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I’m considering an overland trip India > Pakistan > Iran > Turkey > Syria. Has anyone done this and can anyone suggest a visa strategy? I’m a U.S. citizen and would arriving in the region from New Zealand. Thanks!

I can't speak for the other countries, but Iran will be a huge problem. It's next to impossible for a US resident to get a visa at this time. They may be more lenient on a transit visa, but I doubt it.

From what I've heard about Iran for US citizens:

You must either travel in a preapproved group, or hire a guide that will stay with you the entire trip. You would have to prepay for the guide. You can get more info at www.iranianvisa.com and check the other thread on this forum about Iranian Visa.

If you do go for the Iranian visa, let us know how it goes.

Hope this helps,

Chris

As far as I know, The Indian visa will be no problem, but you must get it before entering the country.

It is good for 90 days to 6 months(don't remember this). It starts the moment you get the visa, so if you intend on spending a lot of time in India, acquire the visa just before you take your flight in.

From India, it may be hard to get a visa to Pakistan. It may be best to get it for the date you plan to leave India, if possible.

Turkey: Very simple. You pays your visa stamp fee(from 45 to 90 dollars) and you goes in with a valid passport, good for 90 days.

Syria: Don't know.

For syria, you must obtain a visa from the consulate in your home country if there is a consulate there. If not, you may obtain a visa at the border.

Specifically in your case, this means that you'll have to obtain your syrian passport from the washington dc office.

No exceptions from what i understand....

For iran, there's another long thread discussing the iranian visa situation as mentioned before.

I applied for an iranian visa before i left. As a us citizen, there were conditions that had to be met, tour groups, specific dates and itineraries, etc. It probably helps if you have a local sponsor there.

I talked to canadian who was doing something very similar to you (overland hong kong -> capetown) and he told me he got his pakistani visa in india, although he recieved a lecture from the guy at the consulate on all the troubles between the two countries and chastised him for not knowing more about it. In the end he got the visa from india.

Canadians also used to be able to visit iran and get visa's pretty easily, but they removed that relatively recently and have been pretty strict about it since the journalist was killed. Knowing this, i think you may be in a world of trouble if you dont book one beforehand. Alternatively you could just catch a one way flight from pakistan to greece or turkey pretty easily.

As always, check out http://travel.state.gov/foreignentryreqs.html for updated information on visas and requirements

thank you all for the information. iran does seem nigh impossible, especially from where i am at the moment (antarctica). i'm in the process of applying for india and pakistan right now, and i figure on making the rest up as i go. perhaps a trip through the 'stans may be easier.