Iran's Ministry of Foreign Affairs says all types of visa can be applied for through its online visa portal, describes visas acquired at Iran's international airports, and lists the countries whose citizens are subject to visa waiver rules. It says some types of visa for the citizens of some countries are applied for only in person at an Iranian embassy, and that the citizens of some countries may not be issued a visa due to political and diplomatic considerations, without naming them. The UK Foreign Office says the Iranian Embassy has told it that British passport holders must apply as part of an organised tour or have a sponsor in Iran. Iran's Law on the Entry and Residence of Foreign Nationals says permission to enter Iran is obtained by a visa from Iran's officials abroad on the traveller's passport, and that the government may make special arrangements in exceptional cases.
Every fact on this page verified on or after: Oct 2, 2026· How this site works
Check requirements for your passport
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Visas & entry authorisations
Tourist eVisa
Fee
50 EUR
Processing
—
Entries
single
EUR 50 is what Iran's embassy in Berlin charges German passport holders for a normal single-entry 90-day tourist visa (EUR 75 urgent), plus EUR 10 insurance; holders of Afghan passports and refugee passports pay EUR 80 (EUR 120 urgent). An urgent visa through agencies is for the same day or within at most 72 hours. The embassy says registering a visa application costs at most EUR 20, and that issuance through agencies usually takes at most 10 to 12 days from the handing in of the application.
Documents the application asks for
Digital photo — Colour JPEG of 10–500 kB, at least 400 × 600 pixels, taken within the last 6 months, plain white or off-white background, no glasses.
Passport first-page image — Colour JPEG of 10–500 kB, landscape, at least 800 × 600 pixels, with every character readable.
Visa on Arrival (Iranian international airports)
Fee
Not published
Processing
—
Visa applied for in person at an Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran
Fee
Not published
Processing
—
Visa for applicants with United States passports residing in the USA or Canada, through the Interests Section of the Islamic Republic of Iran in Washington (through travel agencies or their host in Iran)
Fee
75 USD
Processing
—
Validity
45 days
USD 113 expedited, plus a non-refundable insurance fee of US$13 per visa application and a non-refundable processing/postage fee of US$40 per package, paid by money order in US dollars payable to the "Embassy of Pakistan". Iran's Interests Section in Washington says only applicants currently residing in the USA and Canada may apply through it, that applicants with United States, United Kingdom and Canada passports must apply only through travel agencies or their host in Iran, that the visa is issued only electronically, that average processing is 10 business days (2 business days urgent) from document receipt, and that applicants must enter Iran within 45 days of issuance and may stay for the period indicated on the visa.
Visa for applicants with Canada passports residing in the USA or Canada, through the Interests Section of the Islamic Republic of Iran in Washington (through travel agencies or their host in Iran)
Fee
63 USD
Processing
—
Validity
45 days
USD 95 expedited, plus a non-refundable insurance fee of US$13 per visa application and a non-refundable processing/postage fee of US$40 per package, paid by money order in US dollars payable to the "Embassy of Pakistan". Iran's Interests Section in Washington says only applicants currently residing in the USA and Canada may apply through it, that applicants with United States, United Kingdom and Canada passports must apply only through travel agencies or their host in Iran, that the visa is issued only electronically, that average processing is 10 business days (2 business days urgent) from document receipt, and that applicants must enter Iran within 45 days of issuance and may stay for the period indicated on the visa.
Visa for applicants with United Kingdom passports residing in the USA or Canada, through the Interests Section of the Islamic Republic of Iran in Washington (through travel agencies or their host in Iran)
Fee
225 USD
Processing
—
Validity
45 days
USD 338 expedited, plus a non-refundable insurance fee of US$13 per visa application and a non-refundable processing/postage fee of US$40 per package, paid by money order in US dollars payable to the "Embassy of Pakistan". Applicants with non-USA or non-Canadian passports must provide a copy of their valid immigration status document. Iran's Interests Section in Washington says only applicants currently residing in the USA and Canada may apply through it, that applicants with United States, United Kingdom and Canada passports must apply only through travel agencies or their host in Iran, that the visa is issued only electronically, that average processing is 10 business days (2 business days urgent) from document receipt, and that applicants must enter Iran within 45 days of issuance and may stay for the period indicated on the visa.
Entry requirements
Passport validity
Iran's Foreign Ministry eVisa portal says that to apply for any electronic visa your passport should have at least six months of validity beyond your actual travel date, and its visa-on-arrival page says all visitors must hold a passport or travel document valid for 6 months at the time of departure. The UK Foreign Office says that if your passport has stamps from Israel or other countries' border crossing points with Israel, you may be refused entry to Iran.
