Business Visa (Type A)

Business Visa will be issued to foreign nationals who are interested in having cooperation with Iranian companies. In this case an Iranian authorized company must be the host. 

Business visas require a passport, an application form, 4 passport-sized photos, a special authorization in the form of a reference number issued by the Foreign Ministry in Tehran, and a business letter. Business visas are extendable once, sometimes twice up to two weeks each without difficulty. One extension of one month may also be possible in some cases.

To get a 30-day (extendable) business visa you must obtain an invitation letter from the company or organisation you plan to visit. The process is otherwise the same as getting a tourist visa (DIY or using an agency). People coming for a conference or to play in a sporting event need an ‘entry visa’

Tourist visa (Type B)

Tourist visa is issued to foreign nationals who are interested in travel to Iran individually or with a group for the purpose of visiting Iran or their relatives. 

Tourist visas require a passport, an application form, four passport-sized photos, and a special authorisation in the form of a reference number issued by the Foreign Ministry in Tehran. Tourist visa Issued for up to 30 days and extendable. Must be obtained before coming to Iran and valid to enter for 90 days from the issue date. This is the surest option.

Although it has become easier to get a tourist visa in recent years, whether the process takes one day or one month depends largely on your nationality and the staff of the embassy you are applying to. Your best bet is to apply to the Iranian embassy in your own country at least three months before your departure, but it is possible to obtain one while travelling in other countries, with varying degrees of difficulty. Women need to make sure they are wearing the Hijab or a head scarf in their submitted passport-sized photos.

Tourist visa on arrival (VOA) are Issued at Iranian international airports.

Transit visa (Type G)

A transit visa is issued for a limited period of time for foreigners who intend to pass through Iran to a third country. Transit visas have a maximum of 10 days.

Transit visas are usually easier to get than tourist visas (usually for one or two weeks and no authorization number is required.)  and very useful for people travelling between Europe and South Asia. Various travel agents inside Iran help you obtain visas, often through their home pages.

Transit visas are not available to US passport holders.

You can get an extension for your transit visa For foreign drivers carrying cargo to Iran or other countries, it is necessary to co-ordinate in advance with the Diplomatic Missions of the Islamic Republic of Iran.

Extra Required documents:

Valid visa for third country

Confirmed air ticket for individuals who travel by air

Pilgrimage visa (Type C)

Pilgrimage visa is issued for foreign Muslim pilgrims for the purpose of visiting the sacred places in Iran. No Extra Required documents.

 Entry or transit visa for drivers carrying cargo (Type G)

This visa will be issued for foreign drivers carrying cargo to Iran or other countries. In these cases, it is necessary to coordinate in advance with the Diplomatic Missions of the Islamic Republic of Iran.

Extra Required documents:

Possession of visa for the third country for drivers who carry cargo to destinations in other countries.

Work permit visa (Type F)

This visa will be issued to foreign nationals who intend to work in Iran. The Iranian host must obtain the work permit in advance from the concerned authorities. You have to ask Iran embassies for it.

Student visa (Type E)

Student visa is issued for foreign nationals who intend to study in the Islamic republic of Iran.

Extra Required documents:

Acceptance from accredited educational center.

Press visa (Type H)

Press visa is issued for journalists and representatives of foreign media and press who intend to travel to Iran for purposes relating to their profession for a specific period. You have to ask Iran embassies for it.

Entry to free trade and Industrial Areas of Iran

This visa is issued for two-week stay at the ports of entry to Free Trade and industrial Areas of Iran (Kish Island, Qeshm Island and Chabahar Port), and may be extended up to six months at the request of authorities of these areas. No extra documents are required. This visa also includes US, UK and Canadian nationals.

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

Diplomatic and service Visa (Type D)

This visa is issued for holders of diplomatic and service passports who intend to travel to Iran. You have to ask Iran embassies for it.

Fee varies according to nationality of applicant, type of' visa and the existing regulation between countries.

A visa cannot be issued for passports which have a validity of less than 6 months. Exit permits required by all (often included with visa).

