Preparing for a trip can sometimes be a bit of a hassle. There are so many things that you need to get in order in advance, and while making these arrangements means your trip itself is going to be pretty stress-free, they can still kind of overwhelm you at points. Perhaps the first thing that comes to mind when thinking about visiting another country is obtaining the relevant visa. In the past, tourists who wished to visit Iran have perhaps had to go through some unnecessary difficulties in order to actually do so. Thankfully, nowadays, things are looking less and less complicated.
That said, if you just don’t know where to look for a little bit of guidance, you’ve found the right article! Here, we’re going to provide information about each and every step of getting an Iran visa, with the hopes of helping out those who need it!
Obtaining an Iranian Visa
In the past, a particularly problematic thing for tourists was getting their passports stamped by the Islamic Republic of Iran. With the heavy sanctions applied against Iran by the United States, people were concerned that they simply wouldn’t be able to visit other countries as freely with an Iranian stamp. Surprising literally everyone with a feat of competence, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs actually addressed this issue and removed the passport stamping process from their entire procedures.
Currently, the process of obtaining an Iranian visa is as follows: You must first fill out the online application form through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ (which we’ll refer to as MFA from this point on) website at this address, and then wait for a while (it’s best to apply for an E-visa at least a month in advance, although citizens of certain countries like the UK, United States, or Canada will need to apply even earlier). If your application is not rejected, you will receive what is known as an Iran Visa Authorization Code, also referred to as E-Visa, Letter of Invitation, Grant Notice, Visa Approval, or Reference Number.
After receiving your authorization code, you’re done with most of the hassle. At that point, you need to pay the application fee (the fee is variable in accordance with the passport holder’s nationality, and can be anywhere between 40 – 150 Euros) and then collect your visa at an embassy or upon arrival at any one of Iran’s international airports.
Using the Help of Agencies to Do the Work for You
The rejection rate of the MFA E-Visa application isn’t something to be ignored, and while the reasons for the rejections aren’t necessarily too complicated (it can usually be due to some errors regarding image requirements or the uploaded documents), some people are more comfortable avoiding the hassle altogether. Hey, that’s very understandable! If you find a reliable agency like Tappersia, 1stQuest, or VisitOurIran, you can go ahead and leave most of the work to the professionals and only pay them a service fee, which is usually pretty justifiable for a lot of people.
If you don’t want to rely on the help of agencies and would prefer to obtain your Iran Visa by yourself, continue reading this article to have a clearer idea of what you’re about to do!
The Different Types of Iran Visas
The first thing you need to figure out when you want to apply for an Iranian Visa is what type of visa you’re applying for. This may be a pretty straightforward step, as the answer usually is the ordinary tourist visa, but applying for different types of visas can have different implications, so it may be worthwhile to talk about some of them. With that in mind, here’s a list of some of the more relevant types of visas.
Tourist Visa
The most common type of Iranian visas is the tourist visa. This visa is issued for a maximum of 45 days (and can later be extended up to 90 days) and usually doesn’t require anything more than the online application, although there is the possibility of an interview at the consulate.
Pilgrimage Visa
This visa is issued only for Muslim tourists who plan on making a pilgrimage to Iran’s holy sites.
Education Visa
Foreign students who wish to study in Iran can apply for an Education Visa. Alongside the usual requirements, those who plan to apply for this particular visa need to have a Certificate of Eligibility for Nonimmigrant Student Status which is acquired from the science or education ministries, or directly from an academic institution.
Medical Visa
It may surprise you to know that quite a lot of people come to Iran in order to have medical operations; with the affordable costs and highly specialized experts being the reason. To obtain an Iranian Medical Visa, you need a letter of approval from one of the authorized medical centers.
Temporary Work Visa
Applicable to skilled workers, specialists, engineers, etc. who are traveling to Iran for work purposes, the Temporary Work Visa requires you to have a labor certificate from your employer, which must be approved by the Ministry of Labor.
Transit Visa
This particular visa is issued for overlanders and all others who are only passing through Iran, and have no intention of actually staying. The Iran Transit Visa is issued for 5 to 7 days and requires you to provide the visa (or waiver) for your destination country.
Nationalities Who Don’t Need a Visa for Entering Iran
Now, if you hold a passport from some certain countries, things are going to be a whole lot easier for you, since Iran has been initiating some new programs that aim to remove some unnecessary paperwork and hassle. This in turn ensures the prosperity of the tourism industry.
As of February 2024, the Iran Visa Waver Program has been in order, which means nationals from the following countries can stay in Iran without a visa for a non-extendable period of 15 days (the waver is applicable again after 6 months):
- Republic of India, United Arab Emirates, Kingdom of Bahrain, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, State of Qatar, the State of Kuwait, Japan, Republic of Indonesia, Republic of Singapore, Republic of Uzbekistan, Republic of Kyrgyzstan, Republic of Tunisia, Islamic Republic of Mauritania, United Republic of Tanzania, Republic of Zimbabwe, Republic of Mauritius, Republic of Seychelles, Brunei Darussalam, Kingdom of Cambodia, Socialist Republic of Vietnam, Federal Republic of Brazil, Republic of Peru, Republic of Cuba, United Mexican states, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Republic of Serbia, Republic of Croatia, and Republic of Belarus.
Additional to the waiver program, there are more exceptions for some other nationalities:
- Citizens of Turkey, Armenia, and Syria can stay in Iran without a visa for a maximum of 90 days.
- Citizens of Georgia can do so for 45 days.
- Citizens of Lebanon and Bolivia can do so for 30 days.