Yellow fever (ICVP) — The UK Foreign Office says that to enter Iran you must have a certificate proving a yellow fever vaccination if you are coming from a country listed as a transmission risk.
Polio (Polio vaccination certificate) — The UK Foreign Office says that to enter Iran you must have a certificate proving a polio vaccine if you are coming from a polio-affected country.
Iran's embassy in Berlin adds EUR 10 for travel insurance to every visa fee it charges, and Iran's Interests Section in Washington charges a non-refundable insurance fee of US$13 per visa application; no official source we could read says whether the eVisa or the visa on arrival requires insurance.
No official source we could read states an onward-ticket requirement. The MFA eVisa application asks for your travel itinerary only if you have already made travel arrangements.
No official source we could read states a proof-of-funds requirement or amount for Iran. The UK government says non-Iranian debit and cash cards will not work in Iran.
Under the Law on the Entry and Residence of Foreign Nationals, foreigners must leave Iran when their permitted stay ends unless the police extend it. A foreigner who does not comply with the law is fined 2,300,000 to 115,000,000 rials by the general courts, unless a heavier penalty applies, and may be expelled.
within 24 hours of arrival. Done by the accommodation.
Managers of public and private premises, and owners or occupiers of private homes, must notify the local police station or gendarmerie within 24 hours of the arrival of any foreign national who stays one night or more with them. A foreign national who does not follow this law and its regulations is fined 2,300,000 to 115,000,000 rials. The same penalty applies to managers, owners or occupiers who do not meet the notification duty in article 8.
If not done: Managers of public and private premises, and owners or occupiers of private homes, who do not meet the notification duty: fine of 2,300,000 to 115,000,000 rials (art. 16).
No Iranian source we could read states a cash-declaration threshold. The US State Department lists currency restrictions for entry over €10,000 and for exit over €5,000.
The UK government says it is illegal to import, sell, manufacture or drink alcohol in Iran, and that importing pork products is illegal.
The UK government says you need permission from the Iranian authorities to import or use equipment like drones or satellite phones; using them without permission is illegal and you could be arrested.
Canada's travel advice says Canadians have been denied entry into Iran because their passports bore an Israeli visa, an Israeli border stamp or an Egyptian or Jordanian border stamp issued by an office bordering Israel.
The UK Foreign Office says that to enter Iran you must have a certificate proving a yellow fever vaccination if you are coming from a country listed as a transmission risk.
The 42 countries WHO lists as a yellow fever risk
Requirements normally count any country you have been in shortly before arrival, not only where you boarded.
International Health Regulations (2005), Article 36 and Annex 7; WHO International Travel and Health, Annex 1, 18 November 2022 (revised 3 January 2023)
Country in a nutshell
Currency
Iranian rial (IRR, ﷼)
Cards & payments
Canada's travel advice says Iran's economy is exclusively cash-based: credit cards aren't accepted and ATMs exist only for local banking. The UK government adds that non-Iranian debit and cash cards will not work, that it is illegal to change money on the street, and that euros and US dollars are more commonly accepted than British pounds.
Safety — High risk
The UK, Canadian and Australian governments all advise against all travel to Iran: Canada cites the volatile security situation in the region, and Australia the volatile security situation, armed conflict, civil unrest and the risk of arbitrary detention. The UK says British and British-Iranian dual nationals face a very high risk of arrest, detention and questioning, and reports attacks and robberies targeted at foreign nationals and tourists, including by thieves posing as policemen.Verified Oct 3, 2026 · Source: gov.uk (opens in a new tab) · archived copy Jul 28, 2026 (opens in a new tab) Jul 28, 2026
Power plugs
C, F · 220V 50Hz
Emergency numbers
Police: 110 · Ambulance: 115 · Fire: 125
Languages
Persian (Farsi)
Time zone
UTC+3:30
International Driving Permit
The UN treaty records list Iran as a party to the 1968 Vienna Convention on Road Traffic (signed 8 November 1968, ratified 21 May 1976). Canada's travel advice says you must carry an International Driving Permit, and the UK government says you must have a 1968 international driving permit (IDP) when using a UK driving licence.
Canada's travel advice says the weather is very dry and hot from May to October, when dust storms and sand storms may occur, and that the rainy season extends from November to March, when flooding, including flash flooding, can occur. No official source we could read recommends a time to visit.
Tips & warnings
The UK government says Islamic codes of behaviour and dress are strictly enforced: in public, women must cover their heads with a headscarf and wear trousers or a floor-length skirt with a long-sleeved tunic or coat reaching mid-thigh or knee, and men should wear long trousers and long-sleeved shirts.