Visa is a permission for travel to Iran for a limited period of time, issued by Embassies and Consulates General of the Islamic Republic of Iran abroad, for foreign nationals after receiving the approval of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Passport with empty pages (must have more than 6 months of validity left)

A standard application form from the embassy or consulate where you want to collect your visa

Four passport sized photos (Many Iranian embassies require female travelers to provide visa photo with their hair covered under a scarf)

Proof of medical travel insurance (including evacuation and repatriation coverage)

Your Visa authorization Number

Payment. Cost for the visa depends on nationality and sometimes needs to be made at a local bank

Some embassies ask for 1 or 2 photocopies of your passport photo page

Copy of your trip voucher and proof of onward travel from Iran

Reference Number

In general, an Iranian visa is processed in two steps. First step is the obtainment of a reference number. Reference number (also called authorization number) is a unique number issued by the Iranian Foreign Ministry which references the permission for the issue of a visa by the Ministry. Obtainment of a visa is incumbent upon this permission.

Except with transit visas, all visa applicants must be ‘approved’ by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) in Tehran. This includes those seeking a visa on arrival, who can be approved either in advance or, with a longer wait, on arrival.

 Second step is done by a consulate where in you have to submit your passport, either in person or by post (mail) and have a visa label printed and stuck to your passport. Hence, before you submit your passport, make sure that there are enough blank pages on your passport and that it is valid for at least 6 months.The obtainment of  a reference number guarentees that your visa will be issued  upon application. 

 Fees vary depending on your country of origin; see the Iran embassy website.

Transit visas are only fractionally cheaper than tourist visas and, while they don’t require authorisation from Tehran, only give you up to maximum 10 days. The choice, then, is whether to get a tourist visa in advance or on arrival.

You can obtain a tourism visa on arrival (VOA) for max. 90 days at the international airports of Gheshm Island, Kish island, Mashhad, Esfahan, Shiraz, Tabriz and Tehran.

VOA is not issued at any land borders.

Picking up your Iran visa on arrival at an Iranian Airport

For getting Iran visa on arrival it’s always better to apply before. The Iran visa upon arrival process is faster and more convenient if you have the authorization number before.

Note: Airport offices paperwork, take about 20-45 minutes to process your visa and if there is a large group waiting then sometimes longer.

By having an authorization code:

Your Iran visa upon arrival process is faster and more convenient

You do not have to wait in lines anymore

You don’t have to fill in the forms anymore. (you just have to give the authorization number and your passport)

We assure you that you won’t be rejected

Getting visa authorization number in advance and collecting visa on arrival

a- Apply for visa authorization number

It is provided by Iran's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA). While MFA is planning to provide an online visa platform, at the moment, you have to apply through a traveling agency to get your visa authorization number. Usually it takes around 10 days to get it. While MFA is processing visa authorization free of charge, usually traveling agencies are charging a small amount to process it on your behalf.

Note: Visa Authorization number is the main step to get your visa however should not considered as visa.

b- Having your visa authorization number in hand, you will be able to obtain your visa in the air/land /sea or railway borders of Iran. You should declare the entrance border in visa authorization request form.

Here are the list of Iranian borders: Tehran International Airport (IKA), Shiraz International Airport (SYZ), Isfahan International Airport (IFN), Mashhad International Airport (MHD), Tabriz International Airport (TBZ), Bazargan Land Border, Razi Railway Border, Anzali sea port on Caspian Sea. Usually it takes few minutes to get visa and there is no need to fill any extra application form. While technically it should be possible to get your visa in other land/sea and railway borders, however we advise you to get your visa directly from the embassy if you are planning to enter Iran from other borders.

Notes:-Advantage of Visa on Arrival is that you can apply for your visa authorization number while you are on the go and there is no need to go to any Iranian embassy or consulate.

