Iran is one of the most developed and well-known countries in the Middle East. Its unique culture, natural beauty, diverse cuisine are definitely worth a visit. Nevertheless, are you aware of the Iran visa policy? Do you know how to obtain Iran visa and how much the Iran visa fee you will need to pay? In this guideline, we have covered all the Iran visa requirements for you!
Guidelines for Iran visa
Iran is straightforward about its visa policy. So, if you need to get a visa according to the Iran visa policy, you must get it before you travel to Iran. Depending on your nationality, you may have the chance to apply for an Iran visa online, or you can make your Iran visa application at the embassy/consulate. Some foreign citizens do not even need to get a visa when they are traveling to Iran as a tourist for a given period of time. In this guideline, we will cover if you need an Iran visa, and how to get Iran visa. Also, we will be informing you about things that you should be careful about such as the Iran visa requirements. By the end of this guideline, all the questions you might have regarding your trip to Iran will be answered.
Do you need an Iran visa?
Depending on your nationality you may be required to get an Iran visa. However, there are some countries that Iran is not demanding a visa from. If you are a citizen of the countries below, you can travel to Iran without getting an Iran visa for the given period of time:
- 15 days: Malaysia, Venezuela
- 20 days: Egypt
- 21 days: Hong Kong, Macau, China
- 30 days: Azerbaijan, Bolivia, Oman, Lebanon, United Arab Emirates, Iraq
- 45 days: Georgia
- 90 days: Turkey, Armenia, Syria
Unfortunately, if you are a citizen of the following countries, you need to apply for an Iran visa before you travel to Iran: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Canada, Colombia, India, Iraq, Jordan, Libya, Nepal, Pakistan, Somalia, Sri Lanka, Tajikistan, United Kingdom, United States, and Yemen.
Also, the citizens of Israel are currently banned from entering the Irani territory. So, if you are a citizen of Israel, it is best for you to contact the embassy to learn more about this Iran visa ban. If you are sure that you need a visa to Iran, then you can choose the best visa type for you! If you are eligible, you can apply for an Iran visa on arrival or online!
Iran Visa On Arrival
You can always apply for an Iran visa on arrival at the airport. However, if you are a citizen of the following countries, you should know that an Iran visa on arrival is not an option for you as Iran does not accept visa applications on arrival for these countries: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Canada, Colombia, Iraq, Jordan, Pakistan, Somalia, United Kingdom, and the United States of America. According to the Iran visa on arrival requirements, you can apply for an Iran visa at the following airports on arrival: Ahvaz International Airport (Ahvaz), Bandar Abbas International Airport (Bandar Abbas), Imam Khomeini International Airport (Tehran), Isfahan International Airport (Isfahan), Kerman Airport (Kerman), Kish International Airport (Kish Island), Larestan International Airport (Lar), Mashhad International Airport (Mashad), Mehrabad International Airport (Tehran), Qeshm international Airport (Qeshm Island), Shiraz International Airport (Shiraz), Tabriz International Airport (Tabriz), and Urmia Airport (Urmia).
How can you apply for an Iran visa?
There are three ways to apply for an Iran visa. The easiest one is to apply for an Iran visa online. Also, you can apply for an Iran visa on arrival, but you need to be eligible for it. Lastly, you can apply for an Iran visa at the Iran embassy/consulate. We suggest you choose your Iran visa application method according to your needs and the obligations regarding your citizenship.
If you are going to make your application at the Iranian embassy, there are some things you need to be careful about. First of all, you need to know that you are required to submit a letter of invitation with your other Iran visa documents. For instance, if you would like to apply for an Iran tourist visa at an embassy, you need to find a travel agency in Iran that can issue this letter of invitation for your name. Your travel agency should make an application to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on behalf of you, and then your travel agency should send you a visa code. As having this visa code is crucial, you are required to submit the code along with your other Iran visa documents. If the travel agency directed you to apply for the visa code yourself, then you can apply for your own Iran visa code at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs website online!
Iran offers a partial online application to smoothen the Iran visa application process in case there is no nearby Iran embassy/consulate around you. There are some documents you can submit online before going to the embassy such as a copy of your passport (scanned), a carefully filled out Iran visa application form and Iran visa photos. After submitting the required documents you will get a verification code to your email address. You need to confirm your Iran visa application with your verification code. After all these steps, you can print out your confirmation page. Make sure your confirmation page has a barcode as you can track down your Iran visa status with it.
How to apply for an Iran Visa On Arrival
Unfortunately, not everyone is eligible to apply for Iran visa. Even if you are, you still need to receive a Grant Notice in the first place. You can get it from the website of the Iran Ministry of Foreign Affairs. To get your Iran visa on arrival, you need to go through the following steps:
- Attach the copy of your passport to the official website
- Answer the questions about your personal information
- Submit your pre-application
- Get your verification code
- Print out the verification page with the barcode
- Use the tracking code to follow your Iran visa status
- Check regularly until you get a Grant Notice
- Pring the grant notice and travel to Iran with it
Of course, you can skip the online application and just fly to Iran but then chances are good that you will be refused to enter Irani territory. According to the many applicants, the Iran visa on arrival process goes a lot smoother when you make your pre-application online!