Iran's MFA visa portal says some types of visa for the citizens of some countries can be applied for only in person at an Iranian embassy, without naming the countries. Iran's Interests Section in Washington says applicants with United States, United Kingdom and Canada passports must apply only through travel agencies or their host in Iran, and the UK Foreign Office says the Iranian Embassy has told it that British passport holders must apply as part of an organised tour or have a sponsor in Iran. Canada's travel advice says a tourist visa is required, and the US State Department's advisory is Level 4: Do Not Travel.
Iran's MFA asks visitors intending to acquire their visa at Iranian international airports to apply online at least two days before travel and to submit a hardcopy of the Grant Notice to the Visa-On-Arrival counter at the airport; it says the visa fee is paid through banking terminals at the airport in euros.
Australia's Smartraveller says Iran does not recognise dual nationality, that foreigners in Iran, including dual nationals, are at a high risk of arbitrary detention or arrest, and that it can't guarantee access to consular services or legal representation.
The UK government says non-Iranian debit and cash cards will not work in Iran, that it is illegal to change money on the street, and that euros and US dollars are more commonly accepted at exchange offices than British pounds.
Visa requirements by nationality
Visa requirements by nationality. Stay lengths are for ordinary tourist visits. Click a nationality for its full guide.
Unless your country is on Iran's visa-waiver lists, yes. Iran's Law on the Entry and Residence of Foreign Nationals says permission to enter Iran is obtained by a visa from Iran's officials abroad, and that the government may make special arrangements in exceptional cases. Iran's MFA says all types of visa can be applied for through its online portal and describes visas acquired at Iran's international airports, but also says some types of visa for the citizens of some countries are applied for only in person at an embassy, and that the citizens of some countries may not be issued a visa, without naming them. Its portal says citizens of Azerbaijan, Turkey, Syria, Georgia, Armenia, Egypt, China, Iraq, Oman and Kazakhstan are subject to visa waiver rules, and that ordinary passport holders from 27 further countries can stay 15 days for tourism once every six months. The UK, Canadian, Australian, German and US governments say their citizens need a visa (the US State Department excepts Kish Island); the UK Foreign Office says British passport holders must apply as part of an organised tour or have a sponsor in Iran.
Can Americans visit Iran?
The US State Department says US passports are valid for travel to Iran, but its advisory is Level 4: Do Not Travel, and it lists a tourist visa as required except for Kish Island. Iran's Interests Section in Washington says applicants with United States, United Kingdom and Canada passports must apply only through travel agencies or their host in Iran. For British passport holders, the UK Foreign Office says the Iranian Embassy requires an organised tour or a sponsor in Iran.
Can I visit Iran if I have been to Israel?
The UK Foreign Office says that if your passport has stamps from Israel or other countries' border crossing points with Israel, you may be refused entry to Iran, and Australia's Smartraveller says Iranian authorities will refuse entry if your passport contains Israeli stamps or visas. Canada's travel advice says Canadians have been denied entry because their passports bore an Israeli visa, an Israeli border stamp or an Egyptian or Jordanian border stamp issued by an office bordering Israel. No official page we could read states Iran's rule for Israeli passport holders; Iran's MFA visa portal says only that the citizens of some countries may not be issued a visa due to political and diplomatic considerations.
Can I use my credit card in Iran?
Canada's travel advice says the economy is exclusively cash-based, credit cards aren't accepted and ATMs exist only for local banking, and it advises bringing sufficient cash, preferably in U.S. dollars or euros; the UK government adds that non-Iranian debit and cash cards will not work.
What is the dress code for women in Iran?
The UK government says Islamic codes of behaviour and dress are strictly enforced. In public places women must cover their heads with a headscarf and wear trousers or a floor-length skirt with a long-sleeved tunic or coat reaching mid-thigh or knee, and they may be asked to put on a chador before entering religious sites. It says the authorities have arrested and detained women and girls for not properly following dress codes, and that enforcement crackdowns can lead to large-scale arrests at any time.
Is Iran safe to visit?
The UK, Canadian and Australian governments advise against all travel to Iran, and the US State Department's advisory is Level 4: Do Not Travel. Australia's Smartraveller says foreigners in Iran, including dual nationals, are at a high risk of arbitrary detention or arrest; the UK government says British nationals and British-Iranian dual nationals face a very high risk of arrest, detention and questioning.
Sources & verification
Every fact on this page is compiled from and periodically re-checked against these official sources:
Iran visa and entry requirements
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