Iran Visa FAQ

Not all nationalities need a tourist visa to enter Iran. All foreign Passport holders are required a visa to enter Iran except the following nationalities: Bosnia-Herzegovina, Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Slovenia and Turkey for up to 3 months stay.

Note! Visa Restrictions: Entry will be refused to nationals of Israel and travelers with any evidence of visiting Israel.

To obtain an Iran visa, a Letter of Invitation is required from a sponsor in Iran. Normally the sponsor is a tour operator or the relatives. Once the letter of invitation is granted, it is then sent to the Iran Consulate where the visa is issued. Fill in above application form.

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We should point out that according to the regulations of Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, a Tourist visa is issued for foreign nationals who are interested to travel to Iran individually or in a group for the purpose of visiting Iran, friends or relatives. This visa is for a maximum stay of 30 days with option of Extensions in Iran. The visa remains valid for a period of 3 months from the date of issuance.

Based on your nationality, Iran visa fee can be different. Here is the list of Iran visa fees for a 1-90 days trip for different nationalities.

Based on Iran’s new unilateral tourist visa waiver program, the travelers of below countries can travel to Iran without a visa for a certain period of time. However, for a longer stay, the travelers from these countries have to apply for an Iran visa.

If your nationality is not in the above list, refer to Iran visa application page and submit your application online.

the process of Iran visa is different for Canadian, American and British passport holders. If your passport is one of these, check Travel to Iran as an American, British or Canadian.

To get an Iran Visa, American, British and Canadian passport holders must follow an exact itinerary accompanied by an approved guide from border/airport to border/airport for the entire trip. 
To get the visa, those nationalities must work in advance with an Iranian tour operator to set up a guided itinerary. Only that tour operator may apply for visa from the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Once approved, the tracking code is transmitted to the Iranian Interest Section of the Pakistani Embassy in Washington or any other Iranian consulate around the world which the applicant has submitted in the application form.

Some Useful links:

Iran Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Iran Tour Packages

Note 1: Always call and check the needed documents with the consulate as there may be differences in their bylaws.

1. Your passport
2. Completed embassy Iran visa application form
3. 2 new passport-size photos
4. Visa fee (based on your nationality)
5. Visa grant notice (from travel agency)

Iran tourist visa is extended by Police Department of Aliens Affairs of the major cities on the basis of justifiable reasons and approval of the mentioned office. The process usually takes a working day and the extension will be valid for one/two weeks.

Iran Visa Extension Requirements:

1. Two passport-size photos (with covered hair for ladies)
2. A photocopy of the bank deposit receipt, your Iranian visa, any previous extensions and the photo page of your passport.

Some Aliens Affairs Offices:

• Tehran: Dr. Fatemi Junction, Vali-Asr Ave. or Sepah Sq.
• Shiraz: Modares Boulevard.
• Mashad: Next to Azad Univ., Rahnamaee St.
• Isfahan: Azadi Sq.

• Tourist Visa: Applies to the foreign nationals who wish to visit Iran individually or in a group for the purpose of tourism or visiting the relatives.

• Entry Visa: Applies to foreign businessmen or experts who wish to enter Iran for official negotiations or participating in any seminars, conferences or sport activities.

• Entry or transit visa for drivers carrying cargo: Applies to foreign drivers carrying cargo through Iran.
• Work permit visa: Applies to the foreign nationals who wish to work in Iran.
• Airport transit visa: Applies to foreign nationals who wish to transit through Iran for less than 48 hours.
• Pilgrimage Visa: Applies to the foreign Muslims to visit Islamic sacred places in Iran.
• Transit Visa: Applies to the foreign nationals who wish to cross the geographical territory of Iran to a third country.
• Visa for entry to free trade and Industrial Areas of Iran: This two-week visa applies to the foreign nationals who wish to enter Free Trade and industrial Areas of Kish Island, Qeshm Island and Chabahar Port.
• Student Visa: Applies to foreign students who wish to study in Iran.
• Press Visa: Applies to the representatives of foreign media and press who visit Iran for journalism purposes.
• Diplomatic and service Visa: Applies to foreign diplomatic and service passport holders who wish to travel to Iran.

