General Travel

How to Get a Tourist Visa to IRAN

June 11, 2015 by Bino Leave a Comment

Iran is on a most deserving rise as a travel destination, thanks in part to a government that’s been perceived to be more liberal in recent years. While it’s still common to be thought of as mad for traveling there, people are discovering the many wonders of this Middle Eastern country in greater numbers. And there’s no shortage of these wonders – from the ancient ruins of Persepolis to the UNESCO World Heritage Sites in cities like Esfahan, and of course the very friendly citizenry which makes traveling around Iran a true delight!

It’s been a few years since I visited Iran but until today, I am still getting a lot of questions on how to get a visa to enter the country. Here, I share my personal experience in obtaining a tourist visa to the Islamic Republic of Iran.

Most nationalities require a visa to enter Iran. The only exceptions as of this writing are Malaysian, Sri Lankan, Bolivian, Venezuelan, Azeri, Syrian and Turkish nationals.

Most other nationalities can apply for a visa either at an Iran embassy in their home country or obtain a visa on arrival. There are notable exceptions to the granting of visa on arrival however and this includes Americans, British and Canadian passport holders. These nationalities can only get their visas at the embassy in their home country.

Singapore and Philippine passport holders can opt to get a visa-on-arrival. This facility is available only for those entering by air at key airports which include Tehran, Shiraz, Esfahan, Tabriz and Mashhad. Compared to elsewhere however, a visa-on-arrival isn’t as straightforward as an approval code still needs to be procured before being eligible to enter! While there have been many reports of people successfully getting a visa-on-arrival without an appoval code, it’s still wise to get one just to play it safe.

I applied for my visa via Pars Tours Agency. Their website can be found here. There are other agencies that handle approval code applications

My approval code application process:

Contacted Pars Tours Agency via the email address found on their website. Got the visa application form, filled it out and sent it back along with a copy of my passport
They charged me EUR 30 for processing which I had to remit to their account in Germany. At that time, they also charged me for the visa cost itself. This is no longer practiced and the actual visa fees are collected only upon arrival at the airport
Around 2 weeks later, I got the approval code

I chose Shiraz as my airport of entry in Iran. The departure process from Singapore was quite uneventful. I took Qatar Airways from Singapore to Shiraz via Doha and at no point did airport authorities ask me for my Iran visa.

The flight to Shiraz from Doha took a mere hour. I was only among a handful of foreigners on the Doha to Shiraz flight. I arrived at the airport in Shiraz at around 4AM and had to call someone to man the visa on arrival desk. They got my passport and approval code and processed my visa which took about an hour. Other than the long wait, it was quite painless. They visa they gave me was a 15-day single entry visa.

Although not particularly straightforward in that they required an approval code, Iran’s visa application process is relatively easy. Unlike in other countries, I never had to submit my bank or employment details. Aside from the application form, the only other thing they took from me was a copy of my passport photo page. That being said, the whole process is definitely worth it!

How I Got My Canadian Tourist Visa in 2 Weeks (2017 Update)

June 4, 2015 by Bino 497 Comments

As I originally intended to visit Canada to attend my cousin’s wedding, I went to apply for a Canadian visa (officially called a temporary resident visa if you’re entering as a tourist) some months back. I recall my past experience in applying for a Canada visa – that was some 10 years back – and my experience then was unique for it was the only developed country visa application that did not require me to personally appear at the embassy or consulate. Canada’s visa policy was already progressive back then in 2005 and I was relieved to find that over the past few years, they pushed the button further where visa applications are concerned. They now allow applicants to submit entire applications online, saving one a long commute to the post office just to submit documentary requirements for visa applications!

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Countries Which Will Be a Whole Lot Cheaper to Visit in 2015

December 30, 2014 by Bino 4 Comments

Last year, I listed among others, Iran and Japan as must-visit destinations for 2014. The same destinations were later also cited by other publications such as the Financial Times in their 2014 travel recommendations. For 2015, I foresee another exciting year for travel. The predominant theme will be cheaper air tickets brought about by cheaper oil. In this regard, more people are likely to venture to destinations that are > 5 hours in air travel time. A couple of noteworthy destinations are also emerging as bargains due to plummeting currencies, an unintended effect of localized economic turmoil.

Without further ado, here’s a rundown of key bargain destinations to visit in 2015. Just to clarify – this list aims to show places that are expected to give relative value in 2015 where traveling is concerned, i.e. destinations that are becoming a whole lot cheaper to visit. It does not aim to show the absolute cheapest places to visit. If that was the case, there would hardly be any change from year to year with usual suspects like Southeast Asia, India and parts of Latin America as perpetual shoo-ins.

