This has been one of the most difficult tasks to prepare for the trip! Many, many nights were spent getting information together, filling out forms and days spent going from banks to embassies. But finally, all the hard work has paid off and I have all the visas just in time!
When looking for information about getting visas, I couldn’t find too much information (apart from Caravanistan.com and a few blogs), so hopefully this list can help others in the future.
I have a Polish passport and applied for my visas in Madrid except for Turkmenistan and Tajikistan, as there are no embassies here for those countries.
Visas needed for:
Azerbaijan
Iran
Uzbekistan
Turkmenistan
Tajikistan
Kazakhstan
Russia
Visas not needed for:
Italy, Greece, Turkey, Georgia, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Japan
AZERBAIJAN
Consulate
Madrid
Type of Visa
Tourist
LOI (Letter Of Invitation) Needed?
No, but I needed to show confirmation of reservations from two different hotels.
Papers Needed
Visa application form filled in online and printed
Purpose of travel letter stating dates, places to visit and entry and exit points
2 passport photos
Original receipt of payment from bank
Passport
Photocopy of passport
Processing Time
Visa from consulate – 10 Working Days
Details of Visa
Visa is valid for 30 days within a stated one-month period
Cost
35€ Tourist Visa Fee
IRAN
Consulate
Madrid
Type of Visa
Tourist
LOI Needed?
No, but you first need to fill in online forms on Iraninanvisa.com in order to receive a ‘Visa Authorization Code’
I also needed to let them know that I would be arriving at a land border with my own motorcycle.
Papers Needed
Visa application form
2 passport photos
Original receipt of payment from bank
Visa authorization code
Passport
Approved travel insurance (ordered from irantravelinsurance.com)
Processing Time
Visa authorization code – 2.5 weeks
Visa from consulate – 10 Working Days
Details of Visa
Visa is valid for 3 months from date of issue, valid for one-entry stay of 30 days
Cost
51€ Visa Authorization Code
49€ Iranian Travel Insurance
50€ Tourist Visa Fee
UZBEKISTAN
Consulate
Madrid
Type of Visa
Tourist
LOI Needed?
Yes. Applied through Stantours.com – quite helpful and good email communication
Papers Needed
Visa application form (from embassy website)
1 passport photo
Original receipt of payment from bank
LOI
Passport
Processing Time
LOI – 11 working days
Visa from consulate – 1 working day
Details of Visa
Valid for 15 days within a stated one-month period
Cost
64€ LOI
70€ Tourist Visa Fee
TURKMENISTAN
Consulate
London, UK
Type of Visa
5 days transit
LOI Needed?
No.
Papers Needed
Visa application form
Letter describing travel schedule
Filled out questionnaire
1 passport photo
Photocopy of passport
Copies of visas from countries of entry and exit !!
Processing Time
Visa letter with code – 10 days
Details of Visa
Border specific
Valid for 5 days
Visa has a specific expiry date
Cost
39€ Postage of documents to London with DHL
$50USD (?) With the letter including a code, I will be able to pick up my visa at the border.
TAJIKISTAN
Consulate
Geneva, Switzerland
Type of Visa
Tourist
LOI Needed?
No.
Papers Needed
Visa application form
Visa request letter
2 passport photos
Passport
Photocopy of passport
Self addressed envelope
Processing Time
3 weeks from the time I sent my passport, to receiving it back in the post with visa.
10 days after posting my passport and documents, I had not heard anything and so emailed the consulate. They said they had not received my bank transfer. I emailed them back with the confirmation receipt and four days later, they said that my passport with visa had just been posted.
Details of Visa
Visa is valid for 3 months from date of issue, valid for one-entry stay of 30 days
Cost
39€ Postage of documents to Geneva with DHL
25€ Tourist visa
20€ GBAO permit
10€ return postage cost
At first I was considering applying to the consulate in London, but the fees were more than double.
KAZAKHSTAN
Consulate
Madrid
Type of Visa
Tourist
LOI Needed?
No.
Papers Needed
E-Visa application form
Copy of motorbike registration
1 passport photo
Original receipt of payment from bank
Photocopy of passport
Processing Time
5 days
As my passport was still with the Tajik embassy in Geneva, I left the papers and just a copy of my passport. I received a call that my Kazak visa was ready after 5 days. When I received my passport from Geneva, I went straight to the Kazak embassy and they put the visa in my passport on the spot.
Details of Visa
Visa is valid for 30 days within a stated three-month period
Cost
35€ Tourist visa
RUSSIA
Consulate
Centro de visados Rusos, Madrid
Type of Visa
Double-entry, Auto tourism visa
LOI Needed?
Yes. Obtained through Escalis S.L.
Papers Needed
E-Visa application form
Copy of motorbike registration
Motorbike green card
Purpose of travel letter
Copy of NIE (Spanish residency number)
Insurance (bought at embassy)
1 passport photo
Passport
Photocopy of passport
LOI
Photocopy of international driver’s permit
Processing Time
LOI – 4 days
Visa – 10 working days
After I printed the LOI (voucher) and took it to the Russian consulate, they noticed an error. For type of visa, it read ‘Turismo’ instead of ‘Autoturismo’ (all written in Russian). I emailed Escalis and they sent me a new LOI the next day.
Details of Visa
Double entry visa valid within one stated month
Cost
30.25€ LOI
17€ Russian insurance
58€ Tourist visa
CARNET DE PASSAGES EN DUANE (CDP)
Details
This is a customs document that identifies a driver’s motor vehicle. It is required for entering Iran and Japan with my motorcycle. Basically it is a document saying that I can temporarily import my bike into those countries providing I also leave those countries with my bike.
Obtained from RACE (automobile association in Spain)
Carnet has 10 pages (I will only need two – a pity they could not give me a 5-page one). Each page represents an entry and exit from a country. Each page is divided into three sections; the lower section is removed by Customs on entry into a country; the middle section is removed on exit; the top, counter-foil section, is stamped once on entry and once on exit.
Valid for 12 months
Papers Needed
Application form
Copy of ‘permiso de circulación’ – motorbike registration
Copy of ‘ficha téchnica’ – ITV – technical inspection certificate
Photocopy of passport
Copy of NIE (Spanish residency number)
Carnet payment
Aval bancario de validez indefinida – bank guarantee
The most difficult part of this is to get the bank guarantee.
This is a deposit you have to have approved by the bank and verified by a notary. When I return from the trip and show the correctly stamped pages, the deposit will be returned. The amount of the deposit depends on the motorbike.
Processing Time
5 days
Cost
259€ Carnet payment
Deposit to be returned after the trip
I hope all goes smoothly! I am expecting to pay some extra fees at the borders and I will update this post after the trip.
All 7 visas completed = hair & beard cut! Mission accomplished!
Big thank you to Marissa ! Without her this will be impossible !
