How to Get an Iran Visa from Canada

Contents

How to Get an Iran Visa from Canada

How to Obtain Iran Visa

Today, obtaining any type of visa from the embassy of any desirable country is a bit difficult. The process of applying and getting a visa may take a lot of time and energy. Hogo Travel Team tries to make this process easy for you by using its 14 years of experience in the tourism industry. Iranian visa can be issued to tourists who travel to Iran, their friends, and family. It can be issued for an individual or a group.

Types of Iran Visa:

Foreign visitors can get two types of visas based on their area of activity:

  1. Tourist Visa

In order to get your Tourist Visa, you can refer to an embassy or consulate of Iran, or apply through the e-visa website of the Iran Ministry of Foreign Affairs or seek the help of professionals by filling the Iran visa application form of Hogo Travel.

  1. Visa on Arrival (VOA)

You can collect your Visa on Arrival at one of the International airports of Iran regarding your place of arrival. To make sure you won’t face any inconvenience at the airport you can get an Iran Authorization Code by contacting us through our email.

Notes:

  • We recommend the latter especially during the high season and suggest that you make the necessary preparations in order to avoid facing any possible issues.
  • Hogo Travel can also provide any sort of visa such as an Investment or Business visa for you.

 

How to Get an Iran Visa from Canada

 

Different Ways of Getting Your Iran Visa

 

  1. Hogo Travel Visa Services

Hogo Travel tries to make the visa application process easier for its clients. You just need to fill the Iran visa application form and submit the required documents and pay the application fee. We will send your request to the Iran Ministry of Foreign Affairs; and once your authorization code is ready, you will be directed to your desired destination with the required documents to collect your visa.

 

Why should I apply through Hogo Travel?

Hogo Travel experts minimize the chance of rejection and make the process of getting your Iran visa as fast as possible with a reasonable price.

 

  1. Iran’s Electronic Visa or E-Visa Website

 

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Iran has created an E-Visa website, through which you can take the first steps in getting an Iranian visa. However, this does not shorten the process of obtaining a visa.

Note: We strongly recommend not using this method in order to apply for a visa if you are a citizen of the US, UK, and Canada. Please check out the section of the Iran Visa page related to visa for the US, UK, and Canadian citizens.

Step 1: Apply for a visa online 

Apply for your visa via Electronic Visa Service of Ministry of Foreign Affairs of I.R.Iran.

Step 2: Choose the location you want to collect your visa

 There are two ways of collecting your Iran Visa Sticker:

  1. Before arrival: at any of Iran’s embassies or consulates listed on the E-Visa application form.
  2. Upon arrival: at any of Iran’s international airports (citizens of the United States, United Kingdom, and Canada are not eligible to get a Visa on Arrival).

 Step 3: Submit the required documents

Foreign visitors should present the following documents to complete their online application form

  • High-quality scanned image of your passport
  • A digital passport-size photo
  • Detailed Resume (only US, UK, and Canada)
  • Complete travel itinerary (only US, UK, and Canada)

Step 4: Get your Visa Authorization Code

As soon as your Visa Sticker (Authorization Code) is ready, the website will inform you by sending you an email.

Step 5: Pay your visa fee

You should pay your visa fee when you want to collect your visa. You can pay it in two ways:

  1. Before arrival: at any of Iran’s embassies or consulates listed on the E-Visa application form.
  2. Upon arrival: at any of Iran’s international airports (not for US, UK, and Canadian citizens)

Note: The options for payment vary according to your nationality and pick-up location.

Step 6: Travel to Iran

Citizens of 13 countries that are not eligible for getting Iran Visa on Arrival, including the US, UK, and Canadian citizens.

Step 7: Purchase Travel and Health Insurance at the Airport

The travel and health insurance fee is about 15 Euros. You can also get your insurance via Hogo travel’s travel and health insurance service.

For further information and help refer to the VOA counter.

 Step 8: Submit all the required documents

After arriving at the immigration counter, you should submit the following documents:

  • Passport
  • Travel & health insurance
  • Visa Sticker
  • Hotel reservation (if any)
  • Detailed resume (US, UK, and Canada Only)
  • Complete travel itinerary (US, UK, and Canada Only)

Step 9: Enter Iran

After obtaining your Iran visa sticker on separate pieces of paper you can enter Iran.

