5 ms·

Seems fair. I am EU citizen, can go to US visa free, but ESTA is required. It should be the same from the other side. And US limits countries I can visit. Iran

Seems fair. I am EU citizen, can go to US visa free, but ESTA is required. It should be the same from the other side. And US limits countries I can visit. Iran is great holiday destination, but after visit I would need US visa.

ido 5y ago
What? You need a US visa to visit Iran as a European?
- jkaplowitz 5y ago
  No. Foreign nationals from countries (including most of Europe) that normally have access to the US through the Visa Waiver Program and ESTA lose that access if they visit Iran or a few other countries. They thereafter need to go through the full US visa application process if they want to go to the US.
  - hef19898 5y ago
    One of the cases where at least in Germany you can get a second passport without problems. Another example would be travel to Israel and Arabian countries.
    - detaro 5y ago
      Still requires you to lie on the ESTA form, which is not necessarily a good idea. (i.e. if you lie and get caught, that's worse than going through the visa process)
      - hef19898 5y ago
        Sure, simple answer: don't carry both passports at the same time. Pretty sure Iran (an the other countries on the US blacklist) don't exchange travel information with the US.
        detaro 5y ago
        and don't appear on any travel manifests other countries share, and don't turn up on any other tracking, and ...
        hef19898 5y ago
        Two different passports, only carry the right one: easy. And unless US border police is checking any, potential, Iranian travel data the NSA collected I don't see the problem. Confidently telling those border police officers you've never been to Iran seems to be the trickiest part. But hell, it works just perfectly fine for everyone travelling to Israel and any Arabian country, so...
        midasuni 5y ago
        No it doesn’t. Israel doesn’t routinely ask you if you’ve been to Iran, if they did, you answer tru fully if you know what’s good for you. Same if you go to Saudi. The US specifically asks you if you have travelled to those countries. You can either lie, and that’s a serious risk at being jailed, deported, banned from ever going again, and having issues going to other countries, or you can tell the truth.
        midasuni 5y ago
        No photos of yourself there, no references to having travelled there anywhere in the Internet….
    - londons_explore 5y ago
      The question at the border is "Have you ever visited Iran?", Not "Do you have a stamp for Iran in this passport?". Since passenger lists on flights around the world are pretty much public information, the US immigration services will know exactly where you have visited in the past, and could totally put you in prison for lying when answering the question.
      - klipt 5y ago
        > The question at the border is "Have you ever visited Iran?" Is that something only people on ESTA get asked? Never heard of people on visas being asked that.
        verst 5y ago
        They ask that questions also during student or work visa issuance - and even during the greencard (adjustment of status) and naturalization processes. They don't ask it every time you enter with these visas or statuses however. But as a US citizen you will never be asked. And better yet if you are a dual citizen like me. Then you can travel on your other passport to the places the US finds to be undesirable.
        klipt 5y ago
        I think green card and naturalization ask about travel in the last few years. But they don't ask about travel prior to that, and they don't ask about Iran specifically.
        verst 5y ago
        True - I think it was 10 (or was it 7?) year of travel history, but I'm sure Iran would raise some flags.