Foreign holders of ordinary passports may apply for a 15-day tourist/pilgrimage visa on arrival at the International Airports of Iran:

• IKA: Tehran Imam Khomeini Airport
• THR: Tehran Mehrabad Airport
• SYZ: Shiraz Airport
• MHD: Mashad Airport
• TBZ: Tabriz Airport
• ISF: Isfahan Airport
  
  

Iran Visa on Arrival Requirements:

Iran visa on arrival is only for tourist purposes so the following passport holders are not granted to enter Iran on this kind of visa:

• Journalists
• Diplomatic/Service passports holders
• The applicants whose previous attempts to get Iran Visa has been rejected

The applicants are required to have:

1. Passport with at least 6 months validity
2. One passport-size photo
3. Airport visa fees: EUR50.00 for each applicant and EUR10.00 for each companion
4. Submit a proof of one of these:

• Contact details of the hotel in which they will stay
• Contact details of the travel agent who applies for your services
• Invitation Letter

Currently, multiple entry Iran visa is not available for tourists. However, you can apply for a second authorization code after the first one is collected.

However, there might the possibility of being rejected, the rate of rejections is very low. Iran visa rejection is not without a very strong reason, it means that until you are a normal tourist following tourism purposes, you can be 100% sure to get an Iran visa.

Additionally, the rejection of your Iran visa doesn’t mean there is no more chance. Don’t give up and apply once more.

If there’s no Iran embassy/consulate in your country, you have two options:

1. Collect your visa at an airport in Iran. Citizens of about 98 countries can collect their visa at the airports.
2. Select the nearest embassy in another country where an Iranian embassy exists. You can post your documents to that embassy and get your visa back by email. (contact them first to check the requirements)

Previous nationalities, except Israeli nationality, do not affect your visa approval.

The most preferred photo is a 3x4cm passport photo taken within the past six month. But if you want to take a photo by mobile phone, it should be in good quality with white background. It must be neutral, front-view, eyes open and full face that occupy 70-80% of the photo. If your photo is very different from the passport photo, it will not be accepted.

For the nationalities other than UK, US and Canada, normally it takes 3-5 working days to get the authorization code. To be on the safe side, the best time to apply for an Iranian visa is a month before. However, we accept the last-minute requests but the passenger needs to be patient.

The citizens of Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Venezuela, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Indonesia, Brunei, Japan, Singapore, Cambodia, Vietnam, Brazil, Peru, Cuba, Mexico, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Croatia, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Tunisia, Mauritania, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, Mauritius, Seychelles, Russia, India, Egypt, China, Macao, Hong Kong, Lebanon, Oman, Bolivia, Iraq, Georgia, Turkiye, Armenia, Syria can travel to Iran visa free under certain circumstances.

The entire first page of your passport must be clearly scanned, including the machine-readable text located at the bottom. The photo should be in color without the hologram shapes on your face.

Travelers can collect the visa at the airport upon arrival in Iran. First, they must complete the visa application online to get the authorization code at least 10 days before their arrival. At the airport, give a hard copy of the authorization code at the port of entry before reaching immigration, and pay the visa fees in euros.

NO. A visa for Iran can be issued either in advance at one of the Iranian consulates or at one of the country’s international airports upon arrival.

There is the option of sending your passport and all necessary documents by post to the embassy.

In some cases, if the embassy determines that the applicant’s attendance is necessary, you will be notified accordingly.

Regardless of whether the visa is going to be issued at the embassy/consulate or at the airport, the authorization letter must be taken beforehand.

The online Iran visa can be applied for at the following link: https://www.irun2iran.com/iran-visa-application-form/

Passport (valid for at least 6 months from the date of entry)
Passport-size photo (of the applicant)

Application form

Travel program (day to day travel itinerary including the hotel names)

The Iran visa authorization letter is valid for a maximum of 60 days. After that it will be expired.

Iran visa is valid for a maximum of 90 days.

YES, Iran issues visas on arrival. But you have to apply for the authorization letter beforehand and then pick your visa up at the airport.

No, unless you are US, UK and Canadian passport holder. Other nationalities than these three don’t need to provide CV.

This field should be filled out with the complete name of your father.

YES, Iran issues visas on arrival. But you have to apply for the authorization letter beforehand and then pick your visa up at the airport.

Before traveling to Iran, it is essential to decide about your travel itinerary. Iran is a vast country with diverse cultural and natural attractions. So, it is better to know how you want to spend your time there. It is also beneficial to arrange accommodations and transportation in advance specially during the high season. Try to familiarize yourself with customs and cultural norms to ensure respectful interactions and learn basic Persian phrases to communicate during your stay.