Note: 

  1. Visitors from the US, UK, and Canada may be asked further questions regarding the purpose and length of their trip.
  2. We have received many reports from travelers that their efforts to apply for Iran visa through the E-visa website have not been successful, as the status of their applications is “pending” all the time. So, if this occurs to you, you have two options:

1) Contact the embassies or consulates of Iran listed on your online application form, or

2) Apply through an Iranian travel agency or through Hogo Travel.

 

  1. If you wish to enter Iran through one of its land border crossings, you need to apply for your visa and have your visa sticker beforehand. In order o get your visa before arriving at any of Iran’s border crossings, you can apply through any of Iran’s embassies or consulates. But note that before going through this stage, you need to get your authorization code. To get your authorization code, you can apply for a visa through the Iran E-visa Website or by contacting Hogo Travel.
  2. Citizens of Afghanistan and Bangladesh must apply via embassy or consulate.

 

          3. Iran’s Embassies and Consulates

This is the most traditional way of obtaining a visa through which the applicants refer to the country’s embassies or consulates in order to get their visa. However, this process takes a lot of time and effort and the person must visit the embassy or consulate several times in order to get his/her visa. Prior to referring to the embassy, you need to get your visa authorization code via your relatives, your host business partners, or via travel agencies in Iran or those who offer services related to Iran in their country.

You can apply to get your authorization code via Hogo Travel visa services by contacting our email.

If you tend to get your visa from an embassy or consulate you must take the following steps:

Step 1: Refer to an embassy or consulate and make an appointment

See the list of Iran’s embassies or consulates throughout the world.

Download the Visa application form from the desirable embassy or consulate.

An appointment date will be set and you will be informed about the required documents you need to take to the embassy or consulate.

Step 2: Get an Authorization Code

You need to get an Iran Authorization Code via your relatives, your host business partners, or via travel agencies in Iran or those who offer services related to Iran in their country.

Hogo Travel can provide this authorization code for you. You just need to contact our email.

Step 3: Prepare all the documents needed

To apply for Iran Visa, you need to prepare the following documents:

3.1. Documents for the online application form 

  • A scanned copy of your passport
  • A digital, passport-size photo

3.2. Documents for presenting to the embassy 

  • Original Passport
  • Two Passport size photos
  • Two copies of your passport
  • A completed Iran Visa Application form (provided by the embassy or consulate)
  • Detailed Resume (Only US, UK, and Canada)
  • Complete travel itinerary (only US, UK, and Canada)
  • Authorization number from Iran Ministry of Foreign Affairs
  • Hotel reservations (all of the information about the hotels’ names, contacts, dates, addresses, and cities).
  • Iran visa fee (paid inside the consulate and only in cash)

Note: The citizens of the US, UK, and Canada should apply for Iran visa through Iran’s embassies or consulates.

However, since personal applications are mostly subject to failure, we strongly recommend applying for a visa through Hogo Travel or any other reliable agencies in Iran. For more information about the terms and conditions pertaining to the US, UK, and Canadian citizens, please check out the Visa for Visitors from the United States, United Kingdom, and Canada section of our visa page.

Step 4: Pay the visa fee

At this step, you need to attend your appointment (call the embassy or consulate in your country), submit all the required documents, and pay the visa fee in cash. Iran visa fee can differ based on your nationality and you should pay the stated amount at the embassy and consulate to which you submit your documents.

Step 5: Collect your Iran visa sticker

The embassy or consulate will inform you when your visa is ready. Visas are often issued on the same day but in some cases, it may take more time.

Step 6: Buy your Travel and Health Insurance 

We recommend purchasing your travel and health insurance before leaving your country. You can buy the insurance via a local insurance agency or Hogo Travel insurance services, otherwise, you can purchase the insurance when you arrive at one of Iran’s international airports.

Step 7: Submit all the required documents and enter Iran

After arriving at the immigration counter, you should submit the following documents:

  • Passport
  • Travel and Health Insurance
  • Visa Sticker
  • Hotel Reservation (if any)
  • Detailed resume (only US, UK, and Canada)
  • Complete travel itinerary (only US, UK, and Canada)

Note: the US, UK, and Canadian citizens may be asked further questions regarding the purpose and length of their trip.

After getting the appropriate entrance stamp, you are ready to enter Iran and start your journey

Note: Citizens of Bangladesh and Afghanistan who wish to visit Iran are required to refer to the embassy or consulate of Iran in their own country and complete the application form in person.

 

How to Get an Iran Visa from Canada

 

The Validity of Iran Visa

Normally a Tourist Visa is valid for up to 3 months, though you can extend your visa for another 30 days during your stay in Iran.

