Guides and Minders

Hi, although many people have told me that in order to visit iran I need to be with a tour or have a guide/government minder, I'v also read dozens of accounts of independent travelling. Is this all outdated rumours or true?

Depends on your nationality. If you carry a US or UK passport for example, no way around it. Most other nationalities can roam freely.

Yeah I have a UK passport. I thought it was just for Americans?

Hello Joe
It all changed last year mate, it also includes Canadians, unfortunately I have dual nationality of both countries.

Hi
For sure you have to be with a formal guide in a tour; today one of my friends who is UK citizen had such questions and I asked directly from security office. I give him the details of a guide
And he will make up the tour for him, because, agencies are really expensive
Best

Do they want evidence of you have booked some kind of tour guy when u apply for a visa?

Basically yes. I'm going through the process right now. The authorities seem to require an identified guide who is allowed/qualified to take UK/US/CAN tourists (not all can), a fixed itinerary and confirmation of the hotels booked by the guide. The possibiltiies are either booking a tour with an agency (as a single traveller or in a group) or arranging your own guide and getting the visa through an agency willing to cooperate. The latter is cheaper, but the guide will have to fork out in advance to book the hotels

thats annoying

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You're supposed to have a guide or join a tour of you us/uk/Canadian citizen. We were able to secure an authorization number from an Iranian travel agent that did not require us to join a tour and were able to travel entirely independently for 2 weeks in October 2015. I just posted our trip report.

Hi Jchock,
Which travel agent was that, any chance you could let me know? Am planning on going but loathe to be with a tour guide the whole trip.
Thanks
Chris

Don't want to get into politics but while I can understand the US and UK why the Canadians? I have an Australian passport which apparently allows independent travel but Australia has been far more enthusiastic than the Canadians in supporting the US in its various foreign adventures.

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