Most visitors to

Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) and also known as Persia, is a country in West Asia. It borders Iraq to the west, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Armenia to the northwest, the Caspian Sea to the north, Turkmenistan to the nort ...

must obtain an

electronic visa An electronic visa (E-Visa) and an electronic travel authorization (ETA, also styled eTA) are online systems established by countries that affirm the eligibility of a foreign national to travel to their country under their immigration laws. They ...

(e-Visa) prior to their arrival in Iran, unless they are a citizen of one of the visa-exempt countries or countries that are ineligible for an e-Visa, in which case they must obtain a visa in advance from one of the Iranian diplomatic missions around the world. Travellers arriving in Iran must hold passports that are valid for at least 6 months beyond the intended period of stay.

Overview

Dual citizens of both Iran and another country count as citizens of Iran when entering Iran, and hence must hold an

Iranian passport Iranian passports are issued to nationals of Iran for the purpose of international travel. The passport serves as a proof of Iranian citizenship. The Iranian passports are burgundy, with the Iranian emblem emblazoned on the top of the front cove ...

upon arrival. Iran no longer affixes visas to passports nor stamps them on entry for most nationalities as a response to the US sanctions on persons who have visited Iran after 2011. In November 2018, the head of Iran's Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts, and Tourism Organization (ICHTO) announced that the country will no longer stamp or put stickers to passports of foreign tourists (except US, Canada and UK visitors) in a bid to ease their concerns about traveling to other countries after leaving Iran. In June 2019, the President of Iran ordered the Interior Ministry to implement the decision on not stamping passports of foreigners.

Visa policy map

Visa exemption

Citizens of the following jurisdictions do not require a visa for entry to Iran for stays up to the duration listed below for tourism or business purposes (unless otherwise noted): _{1 - Must enter Iran by air to qualify for visa exemption.}
_{2 - Must depart from Dushanbe International Airport

Dushanbe International Airport is an international airport in Dushanbe, the capital of Tajikistan. It is the main hub for Somon Air and is the home base for Tajik Air, which also has its headquarters on the property.
History
In 1924, the f ...
and arrive at Imam Khomeini International Airport

Tehran Imam Khomeini International Airport () is the international airport of Tehran, the capital of Iran. It is located 2 kilometers (1 mi) of Vahnabad and southwest of Tehran and is named for Ruhollah Khomeini, Iran's first supreme lea ...
to qualify for visa exemption.}
_{3 - Length of stay extendable up to 90 days.}
_{4 - For tourism purposes only.}

Iran free trade zones

All tourists may stay on Kish Island, Qeshm Island, or other free trade zones for 14 days or less without obtaining any visa. Americans; with the exception of

Puerto Rico ; abbreviated PR), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, is a Government of Puerto Rico, self-governing Caribbean Geography of Puerto Rico, archipelago and island organized as an Territories of the United States, unincorporated territo ...

U.S. Virgin Islands The United States Virgin Islands, officially the Virgin Islands of the United States, are a group of Caribbean islands and a territory of the United States. The islands are geographically part of the Virgin Islands archipelago and are located ...

, and

Guam Guam ( ; ) is an island that is an Territories of the United States, organized, unincorporated territory of the United States in the Micronesia subregion of the western Pacific Ocean. Guam's capital is Hagåtña, Guam, Hagåtña, and the most ...

; Canadians, and Britons are required to have a certified escort guide waiting for them upon arrival, and they must obtain hotel reservations before arrival. Tourists may stay at the following trade zones for up to 2 weeks without a visa in 2022: *

Arvand Free Zone The Arvand Free Zone with an area of 37,400 hectares is at the confluence of the Karun and Arvand (Shatt al-Arab) rivers. The Zone is located at a height of three meters above sea level and in proximity to Iraq and in the north west of Persian G ...

* Aras Free Zone *

Chabahar Free Trade-Industrial Zone Chabahar Free Trade–Industrial Zone (CFZ) () is an Iranian free trade zone formed according to the law on the establishment and administration of free trade–industrial zones . Chabahar free trade–industrial zone was established in 1992 ...

Maku, Iran Maku () is a city in the Central District of Maku County, West Azerbaijan province, Iran, serving as capital of both the county and the district. Maku is from the Turkish border in a mountain gorge at an altitude of 1,634 metres. The Za ...

Qeshm Island Qeshm (Persian language: قشم) is an arrow-shaped Iranian island in the Strait of Hormuz of the Persian Gulf (), measuring roughly 1,500 square kilometres (576 square miles) in surface area. Separated from the Iranian mainland by the Claren ...

Kish Island Kish ( ) is a resort island in Bandar Lengeh County, Hormozgan Province, off the southern coast of Iran in the Gulf. The island constitutes the city of Kish, Iran, Kish. Owing to its free trade zone status, the island is marketed as a consumers ...