 

Getting an Iran visa in Canada

More and more tourists are travel to Iran nowadays. It is a wonderful and ancient country with friendly people that are so hospitable. Many nationalities can get an Iran Visa on Arrival and the procedure is quite simple. However, for three nationalities things are a little more difficult. These nationalities are Canadian, American, and British. So, here are some useful information on how to get an Iran visa for Canadians.

 

The Embassy of Iran in Ottawa

There used to be an Iranian embassy in Canada that was located in Ottawa, 245 Metcalfe Street, the Iranian diplomats used to work there until they were expelled in 2012. Since then, Iran and Canada do not have a good diplomatic relationship. The embassy still exists and the waving Iranian flag can be seen, but if you knock on the door, nobody is there to open it for you. Prime Minister Trudeau has stated that Canada is willing to open its embassy in Tehran again, that was also closed, but nothing has happened at until now. Canadian citizens can handle their affairs through the Italian embassy in Tehran but, however, Canadians cannot get an Iran visa in Canada in any way. But this does not mean that Canadians cannot receive a visa for Iran.

 

How Can Canadian Citizens Get an Iran Visa?

Canadian citizens are still free to apply for an Iranian visa in most other Iranian embassies around the world. The easiest way is surely applying, even by mail, through the Iranian Affairs Sections of the Pakistan Embassy in Washington DC, USA.

In order to get an Iran visa, Canadians must first get an authorization code. This authorization code (also called Visa Code or Letter of Invitation) must be acquired from an embassy and for Canadians, can only be obtained with the company of an approved tourist guide. Luckily, Hogo Travel offers a wide variety of tours to Iran. Whilst booking a tour with us, just mention at which embassy you are going to apply and we will send you an authorization code for the embassy you stated. Please pay attention that you should apply at least 3 months before your tour schedule and also that you have to refer to that embassy within a month your visa code is issued, because it will expire.

After receiving the visa code, you are ready to call or visit the specified embassy to get their own application form. Along with this application form, you will certainly need:

  • Your passport
  • Two visa type photos
  • Local currency, in order to pay for the visa

Each embassy of Iran has its own way of handling the visa applications, but you can find how to apply in Washington DC or other countries. The good news is that Canadian residents can apply there just like local people would. Another popular location for this matter is Istanbul.

While it is somehow trickier for Canadian citizens to apply for an Iran visa than most other nationalities, the steps could be taken with enough planning and they are not so difficult. Iran is a wonderful country and all your efforts would eventually pay off!

 

Iran Visa Extension

 It is really cheap and quite easy to extend your Iran Visa. Visitors can stay in Iran for up to 30 days, even though an Iran tourist visa is valid for 3 months. However, you can extend your visa at most two times without difficulty. A 30-day visa plus two times extension gives you 90 days. You can apply for your Iran visa extension through any Police Office of Foreign Aliens in major cities.

The documents required for extending your Iran Visa:

In order to have your visa extended, you need to submit the following documents to the office:

  • Your passport
  • A copy of your passport
  • Two passport-size photos (for women it should be with head-scarves)
  • Your current visa or e-visa document
  • Filled out visa extension form
  • Visa extension payment receipt. The cost of renewing your visa is approximately 345,000 Rials which you must pay in cash at the Melli Bank.

The place where you can extend your visa:

You can extend your Iran visa at Police Offices of Foreign Aliens in major cities as follows:

Tehran: You can extend your visa in Tehran at two immigration offices. One is placed in Dr. Fatemi Junction, towards Vali-e Asr Avenue and the other is located near Sepah Square. It is somehow difficult to extend your visa in Tehran and your extension will be partial rather than thirty days.

  Tehran Police Office of Foreign Aliens

 

Mashhad: The immigration office of Mashhad is located on Rahnamaee St. You can also apply for an Afghan visa in this city because it is easier to apply in Mashhad than in the capital.

 Mashahd Police Office of Foreign Aliens

 

Shiraz: The best place to extend your visa is in Shiraz. Extending your visa is quite easy and quick in this city. The immigration office is located on Moddarres Blvd, near Vali-e Asr Square.

Shiraz Police Office of Foreign Aliens

 

Isfahan:  You can extend your Iranian visa in Isfahan from the immigration office near Azadi Sq, on Roudaki St.

Isfahan Police Office of Foreign Aliens

 

Yazd: The immigration office is located near Abouzar square, Kashani St. It may take more than a day for your extension to be ready.