The Documents you may need to get Iran visa on arrival

Passport with empty pages (must have more than 6 months of validity left)

Proof of medical travel insurance. It is now compulsory and is available for sale from the immigration office at the airport. Note that if the printout doesn't specifically mention Iran, you may be required to purchase insurance at the airport; insurance can be purchased (US$16) at the counter opposite the visa desk; it is strongly recommended that you purchase your insurance before starting the visa process;

Filling in a form

Two passport sized photos (female travelers are required to provide visa photo with their hair covered under a scarf)

Scanned copy of your passport

the name and telephone of a sponsor. In practice this can be a hotel; it is strongly recommend you have a night booked at the hotel you name and that you carry a printout of an email from the hotel confirming your reservation, although this latter requirement is also asked for;

Pay for the authorization number. (The cost depends on your nationality).

VOA costs between 30 and 80 euros plus 16 euros for an iranian health insurance, unless you bring an explicit proof of a health insurance valid in Iran.

 The requisite fee. For most Western nationalities, the fee is €75 ( Australians pay €145) or the US dollar equivalent. Visa fees can be paid in euros or US dollars.

Iran Visa on Arrival Tips:

Travelers who have been rejected for Iran visa previously most probably will not receive Iran visa on arrival.

Journalists and reporters on mission and military personnel cannot get Iran visa on arrival.

Iranian nationals holding other nationality’s passport are not allowed to get Iran visa on arrival.

Iran visa on arrival is issued for tourist purposes only (ordinary passport). Diplomatic passport, official passports, etc. cannot apply for this type of Iran visa.

Visa on arrival fees need to be paid in cash at the airport to get your visa. Add to that some 20 Euro for the Travel insurance fees. These fees are subject to change at around March of each year .

Entering Iran via a Land or Sea Border

Visa upon arrival is currently only issued in international airports. If you wish to enter Iran by land or sea, you need to apply for a visa before arrival. One of the most popular routes for travelers who enter Iran thusly is Turkey. They often submit their request to the Iranian consulate in Trabzon.

VOAs are generally not extendable while tourist visas can be extended at the provincial police headquarters.

Apply for Tourist Visa through an Iranian consulate or embassy:

Do it yourself

·  Fill out the initial Visa application form in the consulate or print it at your place and fill it out in advance.

·  Provide the required documents (completed visa application form, original passport, 2 passport image, travel itinerary, bank statement and your resident card (if you are living in a country other than your country of origin).

·  Contact the embassy/consulate and confirm if you need to get any appointment in advance. Usually there is no need to book an appointment.

·  Pay the Visa fee (for visa fee, please contact the embassy/consulate you want to collect your visa).

·  In some embassies you can ask to receive the passport including your visa by post instead of going to the embassy again. In this case, you have to provide an envelope and postal fees as well.

In some cases after submission the consul has directed applicants to a visa agency to get the visa authorisation number. if you choose this option, give yourself six weeks or longer to be sure.

Option 3: Apply for Tourist Visa through a third-party:

Based on your country of residence there could be possibility of applying for your visa through services of third party (Iranian travel agencies or any Iranian as sponsor):

A- It is recommended to get your visa through an Iranian travel agency, it not only takes shorter time (maximum 2 weeks, for Americans, British and Canadians up to 40 days), but also saves you the trouble of more paperwork.

B- To use travel agency visa services, you have to pay them an amount that varies depending on the agency.

C- Note that travel agencies only get visa authorization code, and to get you actual visa you have to go to an Iranian embassy/consulate (that you mention in initial visa application form as the place you want to collect your visa).

D- You should write the authorization code on the second form to be filled out in the embassy/consulate when collecting your visa.

E- Any Iranian can be your host and follow up your paperwork.

General Notes:

Your passport must be valid for six months and preferably having two blank pages at the time of arrival.

Issuing Visa remains at the discretion of Iran's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and any paid amount to the embassy/consulate is non-refundable.

You may also need to provide a letter of recommendation from your embassy if you are applying outside your home country, a photocopy of your air tickets in and out of Iran and any student or press card .

Normally, all tourist visas issued by Iranian consulates have a 3-month validity. The visa allows you to stay in Iran for up to 30 days, although the duration of your visa is at the discretion of the Iranian Foreign Ministry.

Rarely, you may be asked to provide a letter from your employer or proof of fund. Visas are generally valid for three months that is you must enter Iran within three months of issue.

Depending on your nationality, issuing a visa may take 5 days or more.

