Most visitors to Iran must obtain an electronic visa (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
editDual citizens of both Iran and another country count as citizens of Iran when entering Iran, and hence must hold an Iranian passport 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.[1]
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.[2]
In June 2019, the President of Iran ordered the Interior Ministry to implement the decision on not stamping passports of foreigners.[3]
Visa policy map
edit
Visa exemption
editCitizens 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):[4]
|
90 days 90 days within any 180 days 45 days 30 days 21 days 20 days 15 days 15 days within any 6 months4 14 days |
1 - Must enter Iran by air to qualify for visa exemption.
2 - Must depart from Dushanbe and arrive at Tehran to qualify for visa exemption. Visa exemption is subject to a maximum limit of 90 days per year.
3 - Length of stay extendable up to 30 days.
4 - For tourism purposes only.
5 - Length of stay extendable up to 3 months.
| Citizens of Russia travelling in a tour group together with a representative of the tour group operator may also enter Iran without a visa, for a maximum stay of 90 days.[4] |
| Date of visa changes | |
|---|---|
Canceled:
|
Iran free trade zones
editAll 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, U.S Virgin Islands, and Guam; 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:[19]
- Arvand Free Zone
- Aras Free Zone
- Chabahar Free Trade-Industrial Zone
- Maku, Iran
- Qeshm Island
- Kish Island
- Anzali
Kish and Qeshm Islands
editAll tourists, may stay on Kish Island or Qeshm Island for up to 14 days without obtaining any visa. Citizens of the United States; excluding Puerto Rico, U.S Virgin Islands, and Guam; 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
edit
Holders of passports 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
editIran has signed visa exemption agreements with the following countries, but they have not yet entered into force:
| Country | Passports | Agreement signed on |
|---|---|---|
 Tajikistan[20]
|
Ordinary | 21 November 2023 |
 Qatar[21] 1
|
All | 21 February 2022 |
1 - Unilateral exemption was granted for ordinary passports.
Electronic Visa (e-Visa)
editNationals 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.[22]
e-Visa does not apply to nationals of Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Canada, Colombia, Jordan, Pakistan, Somalia, United Kingdom and United States.
- Shahid Rajaee Port
Marine travelers entering Iran via Shahid Rajaee Port in the southern Hormozgan Province can also receive a visa on arrival.[23]
Visa required in advance
editNationals of the following countries are ineligible for an e-Visa, and thus must obtain a visa in advance at an Iranian embassy or consulate:[4][24]
Prior approval required
editHolders 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
editIran'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
editMandatory guides
editCitizens of Canada, the United Kingdom and the United States 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.[25]
Israel
editEntry and transit is refused for nationals of Israel, 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.[26]
See also
edit
References
edit- ^ "Iran Relaxes Visa Process to Incentivize Foreign Tourists". Financial Tribune.
- ^ "Iran Waives Visa Stamping Rules to Boost Tourism". IFP News. 23 November 2018.
- ^ "No more passport stamps for foreign nationals visiting Iran". Tehran Times. 2019-06-24. Retrieved 2023-12-14.
- ^ a b c "Visa and passport". Timatic. International Air Transport Association through Emirates. Retrieved 13 November 2023.
- ^ "Iran Visa Requirements for Indian: Documents Required, Eligibility & Fees". TATA AIG.
- ^ "Travel Page - Iran". www.mfa.gov.sg. Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Singapore).
- ^ "Iran extends visa-free regime to Azerbaijani citizens". trend.az. 2 November 2015.
- ^ al-Shamahi, Abubakr (29 July 2015). "Iran waives visa requirements for Egypt, Lebanon, Syria nationals".
- ^ Вступил в силу армяно-иранский меморандум об отмене въездных виз
- ^ "THE DECISION OF THE ISLAMIC REPUBLIC OF IRAN ON VISA EXEMPTION FOR THE NATIONALS OF THE REPUBLIC OF SERBIA, HOLDERS OF ORDINARY PASSAPORTS". www.mfa.gov.rs.
- ^ "Sina Visitor System".
- ^ Iran temporarily lifts visa requirement for Iraqi nationals
- ^ "Iran and Iraq start visa waiver programme". 27 October 2021.
- ^ "Iran Introduces Visa-Free Regime for Kazakh Citizens". 8 November 2022.
- ^ "Iran Waives Visa Requirement for 28 Countries". 1 February 2024.
- ^ "Iran to implement visa waiver for 32 countries on Feb. 4". Tehran Times. Tehran Times. 31 January 2024. Retrieved 3 February 2024.
- ^ Tajik-Iranian Visa-Free Travel Deal To Begin August 10
- ^ Iran ends visa-free travel for Serbians
- ^ "No Visa required for Iran free trade zones". 30 June 2015.
- ^ ["Таджикистан и Иран подписали меморандум о взаимопонимании по отмене виз".
- ^ "Iran, Qatar sign 14 bilateral deals, including visa waiver". 22 February 2022.
- ^ "Iran eVisa".
- ^ "Shahid Rajaee Port Visa on Arrival". financialtribune.com. 23 April 2017. Retrieved April 24, 2017.
- ^ "Tourist visa".
- ^ "ESCORTED TOURS THROUGH IRAN".
- ^ "Visa information on the site of IRI Embassy in Moscow". mfa.ir.
External links
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