    - _0w8t 5y ago
      The same is in Norway, although one have to justify it. For example one cannot get a visa to China if one has a stamp from Taiwan. So if one needs to travel to both often, then one can apply for the second passport.
      - midasuni 5y ago
        I don’t remember China asking if I’ve been to Taiwan. I’d be surprised too - there’s direct flights between the two. That said I normally visit China on a 168 hour transit visa and fly via Hong Kong, Tokyo or Seoul rather than the hassle of applying for a visa.
      - MagnumOpus 5y ago
        > For example one cannot get a visa to China if one has a stamp from Taiwan I am quite sure that this is not true.
- jsmith99 5y ago
  I think they mean that going to Iran voids their eligibility to travel to America in the future without a visa.
- deleted 5y ago
  [deleted]
- ALittleLight 5y ago
  I think you need a visa to go to the US if you've been to Iran.
- nraynaud 5y ago
  If they want to visit the US with a Iranian stamp on their passport.
- tschwimmer 5y ago
  If you have an Iranian passport stamp, I would expect very pointed questions at US immigration. I can't find a specific citation that says you need a visa if you've been to Iran, but I wouldn't be surprised if that was the case.
  - kolinko 5y ago
    Fun fact - in Poland you can get a second passport for such situations. You use one passport to visit Iran (etc), and the other to visit US, Israel and so on. I never needed this, but it’s good to have such an option.
    - throw3838 5y ago
      Yes, but if US ever finds out, it could get pretty nasty. US entry ban is pretty limiting career move for programmer.
      - martin8412 5y ago
        Just no.
    - midasuni 5y ago
      That’s fine for visiting Israel (which rarely stamps nowadays) and Iran. The US specifically asks “have you ever been to Iran”. You can lie, then get arrested in the US, or you can say “yes”, and have to go through the time and expense to get a US visa. Forever.
  - sofixa 5y ago
    > If you have an Iranian passport stamp, I would expect very pointed questions at US immigration Or any number of things. I know of multiple French citizens born in "suspect" for the Americans places like Algiers and Beirut who have had extensive questioning on arrival at the US, including the mindbogglingly stupid " why were you born there?".
    - kube-system 5y ago
- deleted 5y ago
  [deleted]
- deleted 5y ago
  [deleted]
_fizz_buzz_ 5y ago
Usually people get a second passport if they have to visit Iran and the US. This is legal in the EU and a somewhat standard workaround.
- kube-system 5y ago
  Might be legal in the EU but it’s a crime in the US. Edit: a crime to use it as a “workaround” (i.e. lie) to US customs, that is
  - mod50ack 5y ago
    The US can also issue its citizens a second passport book for similar purposes.
    - kube-system 5y ago
      I meant that it is not legal to use a second passport as a workaround to support a lie about your travel history. Lying to enter the US is illegal regardless of the number of passports you have.
      - mod50ack 5y ago
        That's true. This only affects those who have visited Iran, Iraq, North Korea, Sudan, Syria, Libya, Somalia and Yemen on or after March 1, 2011, and they're still not disqualified, but I do understand the frustration at the inconvenience (although none of this will affect me since I am a US and EU citizen).
  - verst 5y ago
    You can get a second US passport with limited validity. Great when you need to apply for visas but also have other international travel going on. And sometimes it's convenient for hiding visa stamps of one country from another country.
  - techie128 5y ago
    What exactly is a crime in the US?