 

Tabriz: It is not the ideal place to extend your visa and we recommend not extending your visa in this city; since there have been many rejections reported in this city.

Note: Workdays of the offices are from Saturday to Wednesday, from 7:30 AM to 2:00 PM. As they are often crowded we recommended referring to the office early in the morning.

Tips for Visa Extension

  1. Apply to extend your visa 1 to 3 days (not earlier) before the expiration of your current visa.
  2. For Women, the photo must be with hijab (headscarf).
  3. A few questions might be asked from you at the visa extension counter, such as:
  • Why do you want to extend your visa?
  • How many more days do you want to extend your visa?
  • Where are you staying during your trip?
  • Are you here for pleasure or work?
  • What do you do?
  • Do not mention that you’re staying at a friend’s house. The authorities are very strict about it. Rather, tell them you are staying at a hotel. You can name the hotels you previously stayed in order to convince them completely.
  • There is no need to worry if they do not know English at the Melli Bank. Simply say the word “Visa” and they will help you.

 

International Airports in Iran

  • Imam Khomeini International Airport (IKA)
  • Isfahan International Airport (IFN)
  • Kish International Airport (KIH)
  • Mashhad International Airport (MHD)
  • Shiraz International Airport (SYZ)
  • Bandar Abbas International Airport (BND)
  • Tabriz International Airport (TBZ)
  • Urmia (Uromieh) Airport (OMH)
  • Dayrestan Airport (GSM)
  • Kerman Airport (KER)

 

How to Get an Iran Visa from Canada

 

Countries Not Eligible for getting Iran Visa on Arrival

Citizens of the following 13 countries cannot get Iran Visa on Arrival (VOA), and should apply for visa by referring to any of Iran’s embassies or consulates before entering Iran:

Countries Not eligible for VOA
AfghanistanPakistan
IraqBangladesh
Sri LankaJordan
YemenSomalia
NepalColombia
United StatesUnited Kingdom
Canada

 

Visa for the Citizens of Israel/ Holders of Passports with an Israeli Stamp

Israeli citizens are not eligible to receive any Iranian visa and do not have permission to enter Iran. In addition, holders of passports or any other travel documents bearing a visa or stamp from Israel up to 12 months prior to their Iran visa application are not eligible for any type of Iran visa. However, those applicants who were only born in Israel and now have acquired the citizenship of another country may obtain a visa under special circumstances.

 

Kish Island Regulations: Needs No Visa

All foreign visitors, except those from Afghanistan, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Iraq, Yemen, Colombia, Jordan; Nepal, Somalia, Sri Lanka, United Kingdom, United States, and Canada can enter and stay on Kish Island; for 14 days or less without submitting any visa.

After arriving at Kish International Airport, foreign visitors do not need to submit a lot of documents except their valid passports. However, you may be questioned about the purpose of your travel. In order to avoid any misunderstandings and problems, make sure to bring all your verification documents, hotel reservations, etc. But after your photo and fingerprints are taken by the officials, your passport will be stamped and you will be free to explore the beauties of Kish Island for up to 14 days.

 

No More Passport Stamp on Iran Visa

According to Mehr News the head of Iran’s Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism Organization announced that passports of foreign tourists who visit Iran will not need to be stamped.

Since August 2018, the Iranian government has started to issue travel visa stickers on separate pieces of paper. In other words, the visa sticker is not attached to the travelers’ passports and the passports will not be stamped. The travelers are only required to carry the paper (Iran E-Visa paper or Visa Grant Notice) along with their passports during their stay in Iran.

 

Visa for visitors from the United States and Canada

First, you need to send the required documents to the agency; so, the agency could apply for your visa and get your authorization code. The required documents are:

  • A completed Iran visa application form (presented by the embassy or consulate)
  • A high-quality scan/copy of your passport
  • A digital photo or 2 physical photos
  • Detailed Resume
  • Complete travel itinerary

Then you need to post your “Visa Grant Notice” along with your passport and money order to the Interest Section of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Washington, DC. It is important to keep in mind that the Interest Section of the Islamic Republic of Iran does NOT accept prepaid return envelopes. So, you should add another 40 dollars for postage fee to the visa fee (Americans are required to pay 80 dollars and Canadians 65 dollars) before you obtain a money order. It usually takes about two weeks for your visa to be ready, but if you want to receive it quicker, you should pay an extra 60 dollars.

 

 

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