* Anzali

Kish and Qeshm Islands

All tourists, may stay on

for up to 14 days without obtaining any visa. Citizens of the United States; excluding

, and

; Canada, and the UK are only required to have a certified escort guide waiting for them upon their arrival. The guide has to have the hotel-reservation letters of the passenger with them and let the immigration office of the airport know about the arrival of the passenger.

Non-ordinary passports

Holders of

passport A passport is an official travel document issued by a government that certifies a person's identity and nationality for international travel. A passport allows its bearer to enter and temporarily reside in a foreign country, access local aid ...

s issued by the following countries are allowed to enter Iran without a visa. _{D - Diplomatic passports}
_{O - Official passports}
_{S - Service passports}
_{Sp - Special passports}
_{1 - 3 months}
_{2 - 2 months}
_{3 - 1 month}
_{4 - 90 days}
_{5 - 60 days}
_{6 - 45 days}
_{7 - 30 days}
_{8 - 20 days}
_{9 - 15 days}
_{10 - 14 days}

Future changes

Iran has signed visa exemption agreements with the following countries, but they have not yet entered into force: _{1 - Unilateral exemption was granted for ordinary passports.}

Electronic Visa (e-Visa)

Nationals of other countries must apply an e-Visa on the basis of which a visa on arrival will be issued for a maximum of 30 days Extension of stay is possible twice for 30 days for a total of up to 90 days. e-Visa does not apply to nationals of

Afghanistan Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. It is bordered by Pakistan to the Durand Line, east and south, Iran to the Afghanistan–Iran borde ...

Bangladesh Bangladesh, officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, eighth-most populous country in the world and among the List of countries and dependencies by ...

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...

Colombia Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia, is a country primarily located in South America with Insular region of Colombia, insular regions in North America. The Colombian mainland is bordered by the Caribbean Sea to the north, Venezuel ...

Jordan Jordan, officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, is a country in the Southern Levant region of West Asia. Jordan is bordered by Syria to the north, Iraq to the east, Saudi Arabia to the south, and Israel and the occupied Palestinian ter ...

Pakistan Pakistan, officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of over 241.5 million, having the Islam by country# ...

Somalia Somalia, officially the Federal Republic of Somalia, is the easternmost country in continental Africa. The country is located in the Horn of Africa and is bordered by Ethiopia to the west, Djibouti to the northwest, Kenya to the southwest, th ...

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

and

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

. ;Shahid Rajaee Port Marine travelers entering Iran via Shahid Rajaee Port in the southern Hormozgan Province can also receive a visa on arrival.

Visa required in advance

Nationals of the following countries are ineligible for an e-Visa, and thus must obtain a visa in advance at an Iranian embassy or consulate:

Prior approval required

Holders of American, British, Canadian and Colombian passports can also visit Iran with an Iran tourism visa. The visa procedure for these nationalities takes around 8 weeks. They also have to plan and book their trip with a certified local travel agency in Iran. Before the visa can be issued, the agency has to submit the applicant's day-by-day itinerary to the foreign ministry for approval. American and Canadian spouses of Iranian Citizens can obtain family visas of up to 90 days to visit and stay in the country without the need for an agency. Passports of the above-mentioned citizens will also be stamped with a sticker visa and entry/exit stamps.

Visa application and requirements

Iran's tourist visa is issued for up to 30 days and can have up to two additional 30-day extensions, for a total of 90 days. To get a visa prior to arrival, a Visa Authorization Code must be applied for through the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affair's e-visa website or an Iranian travel agency. The amount of the visa fee is dependent upon one's nationality. The visa fee must be paid prior to pick-up or when applying for a VOA. Local Iranian travel agencies offer better support, trackability and convenience for an additional fee. Upon receiving a Visa Authorization Code, the visa may be collected at one of Iran's worldwide embassies and consulates prior to arrival or upon arrival at one of Iran's international airports. Most nationalities, except American, British and Canadian passport holders, can also obtain their tourist visa upon their arrival in the form of a Visa-on-arrival (VOA) at the airport without a prior application. Although this method is convenient for last-minute travelers, it does have a higher risk of rejection and tends to be more time-consuming.

Admission restrictions

Mandatory guides

Citizens of

, the

and the

are required to be escorted by a government-approved guide at all times. Independent travel for these citizens has been banned due to the closure of Iranian foreign missions in these countries.

Israel

Entry and transit is refused for nationals of

Israel Israel, officially the State of Israel, is a country in West Asia. It Borders of Israel, shares borders with Lebanon to the north, Syria to the north-east, Jordan to the east, Egypt to the south-west, and the Mediterranean Sea to the west. Isr ...

, even if not leaving the aircraft and proceeding by the same flight. Entry and transit is also refused to holders of passports or travel documents containing an Israeli visa or stamp (less than 365 days) or any data showing that the visitor has been to Israel or has indication of any connection with the state of Israel.

References

External links

IR-IRAN Electronic Visa (Iran eVisa) Application System

Ministry of Foreign Affairs of I.R.Iran
{{Visa Requirements

Foreign relations of Iran