Comments on: How to Visit Iran as an American http://newtome.wordpress.com/2008/04/20/how-to-visit-iran-as-an-american/ What I Learned This Week. Wed, 30 Dec 2009 03:42:12 +0000 http://wordpress.com/ hourly 1 By: Larry http://newtome.wordpress.com/2008/04/20/how-to-visit-iran-as-an-american/#comment-100 Larry Wed, 10 Jun 2009 23:51:02 +0000 http://newtome.wordpress.com/?p=11#comment-100 I am getting married to a Persian woman who has an Iranian passport. Because she wants to take my last name (I am an American), how can she go about changing the last name on her Iranian passport? You can reply to LGRIMM@UIC.EDU Thanks, Larry I am getting married to a Persian woman who has an Iranian passport. Because she wants to take my last name (I am an American), how can she go about changing the last name on her Iranian passport?

You can reply to LGRIMM@UIC.EDU

Thanks,
Larry

]]> By: Mani http://newtome.wordpress.com/2008/04/20/how-to-visit-iran-as-an-american/#comment-99 Mani Wed, 08 Apr 2009 14:11:11 +0000 http://newtome.wordpress.com/?p=11#comment-99 As to Leyla's comment. I don't know if this is true for people that are half Iranian on their mother's side, because they can't get Iranian passports at all. Double check with the DC people. As to Leyla’s comment. I don’t know if this is true for people that are half Iranian on their mother’s side, because they can’t get Iranian passports at all. Double check with the DC people.

]]> By: Leyla Shams http://newtome.wordpress.com/2008/04/20/how-to-visit-iran-as-an-american/#comment-98 Leyla Shams Wed, 08 Apr 2009 13:52:22 +0000 http://newtome.wordpress.com/?p=11#comment-98 Sean and everyone else, This method ONLY works if you are not Iranian- if either of your parents are Iranian, then you MUST travel to Iran using an Iranian passport. They will not allow you to travel using your American citizenship, including through this method of going through a tour. This means you have to obtain a birth certificate, a national identity card, a citizenship, etc., which is a very time consuming process, so if you have the vague notion that you want to visit Iran someday, start the process as soon as possible. The people at the Iranian embassy in DC (through the Pakistani embassy) are very helpful in this process thankfully. Sean and everyone else,
This method ONLY works if you are not Iranian- if either of your parents are Iranian, then you MUST travel to Iran using an Iranian passport. They will not allow you to travel using your American citizenship, including through this method of going through a tour.

This means you have to obtain a birth certificate, a national identity card, a citizenship, etc., which is a very time consuming process, so if you have the vague notion that you want to visit Iran someday, start the process as soon as possible. The people at the Iranian embassy in DC (through the Pakistani embassy) are very helpful in this process thankfully.

]]> By: Mani http://newtome.wordpress.com/2008/04/20/how-to-visit-iran-as-an-american/#comment-97 Mani Wed, 08 Apr 2009 13:50:50 +0000 http://newtome.wordpress.com/?p=11#comment-97 I've also heard of people getting Iranian VISAs in Dubai and Damascus. For Iranian-Americans like Sean above: This VISA road map will probably not work if you have an Iranian last name. I know of numerous Iranians with US passport and some people with European passport get rejected for VISAs and told that they must apply using an Iranian passport. This seems to be a pretty firm rule. I only know of one person with an Iranian last name who got into Iran a Swiss passport and that was with his uncle talking in person to the embassy folk in Syria and an "unofficial exchange of gifts." If you don't have an Iranian passport the the Iranian Affairs Desk in DC will walk you through the steps. Also while it might take some time to get an Iranian passport, you don't have to go with a tour and can be far more flexible. Males need to get a special exit VISA in their Iranian passport to avoid military service. This is easy to get and allows you to visit Iran once every for up to three months. There are ways of getting exempted from military duty all together but that's a lengthily discussion. I’ve also heard of people getting Iranian VISAs in Dubai and Damascus.

For Iranian-Americans like Sean above: This VISA road map will probably not work if you have an Iranian last name. I know of numerous Iranians with US passport and some people with European passport get rejected for VISAs and told that they must apply using an Iranian passport. This seems to be a pretty firm rule. I only know of one person with an Iranian last name who got into Iran a Swiss passport and that was with his uncle talking in person to the embassy folk in Syria and an “unofficial exchange of gifts.”