ido 5y ago

What? You need a US visa to visit Iran as a European?

jkaplowitz 5y ago
No. Foreign nationals from countries (including most of Europe) that normally have access to the US through the Visa Waiver Program and ESTA lose that access if they visit Iran or a few other countries. They thereafter need to go through the full US visa application process if they want to go to the US.
- hef19898 5y ago
  One of the cases where at least in Germany you can get a second passport without problems. Another example would be travel to Israel and Arabian countries.
  - detaro 5y ago
    Still requires you to lie on the ESTA form, which is not necessarily a good idea. (i.e. if you lie and get caught, that's worse than going through the visa process)
    - hef19898 5y ago
      Sure, simple answer: don't carry both passports at the same time. Pretty sure Iran (an the other countries on the US blacklist) don't exchange travel information with the US.
      - detaro 5y ago
        and don't appear on any travel manifests other countries share, and don't turn up on any other tracking, and ...
        hef19898 5y ago
        Two different passports, only carry the right one: easy. And unless US border police is checking any, potential, Iranian travel data the NSA collected I don't see the problem. Confidently telling those border police officers you've never been to Iran seems to be the trickiest part. But hell, it works just perfectly fine for everyone travelling to Israel and any Arabian country, so...
        midasuni 5y ago
        No it doesn’t. Israel doesn’t routinely ask you if you’ve been to Iran, if they did, you answer tru fully if you know what’s good for you. Same if you go to Saudi. The US specifically asks you if you have travelled to those countries. You can either lie, and that’s a serious risk at being jailed, deported, banned from ever going again, and having issues going to other countries, or you can tell the truth.
        midasuni 5y ago
        No photos of yourself there, no references to having travelled there anywhere in the Internet….
  - londons_explore 5y ago
    The question at the border is "Have you ever visited Iran?", Not "Do you have a stamp for Iran in this passport?". Since passenger lists on flights around the world are pretty much public information, the US immigration services will know exactly where you have visited in the past, and could totally put you in prison for lying when answering the question.
    - klipt 5y ago
      > The question at the border is "Have you ever visited Iran?" Is that something only people on ESTA get asked? Never heard of people on visas being asked that.
      - verst 5y ago
        They ask that questions also during student or work visa issuance - and even during the greencard (adjustment of status) and naturalization processes. They don't ask it every time you enter with these visas or statuses however. But as a US citizen you will never be asked. And better yet if you are a dual citizen like me. Then you can travel on your other passport to the places the US finds to be undesirable.
        klipt 5y ago
        I think green card and naturalization ask about travel in the last few years. But they don't ask about travel prior to that, and they don't ask about Iran specifically.
        verst 5y ago
        True - I think it was 10 (or was it 7?) year of travel history, but I'm sure Iran would raise some flags.
  - _0w8t 5y ago
    The same is in Norway, although one have to justify it. For example one cannot get a visa to China if one has a stamp from Taiwan. So if one needs to travel to both often, then one can apply for the second passport.
    - midasuni 5y ago
      I don’t remember China asking if I’ve been to Taiwan. I’d be surprised too - there’s direct flights between the two. That said I normally visit China on a 168 hour transit visa and fly via Hong Kong, Tokyo or Seoul rather than the hassle of applying for a visa.
    - MagnumOpus 5y ago
      > For example one cannot get a visa to China if one has a stamp from Taiwan I am quite sure that this is not true.
jsmith99 5y ago
I think they mean that going to Iran voids their eligibility to travel to America in the future without a visa.
deleted 5y ago
[deleted]
ALittleLight 5y ago
I think you need a visa to go to the US if you've been to Iran.
nraynaud 5y ago
If they want to visit the US with a Iranian stamp on their passport.
tschwimmer 5y ago
If you have an Iranian passport stamp, I would expect very pointed questions at US immigration. I can't find a specific citation that says you need a visa if you've been to Iran, but I wouldn't be surprised if that was the case.
- kolinko 5y ago
  Fun fact - in Poland you can get a second passport for such situations. You use one passport to visit Iran (etc), and the other to visit US, Israel and so on. I never needed this, but it’s good to have such an option.
  - throw3838 5y ago
    Yes, but if US ever finds out, it could get pretty nasty. US entry ban is pretty limiting career move for programmer.
    - martin8412 5y ago
      Just no.
  - midasuni 5y ago
    That’s fine for visiting Israel (which rarely stamps nowadays) and Iran. The US specifically asks “have you ever been to Iran”. You can lie, then get arrested in the US, or you can say “yes”, and have to go through the time and expense to get a US visa. Forever.
- sofixa 5y ago
  > If you have an Iranian passport stamp, I would expect very pointed questions at US immigration Or any number of things. I know of multiple French citizens born in "suspect" for the Americans places like Algiers and Beirut who have had extensive questioning on arrival at the US, including the mindbogglingly stupid " why were you born there?".
  - kube-system 5y ago
deleted 5y ago
[deleted]
deleted 5y ago
[deleted]

_fizz_buzz_ 5y ago

Usually people get a second passport if they have to visit Iran and the US. This is legal in the EU and a somewhat standard workaround.

kube-system 5y ago
Might be legal in the EU but it’s a crime in the US. Edit: a crime to use it as a “workaround” (i.e. lie) to US customs, that is
- mod50ack 5y ago
  The US can also issue its citizens a second passport book for similar purposes.
  - kube-system 5y ago
    I meant that it is not legal to use a second passport as a workaround to support a lie about your travel history. Lying to enter the US is illegal regardless of the number of passports you have.
    - mod50ack 5y ago
      That's true. This only affects those who have visited Iran, Iraq, North Korea, Sudan, Syria, Libya, Somalia and Yemen on or after March 1, 2011, and they're still not disqualified, but I do understand the frustration at the inconvenience (although none of this will affect me since I am a US and EU citizen).
- verst 5y ago
  You can get a second US passport with limited validity. Great when you need to apply for visas but also have other international travel going on. And sometimes it's convenient for hiding visa stamps of one country from another country.
- techie128 5y ago
  What exactly is a crime in the US?