Visa on the road
Visa and Registrations
Here we want to supply information for all planning travellers or otherwise interested people, which visa we got where, when and how, what one as to think about and what problems we had. Of course these are only our personal experiences, that cannot be generalized. Unfortunately we feel like these visa regulations are often partly disposal. Especially in central asia the regulations can change quite fast and often. Please be aware that we are german citizens and regulations can differ for other nationalities.
Germany to Turkey
No Visa or registration needed.
Iran
Where: applied via www.iranianvisa.com, picked up in Erzurum, we would not recommend to use this service. Please read here
Received: 14 days
Handling time: As they say on there website 7-10 days, it took us 2 months
Costs: 30€ for the agency and 60€ for the Visa
Registration: not needed
Visa extension: got in without problems in Shiraz (30 additional days)
Miscellaneous: Women have to be covered on the pictures, go covered to the embassy
We did it in: Juli 2008
Kyrgyztan
Where: applied and picked up in Tehran without problems
Received: 30 days
Handling time: different times possible: 1 day / 3 days / 7 days
Costs: 140 $ / 105 $ / 70 $
Registration: only needed, if you stay longer than 60 days
Visa extension: got it in Karakol (Isyk-koel) on the same day, costs 1000 Som
Miscellaneous: The melli bank in Tehran, where you have to pay is right in the centre, the embassy in the far north. Maybe call the embasy before, check with the costs, go to the bank and then go to the embassy with the receipt (account number 702832)
We did it in: Juli 2008
Tajikistan
Where: applied and picked up in Bishkek
Received: 1 month
Handling time: different times possible: 1 day / 3 days
Costs: 100 $ / 50 $
Registration: you have to registrate within the first 3 days after entry the country. We did it in Murghab (costs 15 $ and 25 $ Somoni). Coming from Osh, Murghab is the first possibility to registrate.
Visa extension: ? we did not do it. It is supposed to be possible in Dushanbe but troublesome
Miscellaneous: they changed the rules in Bishkek shortly before we arrived and we needed a LOI (letter of invitation). Got it with www.stantours.com, costs 45 $, handling time 10 - 14 days. The official letter goes the the tajik ministery of foreign affairs, which is why it takes so long. The consul accepted only the invitaion of the agency (same letter without the stamp of the ministery) in our case. Ask and try!
GBAO permit: We got it together with the visa at the embassy without extra costs. Ask and try!
We did it in: September 2008
Uzbekistan
Where: applied and picked up in Bishkek
Received: 1 month
Handling time: 7 days (without LOI, with it is supposed to be possible at the same day, but with extra costs for LOI and visa)
Costs: 72 $
Registration: daily registration at the hotel needed.
Visa extension: ???
Miscellaneous: embassy is closed on monday. One has to call one day before in order to get on a list (they only speak russian at the phone). Otherwise you are not allowed to entry the embassy. Try to speak russian at the embassy and as less english as possible - the woman there can be a knuckklebone
We did it in: September 2008
India
Where: in Tashkent applied and picked up
How long: 3 month (from the date of issue!)
Handling time: 3 working days, go there on the 4th, give them the Passport and pay and pick it up in the evening
Costs: 50$
Registration: no
Visua extension: Only short term in order to leave the country
Miscellaneous: Visa not extandable
We did it in: November 2008
Where: got it directly at the border (Sunali)
How long: 1 month or 3 months
Handling time: 10 minutes
Costs: 30 or 40$ for one month, 100$ for 3 months
Registration: no
Visa extension: possible, but expensive
Miscellaneous:
We did it in: February 2009
Thailand
When you fly inot the country, you can stay 30 days without a visa. If you cross by land, it is only 15 days.
If you want to stay longe in the country, you will need a visa, multiple entries possible. We had all possibilities: 30 visafree arriving by plane from Nepal, 15 days visafree coming from Laos and applied for a single entry visa in Vientiane.
Where: Visafree entry you get directly at the airport or border. Our visa we got in the Consulate in Vientiane
How long: 2 month
Handling time: 1 day, come in the morning, collect in the afternoon of the following day
Cost: 1000 Baht per entry
Registration: no
We did it in: Mai 2009
Laos
Where: directly at the border (Houay Xai)
How long: 1 month
Handling time: 10 minutes
Cost: 30$
Registration: no
Miscellaneous: Take care at the Laos - Cambodia border. Coming from one direction, one cannot get a visa here. Inform before
We did it in: Mai 2009
Cambodia
Where: in Vientiane (but you can get it at the border)
How long: 1 month
Handling time: 1 day
Cost: 20$
Registration: no
Miscellaneous: Take care at the Laos - Cambodia border. Coming from one direction, one cannot get a visa here. Inform before
We did it in: June 2009