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Funniest & Most Bizarre Travel Encounters, Part 1

November 19, 2014 by Bino 7 Comments

They say that the best thing about traveling is that one gets to have rich and vivid encounters with all sorts of people. I could not help but agree more. For the most part, I’ve met some really amazing and kind folks which have left me with a lasting and positive impression about humanity. I’ve often found myself in situations where I had no choice but to rely on the kindness of strangers. That being said, there are also the funny and bizarre bits which I’ve often charged to experience and which I equally treasure especially when I look back on them and laugh.

Before I start to forget these laughable experiences – like I have with an overwhelming majority – I thought I’d share some here. I would love to know if any of you have experienced the same!

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On Racism & Traveling : Hilarious to Insulting Encounters on the Road

September 4, 2014 by Bino 5 Comments

As an Asian going to all sorts of weird places around the world, I am often reminded of my race and skin color.

It’s not because I usually end up with sunburn whenever I go for these trips nor is it because of the racial diversity I see in some of these places. The sunburn – I couldn’t care less – while the latter actually gets me thinking more about how people have so much in common despite their differences. But when I hear random comments from people based on where they think I should be from, my reaction ranges from genuine laughter to sheer disappointment! I have had quite a few race-related encounters in my travels, which I can conveniently bucket into the funny, the annoying and the downright insulting.

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Itineraries – Why You Should Ditch Them on Your Next Trip

February 19, 2014 by Bino 3 Comments

It used to be the case that I would prepare an itinerary every single time I went for a trip. Thanks to Excel, I would diligently put in the dates, places and the things that I would be doing by the hour. It was quite handy (not to mention overkill), especially for my travel buddies who would always ask to see an itinerary prior to our departure.

When I started blogging, it soon dawned on me how important itineraries were to most people. I have received countless emails asking me to send itineraries for this place and that. There were even times I received requests for itineraries on places I’ve never written about in I Wander! I’ve been happy to oblige whenever I could. But because of the sheer amount of requests, and thinking that it would make my articles more user friendly, I started including itineraries in my entries.

traveling is a bit like watching movies – the more advance peeks you have, the less exciting the movie becomes when you actually get to see it
Photo by Raymond Shobe in Flickr | CC 2.0

Frankly speaking, I don’t use itineraries anymore whenever I travel and I haven’t been doing so for probably the last 3 years. When my friends go for a trip to the same places I’ve been to recently and ask me for one, I usually have nothing to show them.

I’ve not enjoyed my trips as much as when I started ditching my itineraries. While these sheets of paper may make the trip more organized (especially if the objective is to tick a checklist of sights), basing one’s schedule on an itinerary can sometimes feel, for the lack of a better term, robotic. There are certain merits to leaving itineraries behind the next time you travel. These are just some of them:

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Bargain Destinations You Need to Visit in 2014

December 29, 2013 by Bino 2 Comments

2014 is set to be another exciting year for traveling. With an ever expanding air network, exchange rates of some key currencies plummeting and pariah countries opening up little by little, there should be no shortage of bargain destinations to choose from when making travel plans for next year. Overall, I see some themes when it comes to traveling to relative value destinations for next year. Europe – particularly the eurozone countries which have been the cheapest to visit for the past 2 years compared to the historical average, will likely lose a bit of the low cost luster next year as these countries recover from the deepest recession in decades. Emerging countries, particularly those in Asia, should offer a lot more value. Japan, which for years have discouraged travelers due to the (unfair) reputation of being expensive, should also offer a lot of value next year due to the plummeting Yen coupled with a more liberal policy for tourists. Here’s a run down of some key bargain destinations to visit in 2014:

Iran

This underrated gem with a terribly unfair reputation, and my favorite destination in Asia, has always been a good value destination as far as I can remember. During my visit some two years ago, I could get a nice traditional hotel room facing a Persian garden for only $28 with breakfast, admission to several impressive attractions (including UNESCO World Heritage Sites) for less than a buck and a 6-hour luxury bus ride for only $6. Last year, the Iranian Rial plummeted by half due to worsening sanctions which made things even cheaper for travelers. I choose Iran as a bargain destination to visit in 2014 due to the new reformist leadership and improving international relations which may make traveling next year to this country a tad more convenient than in the past. There is even talk of easing visa restrictions so this is definitely a destination to keep a look out for in 2014.

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Simple Tips to Travel in Europe Cheaply

December 8, 2013 by Bino 12 Comments

Traveling to Europe has perhaps never been cheaper than in the last two years. Thanks in part to the plummeting euro and the widening recognition of the Schengen visa, it is now a lot easier to move across the various European countries using just one currency (for the most part) and one visa.

I thought I’d share some simple tips on cheap travel around Europe. I learned these money-saving measures during my visits to the continent during the past few years. To be perfectly frank, none of them are in any way ground breaking. But they are effective, at least for me. Hopefully, to you as well.

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