Iran Visa Types
There are a number of Iran visa types for you to choose from. We advise you to read all of them carefully and choose the Iran visa type that fits best for your needs. Here is a list of all the Iran visas:
- Iran Tourist Visa
- Iran Pilgrimage Visa
- Iran Student Visa
- Iran Work Visa
- Iran Transit Visa
- Iran Media Visa
- Iran Marriage Visa
- Iran Medical Visa
If you are planning to travel to Iran as a tourist, you need to apply for an Iran tourist visa. This visa is issued based on your needs, but it can be issued for a maximum of 90 days. If you are traveling to Iran for religious purposes, then you should apply for an Iran pilgrimage visa as it allows you to visit many holy sites. If you found a job in Iran, you must apply for an Iran work visa as any other visa does not give you the right to work in Iran. This visa type requires you to get a labor certificate from your employer in Iran as it will be recognized as a work permit. If you are planning to study in Iran, you need to apply for an Iran student visa and submit your documents such as a letter of acceptance along with the certificate of eligibility for nonimmigrant student status from the Irani higher education institution. If you have recently booked or are planning to book a flight transferring from Iran, the Iran transit visa might be for you! If you have a visa or a flight ticket for your final destination, you can apply for an Iran transit visa. Additionally, if you are a press member or a movie director, you can apply for an Iran Media visa and conduct your journalistic/media activities. Lastly, if you intend to get medical treatment in Iran, you need to apply for an Iran Medical Visa and submit proof of your treatment.
Iran Visa Requirements
There are some strict Iran visa requirements that you should know of. Any failure with providing the necessary documents may result in the rejection of your Iran visa application. To prevent any situation from happening to you, we have listed below every Iran visa requirement and document which you should know of:
- A minimum of 6 months of a valid passport that has at least 2 blank pages
- A copy of your passport (scanned)
- A carefully filled out Iran visa application form
- Iran visa photos
- Flight tickets
- A resume
- Travel health insurance
- Iran visa fee payment
As the ones listed above are general requirements for an Iran visa, there may be some other requirements depending on the type of visa you are applying for. For example, if you are applying for an Iran media visa, a permit from the Media and Public Diplomacy center may be required.
Iran visa photo requirements
Apart from the common visa requirements, you should also be careful about your Iran visa photo. To help you have a better understanding of the concept, we have listed below all the Iran visa photo requirements you should know of:
- The background on your Iran visa photo should be white or off-white. It should be as suggested by officials.
- Iran visa photo size should be 400×600 px (1,33×2 mm).
- Your Iran visa photo must be in color. Black and white photos are not accepted.
- Neutral facial expression is essential in Iran visa photos.
- You should avoid excessive makeup.
- Items like jewelry and glasses should not be worn.
- Your mouth should be closed in your Iran visa photo.
- You should look directly into the camera.
Iran Visa Fee
There are two types of Iran visa fees you should know of. Nevertheless, these fees depend on various factors such as your travel agency, the Irani embassy/consulate where you made your application, and your nationality. In general, the Iran visa fee for the applications made through the embassy is between 10 to 100 Euros. On the other hand, Iran visa on arrival cost is between 40 to 150 Euros.
Duration of your Iran visa
Getting an Iran visa on arrival takes around a couple of hours at the airport. However, if you are going to apply for an Iran visa at the embassy/consulate, you should know that the process can take a week to three months! So, for this reason, keep in mind that your visa process can take some time. We advise you to apply for Iran visa at least a month before you travel to Iran. In this way, you will eliminate the possibility of getting your visa and passport after your departure day. After your visa is issued, you can check the duration of your Iran visa on the visa sticker.
Extending an Iran visa
Extending your Iran visa is possible, and it is easy to do if you have a valid reason to extend your stay. To extend your stay in Iran, you need to go to the nearest aliens police office and make your application in person. Also, remember to pay the corresponding visa extension fee. You can ask the immigration officers about the visa extension fee. Your visa will be extended for another 30 or 15 days depending on how long your previous visa was issued.
Iran Visa for US Citizens
Iran visa requirements for US citizens are the same as for anyone else. You are required to get a letter of invitation from Iran and you need to have a visa code before making your application at the embassy. As getting the Iran visa for US citizens can take up to 3 months, we suggest you apply for the Iran visa as soon as possible. Sadly, there is no Embassy of Iran in the United States. So, you need to make your Iran visa application at the Embassy of Pakistan in Washington D.C.