If you don’t have an Iranian passport the the Iranian Affairs Desk in DC will walk you through the steps. Also while it might take some time to get an Iranian passport, you don’t have to go with a tour and can be far more flexible. Males need to get a special exit VISA in their Iranian passport to avoid military service. This is easy to get and allows you to visit Iran once every for up to three months. There are ways of getting exempted from military duty all together but that’s a lengthily discussion.

]]> By: Samuel L. Bronkowitz http://newtome.wordpress.com/2008/04/20/how-to-visit-iran-as-an-american/#comment-96 Samuel L. Bronkowitz Wed, 01 Apr 2009 13:25:13 +0000 http://newtome.wordpress.com/?p=11#comment-96 Thank you for writing this. I've been trying to figure out how to visit Iran as independently as possible for years (I have a pen-pal over there I want to visit and obviously don't want a tour guide hovering over my shoulder every minute of the day) and never found how to do this laid out with such clarity. Thank you for writing this. I’ve been trying to figure out how to visit Iran as independently as possible for years (I have a pen-pal over there I want to visit and obviously don’t want a tour guide hovering over my shoulder every minute of the day) and never found how to do this laid out with such clarity.

]]> By: dude http://newtome.wordpress.com/2008/04/20/how-to-visit-iran-as-an-american/#comment-95 dude Mon, 16 Mar 2009 22:40:54 +0000 http://newtome.wordpress.com/?p=11#comment-95 very helpful. thank you. i'm supposed to visit iran this summer with my wife (she's persian, I'm american). I'm really looking forward to it. very helpful. thank you. i’m supposed to visit iran this summer with my wife (she’s persian, I’m american). I’m really looking forward to it.

]]> By: alireza http://newtome.wordpress.com/2008/04/20/how-to-visit-iran-as-an-american/#comment-94 alireza Mon, 09 Mar 2009 06:06:21 +0000 http://newtome.wordpress.com/?p=11#comment-94 I am sure after some time you will regret that why you did that and got back your Iranian citizenship. It is kind o world most foolish Citizenship and you will not be able to voluntarily renounce it later. I have applied for that as a rule of Human Rights but Iran govt refused it. When you are condemned to have Iranian Citizenship, you have to hold it forever and your kids too. I am sure after some time you will regret that why you did that and got back your Iranian citizenship.
It is kind o world most foolish Citizenship and you will not be able to voluntarily renounce it later.
I have applied for that as a rule of Human Rights but Iran govt refused it.
When you are condemned to have Iranian Citizenship, you have to hold it forever and your kids too.

]]> By: Sean http://newtome.wordpress.com/2008/04/20/how-to-visit-iran-as-an-american/#comment-93 Sean Mon, 09 Mar 2009 06:01:39 +0000 http://newtome.wordpress.com/?p=11#comment-93 This is very useful to me. I am an American-born Iranian and I wish to visit Iran someday very soon. I have been in the process of applying for Iranian citizenship (since my father was born there and I am entitled to it) for quite some time and am awaiting a response. Traveling with a tour-group sounds interesting but I would prefer being able to go around with my father and my family members who live in Iran. If anyone has any advice for me it would be greatly appreciated. Thanks! This is very useful to me. I am an American-born Iranian and I wish to visit Iran someday very soon. I have been in the process of applying for Iranian citizenship (since my father was born there and I am entitled to it) for quite some time and am awaiting a response. Traveling with a tour-group sounds interesting but I would prefer being able to go around with my father and my family members who live in Iran. If anyone has any advice for me it would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

]]> By: alireza http://newtome.wordpress.com/2008/04/20/how-to-visit-iran-as-an-american/#comment-90 alireza Thu, 12 Feb 2009 05:28:15 +0000 http://newtome.wordpress.com/?p=11#comment-90 Hi As you said ATM will not work for foreign cards but two Iranian banks Parsian and Saman issue Prepaid ATM cards up to 100 or 1000 USD which is great for tourists in Iran. Then they can get money from almost every ATM. They also can use it on net but if they know farsi!! Hi
As you said ATM will not work for foreign cards but two Iranian banks Parsian and Saman issue Prepaid ATM cards up to 100 or 1000 USD which is great for tourists in Iran. Then they can get money from almost every ATM.
They also can use it on net but if they know farsi!!

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