Remember that you have just one month, since you are informed of your authorization number, to stamp your passport.

You have Iran tourist visa? You want to stay and visit Iran more? Many tourists want to extend their Iran visa so that they can stay in Iran and visit Iran more. Fortunately, it’s quite easy to extend Iran visa. You can extend your Iran visa whether you have a tourist visa or work permission visa. The good news is that, it’s possible to extend a 30-day tourist visa to 60 days, but harder to extend again, up to 90 days. If you are picking up your visa at an Iranian embassy and have permission to stay in Iran for 30 days, the Police Aliens Affairs Dept. usually extends your visa for another 30 days. Extending Iran visa on arrival is a little difficult, you may only get a 15-day extension. Visa extensions are available at the Police Offices of Foreign Aliens in major Iranian cities like: Tehran, Shiraz, Isfahan, Mashhad, and Tabriz. You can extend your Iran visa in other cities too but Plan your itinerary so that you can extend your visa in cities which are more familiar with tourists.

Note: The extension of your visa when you get it in the airport is depended on the discretion of Police Aliens Affairs Dept. If you have a 15-day Iran visa on arrival you only can extend it up to another 15 days.
Work permit visa will be extended by Police Aliens Affairs Dept. with Coordination of the Department of Aliens’ Employment at the ministry of labor and Social Affairs and on the basis of a request by the Iranian sponsor of the applicant.

Start the process early

Offices are open from Saturday to Wednesday, 7:30 AM - 2 PM. The offices are usually very crowded so go there in the morning and start the process faster. Start the visa extension process 1-3 days left before your visa is expired.

Documents for Iran visa extension

The process is simple, but as we mentioned above, it is depended on the discretion of Police Aliens Affairs Dept. They may also ask you about the reason of your visa extension. If you have a tourist visa, say that you want to see more attractions in Iran. If you have work permit visa, you should explain about the reason more. All you have to do is to fill some forms and give photocopies of your passport and your visa. The documents needed are:

1. Two passport photos

2. Forms to be filled

3. Copies of your passport and Iranian visa

4. An entry stamp

5. Pay for the visa extension (350,000 IRR plus about 50,000 IRR to buy a folder and for photocopies)

Note: For women, photos have to be with scarfs.

In some offices there is a copy box so you can make photocopies in the office, which of course is not for free! But usually there is a long queue at the copy box. Please note that, you should pay the visa extension money cash. You should do the payment in “Melli Bank” and bring back the receipt.

Note: Don’t worry if they don’t know English for doing the payment in Melli Bank. Just say Visa, and they will help you.

How long does it take?

If you start early in the morning you might get the extension at the same day it usually takes between 1-4 hours. Otherwise they keep your passport and you come back the next day and your extension is ready! The offices are usually crowded, plus in some cities like, Mshhad there are a lot of Afghan and Pakistani people looking for residence permit extensions. If it is possible, ask a local to help you with the visa extension process. It helps a lot.

Visa extensions are available at the Police Offices of Foreign Aliens in below address:

The extension process is normally handled at provincial police headquarters. 

Police Office of Foreign Aliens in Tehran: Shahid Motahari Junction, Kohe Noor Ave.

Police Office of Foreign Aliens in Mashhad: Next to Azad Univ., Rahnamaee St.Police

Office of Foreign Aliens in Isfahan: Azadi Sq

Some travel guides say not to do this in Tehran as it is very time consuming. This is no longer the case and the process of extending a visa in Tehran can be done in just 1 hour (including tea offerings and being the object of curiosity in the office). Extending a visa a second time requires the passport to be sent to a department in Tehran (no matter where you extend your visa from) and thus takes longer time than doing this the first time.

Timing & Overstaying

In theory, you can only apply for an extension two or three days before your existing visa is due to expire, and your extension starts on the day it’s issued, not the end of your original visa. Cross-check the Persian calendar dates so you know exactly when your visa expires.

If things go awry, a doctor’s note on official stationery stating you were unwell might act as a quasi-extension at the border, or be used for a short extension in the nearest Aliens Bureau. But don’t rely on this.

If you do overstay, even by a few hours, expect to be detained.

