Aslam u Aliekum......It's Saleem here. I would like to share my experience in getting Irani Visa. After this pleasant experience, I realize that how European, Central Asian & American Embassies try to rip off the money from the pockets of the Pakistanis.
American Embassy
Let me take the example of a person in Lahore, applying for the American Visa.
Normally, if Pakistani want to apply the American Visit visa then he has to pay Rs.16000/$160 $ in advance. Further, Person has to pay for the Visa drop box facility too. I am not sure whats a current service charges. So,let suppose it is 1000 RS.
So, each applicant has to submit the fees along with documents & service charges which is over Rs 17000. When person get a interview call then he has to go to the Islamabad. Again, he has to spend Rs 1500/2000 to reach at American Embassy. When his turn for interview comes then it just long for few minutes (Average less than 5 minutes). Consular ask few questions and in majority cases reject the Visa application. In this way, Applicant lose his all money i.e Rs 19000 within 5 minutes. Embassy doesn't give back a single penny. Each day, at least more than 100/150 applicants go to the US embassy and in this way,each year....Embassy earns a huge profit and rip off the money from the Pakistani Applicants.
Iranian Embassy
Now. let me share my experience with Iranian embassy. I live in Lahore & I am planning to go to the Iran this October and I was told that I don't need to come to the embassy in Islamabad. I was asked to contact Iranian Lahore Consulate ,Shadman.
On sep 16,2013 ......I went there at 9 am.There were 50/60 men and women already present, sitting on the benches waiting for the application forms. One Officer came at the main door and distributed the Forms. I fill out the form and handed over to the Officer. I asked about the Fees to be submitted before Interview but he smile and told " We don't charge fee in advance". I was taken into the small hall. There were 80/90 seats. I sat there. After 45 minutes, another officer came and asked first three rows to go up stairs. We 25 people went up stairs and it was a interview hall. One by one, every body was called and consular was asking him a question. If any visa application was rejected then he simply gave the passport back to the Applicant and Applicant had not to pay a single penny. It was a pleasant surprise for me.
When my turn came, He asked me few questions and approved my visa application. He gave my passport back along with one card. He asked me to go back down stairs to ask the receptionist for further details. I came down stair, receptionist looked at my card. I asked him...."How much is a visa fee and where, I have to submit it"?
He said " Sir, You don't have to pay your fees yet. You go to the lab ( Which is near to the consulate) and get a medical test first. If your medical report will be Ok then we shall charge the Visa fee of Rs 2100 from You. Other wise, we shall not charge You anything." This was a second surprise for me.
Any way, I went to the Lab. They charged me Rs 500 and take a blood sample. I was asked to come next day at 9 am to collect my report.
17th Sep.
I went to the Lab, All praise to God.....my report was fine. I took report to the consulate. They asked me to get a travel insurance. Office of the Insurance company was also near. So within 20 minutes, I got insurance. I paid Rs 1150 for one month Insurance.
When I had medical report and travel insurance in my hand then I was asked to pay for embassy fee. Which was Rs 2100.
So, My total expenses were 2100 visa fee + 1150 Insurance + 500 Medical = Rs 3750 for one month tourist visa. I am asked to collect the passport on Sep 19 from the consulate.
So, this was a pleasant experience for me. Daily over 200 Pakistanis in Lahore come for visa. If Iran wants then it can ask every one to pay the embassy fee in advance too and hence can make profits too. But it doesn't do like that. I asked the Iranian officer about the reason for taking embassy fee in the last stage. He said " We are your brothers and it is not our nature to make money from our brothers".
I wish, if other embassies also adopt the friendly policies and charge the applicant only when their application is approved.They must not rip off our pockets.
God willing, when I shall come back from Iran......I shall share my journey along with snaps along with complete cost incurred on the trip. I shall visit Iran as a back packer Tourist who will try to keep his budget as low as possible just like a genuine backpacker tourist. So,lot of traveling would be involved on buses & trains. I shall go from Lahore to Quetta to Taftan to Zahidan to Yazd to Sheraz to Isfahan to Tehran to Gilan near Caspian sea But it is not a final itinerary and I shall modify it as prevailing situation.