- Chinese citizens can do so for 21 days.
- Citizens of Egypt can do so for 20 days.
- Citizens of Azerbaijan, Venezuela, Oman, and Malaysia can do so for 15 days.
It should be noted that these exceptions only apply when the mentioned nationalities are departing from their own country. If not, the regular rules apply.
Applying for an E-Visa
If you aren’t a passport holder of the countries mentioned above, don’t worry! As we said before, the process is not too complicated, and we are here to help in any way we can!
Before we get to the general requirements and processes, it should be noted that Israeli passport holders (and travelers with an Israeli stamp on their passport) will most likely be rejected, due to the increased tensions between the IRI and Israel.
The Requirements
Here’s a list of everything you need to fill out the online E-Visa application:
- A color copy of the first page of your passport (your passport should have at least 6 months left until it expires) in .jpg or .jpeg format, with a minimum width of 800 pixels and a minimum height of 600 pixels, and 500 kb or less in size (but no less than 10 kb), taken with the right lighting and angle, as demonstrated in the picture below:
- A digital personal photo in color (taken within the last 6 months in accordance to the MFA’s guidelines) in .jpg or .jpeg format, with a minimum width of 400 pixels and a minimum height of 600 pixels, and 500 kb or less in size (but no less than 10 kb), with some additional requirements that you can read here.
- Your travel itinerary (if you have one prepared).
- Some general personal information (i.e. marital status, former nationality if applicable, occupation).
- General contact, passport, and visa information.
- In some cases, (for example, this applies to Canadian, American, or British citizens who need to have a tour guide with a complete itinerary) you may be asked to send your resume or Curriculum Vitae.
Collecting your Iranian Visa
Once your E-Visa is approved and you have your authorization code, you can collect your Iran visa at a consulate or any one of Iran’s international airports:
- Imam Khomeini International Airport – Tehran (IKA)
- Isfahan International Airport – Isfahan (ISF)
- Shiraz International Airport – Shiraz (SYZ)
- Tabriz International Airport – Tabriz (TBZ)
- Mashhad International Airport – Mashhad (MHD)
- Kish International Airport – Kish Island (KIH)
- Qeshm International Airport – Qeshm Island (GSM)
- Ahwaz International Airport – Ahwaz (AWZ)
- Bandar Abbas International Airport – Bandar Abbad (BND)
- Bushehr International Airport – Bushehr (BUZ)
- Lar International Airport – Lar (LRR)
There are some additional things you need for actually collecting your visa:
- Obvious one, but you need to have your passport on you!
- A hard copy of your grant notice (authorization code) which you have received in your email.
- Accommodation vouchers for at least the first night of your stay in Iran (if you’re staying with a local friend or relative, you need to provide their contact information and an ID copy).
- Two 4 by 5 photos of your face.
- Travel insurance (if you don’t have insurance, you can purchase one at the airport, though it’s recommended to get these things in order in advance).
- Your visa fee in cash.
The following nationalities cannot collect their Iranian visa upon arrival at the airport:
- Afghanistan, Pakistan, Jordan, Iraq, Somalia, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, the UK, the US, and Canada
The following nationalities are eligible for a VOA (visa upon arrival):
- Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Colombia, Cyprus, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Luxembourg, Mongolia, Netherlands, New Zealand, North Korea, Norway, Palestine, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russian Federation, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Tajikistan, Thailand, Turkmenistan, Ukraine
Iran Visa on Arrival (VOA)
Now, officially speaking, you don’t need to have already gotten your E-Visa if you’re eligible for the Iranian VOA. That said, not having a hard copy of your grant notice is definitely not recommended, as a lot of airlines don’t allow passengers to board their flights without it. Our advice is not to leave anything up to chance and be prepared as you can be.
Additional Notes & Tips
We’ve covered most of our bases, but you may still have some questions. We’ll address some frequent ones here, but if you finish this article still having more questions, don’t hesitate to contact us!
Iran Visa for Dual Nationalities
If you hold passports from different countries, you can generally apply for your Iranian Visa with the one that has the lowest fee, but there are some exceptions to the rule. If you’re Iranian on your father’s side, you need to have an Iranian passport. Also, American, Canadian, and British citizens need to apply with their corresponding American, Canadian, or British passports.
VOA at Land Borders
It should be noted that you cannot collect your visa at any of Iran’s land border crossings. If you’re entering Iran through a land border, remember to get your visa at a consulate in a neighboring country.
Iran has embassies in the following cities:
- Turkey: Ankara, Istanbul, Erzurum, Trabzon
- Iraq: Baghdad, Basrah, Karbala, Najaf, Erbil, Sulaymaniyah
- Azerbaijan: Baku, Nakhchivan
- Armenia: Yerevan
- Turkmenistan: Ashgabat
- Afghanistan: Kabul, Mazar-e-Sharif, Herat, Kandhar, Jalalabad
- Pakistan: Lahore, Karachi, Quetta, Islamabad, Peshawar
Visa-Free Zones in Iran
You can visit Kish and Qeshm Islands without going through the regular means of obtaining an Iranian Visa for a maximum of 14 days (you must have accommodation bookings to do so).
Citizens of Canada, the UK, and the US
If you’re a citizen of any of those countries, firstly, you need to apply for your E-Visa at least 2 months in advance. You will need to have a complete itinerary and a tour guide accompanying you, and will also need to send in your resume or CV.
Final Notes
Find out about the other essential parts of your trip to Iran in our blogs! Also read our article about extending your visa!
