough in the articles but the easiest option to get the visa is Trabzon. Ankara and Istanbul can do the visas but they take longer – so take the hint and get your visa in Trabzon. They issue it on the same day as long as you have the code, which you probably read but here it is again – Good luck. Jonny
Hi ,
My friend in India has invited me to Iran has there is oil shoe week commencing 2 May , I’m trying to get advice how I can get a Authorisation Code so I can apply to the IRAN Embassy in Dublin .
We are going to the oil show hopefully to drum up business selling Stainless steel .
What kind of visa do I require ,who is the best company to go through ?
.
I do not require a tour guide , so I have to pay for one ?
Hi Wayne. It says all the information in the post – basically just use Touran Zamin – you have to pay them for the code. You don’t need a tour guide either. Neither did we – we backpacked from Turkey around Iran for a month on our own. You only have to pay the company to get the authorisation code for the visa. Good luck, it’s a great country. Jonny
it is not necessarily for English country speakers, i live in Ireland and hold an Irish passport, contacted the embassy this morning and was told that i could apply and collect it from there on same day with out having to apply for a code, but my wife is an afghan which she need the code
Hi Dawood – thanks for your comment. Wow that is interesting, perhaps they changed the rules? I am also Irish and went to Iran 2 years ago (2013) and back then I needed the Authorisation Code before applying for the visa in Trabzon, Turkey. Where did you get your visa? Was it also in Trabzon? Hope you enjoy Iran, one of my favourite countries. Safe travels, Jonny
Hi Jonny…i m stumped by your approach and surviving techniques.I have decided to quit and would like to travel along with you.So please let me know where can i catch you.We will explore the rest part of the world together.I wish to spread the message of peace wherever i go.Thanks.
Hi Mohinder, thanks for the comment. Unfortunately I had severe depression and suicidal thoughts for the last 13 months so I don’t backpack any more but good luck on your journey. Safe travels. Jonny
Hi Jonny,
It was very pleasant to read your explnations about these beautiful countries… I visited Istanbul, Ankara, Bursa, Konya, Trabzon, Batumi (Georgia), Bosnia, etc.
Wonderful places…
I hope you are in a wealthy situation now.
Hi Hasan, Thanks for the comment. Yes I had fun in Iran as well as many of the places on your list. Stay safe. Jonny