Visa Regulations

A visa is necessary for entry into Iran for a stipulated period of time for economic, commercial, cultural and industrial purposes. It is issued by the Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran for foreign nationals, after receiving the approval from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The authorized duration of stay is usually up to 30 days.

Types of Visa

E-Visa

Tourists can apply for the Iranian E-Visa through the I.R.I. Foreign Ministry's website:

wvisa.mfa.gov.ir

After filling out the application form and entering the required details, users will be given a reference code to pursue their visa issuance. Once approved, applicants can choose to receive their visa either at Tehran's Imam Khomeini International Airport or at an official agency in their home country.


Free Industrial & Commercial Zones

This visa is issued for two-week stays at the ports of entry to the Free Trade and Industrial Zone of Iran (Kish Island), and it may be extended for up to six months at the request of the authorities of these areas.

Note: Foreign nationals, who intend to travel to other parts of the country, should submit their applications to the office of the representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the area. The application will be reviewed, and the visa will be issued if approved within 48 hours.

Work Permit Visa

The visa will be issued for foreign nationals who intend to work in Iran. Iranian employers must obtain work permits in advance from the relevant authorities.

Entry/ Transit Visa for Drivers Carrying Cargo

This visa is issued to foreign drivers carrying cargo to Iran or other countries.

For these cases, it is necessary to coordinate in advance with the Diplomatic Missions of the Islamic Republic of Iran.

Pilgrimage Visa

A pilgrimage visa is issued to foreign tourists who wish to visit sacred sites and shrines in Iran.

Tourist Visa

The tourist visa is issued to foreign nationals who are interested in travelling to Iran individually or collectively to visit the country or their relatives. The applicants must fill-out an application form in black ink and bring their passport with one photo (for women with scarf) to the consulate. The process starts when the completed documents are submitted and takes about three weeks.

Transit Visa

A transit visa is issued for a limited period of time to foreigners for the purpose of passing through Iran to a third country.

Student Visa

A student visa will be issued to foreign nationals who intend to study in the Islamic Republic of Iran. To obtain the visa, applicants must take the authorization number from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Iran.

Press Visa

The press visa applies to foreign nationals who wish to travel to Iran as correspondents representing print or electronic media for news coverage of events.

Diplomatic & Service Visa

Such a visa applies to dignitaries, governmental officials and foreign nationals who wish to travel to Iran either in connection with their official visit (invitation by Iran) or for the purpose of taking over their permanent/temporary diplomatic/ administrative assignment in a diplomatic/consular mission or an international organization.

Passport Loss

In case your passport is lost, immediately report to the nearest police station.

Then, go to NAJA's General Department for Foreign Citizens for receiving your exit permit.

Tel: +98 21 88800000

Customs Regulations

The government holds the authority over the customs affairs in Iran. Travelers and tourists' importing and exporting goods are duty-free unless they are considered as commercial commodities.

A. Arriving Travelers

When arriving in Iran, one should receive a customs declaration sheet, which is distributed in the customs hall, and fill it out, and submit it to the customs' evaluators and inspectors. The following goods are considered as a tourists’ personal belongings, and their import into Iran is duty-free: Personal jewelry, personal cameras, non-professional video cameras and other portable video units, binoculars, portable musical instruments, portable radios and cassette players, portable PC's, first aid boxes, camping tents with its basic tools, sporting goods, small boats of less than 5.5 9 meters, ordinary water and skiing tools, tennis rackets, mountaineering tools, diving tools, bicycles, golf tools, and other similar goods, baby carriages and wheel chairs for the disabled.

Note: Sending up to 80 dollars in foreign goods by post to Iran is duty-free for each person.

B. Departing Travelers

When leaving Iran, one should fill the customs declaration sheet and submit it to the customs' evaluators and inspectors. Besides the goods one brings to Iran, the following non-commercial goods are permitted duty-free: a carpet or two rugs of utmost 12 sq. meters, handicrafts, musical instruments, industrial products made in Iran, foreign made industrial products of up to 160 US dollars value, dried fruits and gifts, ready-made gold without a gem of up to 150 grams, ready-made silver without a gem of up to 3 kg, and 3 kg of caviar along with the purchase note given by the airport's shop.

Import and export of the following goods is forbidden:

1. Alcoholic beverages
2. Gambling tools
3. Firearms or any other kind of weapon, and explosives
4. Narcotic drugs
5. Pornographic publications, pictures, movies, photos, and any other material which is against Iran's national and religious rules
6. Tourists and citizens of Commonwealth countries, who are traveling to Iran, can export allowed goods equivalent to the amount they have declared to the Iranian bank. For those who possess the qualifications, exporting goods of up to $1,000 requires no declaration to the bank and neither does it need the currency declaration.
7. Sending goods abroad by post is free if the goods are not considered commercial commodities. These goods should not be among the forbidden items, e.g. antique goods, genuine works of art, manuscript books, gold coins and precious stones. Sending foreign products abroad by post should not exceed $160 for each person.

Moreover, it is forbidden to send hand-woven carpets by post. For more information on the latest bills and executive bylaws in customs affairs, please visit:

www.irica.gov.ir/EIndex.aspx (Iran's Customs Administration Office)