All visitors must have a passport with at least 6 months of remaining validity and two blank pages.

Iran visa on Arrival is not issued for  USA,  UK,  Canada, Colombia,  Somalia, Bangladesh, Jordan, Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan,  and India  nationalities.

Israeli passport holders will not get a visa.

People with an Israeli stamp in their passport must wait 6 months from the time of exit from Israel before applying for a visa to visit Iran.

If you are an Iranian born or your father is Iranian, you are considered an Iranian citizen by the Iranian government. You must travel to Iran on an Iranian passport, even if you have never been to or lived in Iran in the past. However, if your mother is Iranian and your father is any other nationality, you are not considered an Iranian national by the Iran authorities. You are able to travel to Iran on a non-Iranian passport.

All visitors may visit Kish Island or Qeshm Island for 14 days without needing a visa, even if they need a visa to visit Iran.

§Visas, are valid for 3 months from the time they are issued and put into your passport and the visa holder can travel to Iran during this 90 day for maximally one month. (it can be issued under specific situations).

The information on your visa application form must be exactly the same as the information in your passport.

The passport image that you send us must be clear and of a good quality.

The embassy or consulate you choose in the application form will be where they issue your visa. It can be difficult to change the place of the visa issuance, so please make sure you are choosing the right one.

Check the embassy or consulate website to ensure that have the correct documents specific to that embassy or consulate. Fortunately, in some Embassies you can follow your visa issuance process all the way by email or post services.

You are allowed to stay in Iran for 30 days on a Tourist Visa. However, it is the MFA in Tehran that decides how many days you are allowed to stay in Iran. Visa extensions are possible.

The validity of your visa is three months from when it is issued, however you are only allowed in Iran for the dates you have specified on your application form, unless you extend your visa.

Women need to make sure they are wearing the Hijab or a head scarf in their submitted passport-sized photos

The visa process will usually take 7- 21 days for non-US citizens and 21- 42 days for USA, UK and Canadian citizens.

Journalists, politicians and political activists may have problems obtaining visas. Please contact us for further information if this may affect you.

It is important to note that when you enter Iran you are subject to all the laws of the country, even if such laws do not exist in your home country. Please check with your Department of Foreign Affairs for information on any laws that may differ between Iran and your home country.

All the information provided above, particularly in relation to fees and time frames for visa processing can change overnight, although we will do our best to ensure that the information on our website is up to date, UntoldPersia encourages you to continue to check with your local embassy or consulate for any changes.

Citizens under 18 must have a written permission from their guardian certified by the notary public when applying for visa.

While we don’t advocate lying on your application form, try to avoid unnecessary complications. Tricky questions:

Email If asked for one, opt for something generic and avoid.gov accounts.

Itinerary If you want a 30-day visa, write a 30-day itinerary. Keep controversial places     such as Bushehr, Natanz and border regions off your agenda. Occupation Teachers, nurses and data-entry clerks are more welcome than unloved journalists and  military personnel .

Purpose of your visit Tourism.

Photographs Women will probably need to have their hair covered (any scarf will do) in their visa-application photo. Check embassy websites.

Important: Travel insurance for Iran:

In general it is always recommended to be covered by a reliable travel insurance when you travel abroad to a country where you are not covered by your domestic insurance. Bun in the case of Iran, this is mandatory, as you have to be covered by a travel insurance to get your visa for Iran (does not matter what kind of visa).  To be accepted at the time of issuing your visa, your insurance policy must clearly state that it is valid for Iran. Iran Traveling Center has an agreement with IATI, an Spanish insurance company with a very long experience in travel insurances that you can check and take online. If you book your travel insurance for Iran with IATI you will be sure that it will comply the requirement of stating that it is Valid for Iran, in order to obtain your visa for Iran.

The sample of Iran Visa (Include stamp for entry and exit)

1- Stamp for entry 2- Stamp for exit 3- Visa holder's name in Farsi 4- Number of accompanying persons

5- Number of allowed entries 6- Allowed duration of stay (in days) 7-Visa Type 8- Visa validity starting date 9- Visa validity expiry date