Visa policy of Iran

Visitors to Iran must obtain a visa from one of the Iranian diplomatic missions unless they come from one of the visa exempt countries or countries eligible for a visa on arrival. All visitors must hold a passport valid for at least 6 months. [1] Citizens of Israel are totally banned from entry to Iran.[2][3]

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Iranian authorities are exploring a potential visa waiver program under which visa limitations for 60 countries will be lifted as part of Iran's program to attract more tourists.[4]

Dual citizens of both Iran and another country count as citizens of Iran when visiting, and must have an Iranian passport. This includes all whose mother and father and husband or children born abroad are Iranian.[5]

Iran no longer affixes visas to passports nor stamps them on entry as a response to the US sanctions on persons who have visited Iran after 2011.[6] 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 in a bid to ease their concerns about traveling to other countries after leaving Iran.[7] In June 2019 President of Iran ordered the Interior Ministry to implement the decision on not stamping passports of foreigners.[8] In 2011 it became compulsory to have travel insurance to get a visa to Iran.[9]

Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has halted permits for all Tourist, Business, and Medical Visas.[10] All foreigners are not allowed to enter Iran on all border checkpoints.

Visa policy map

In the visa policy map below you can see the visa requirements for different countries around the world.[11]

Iran Visa Policy Map

Visa-free

Citizens of the following 16 jurisdictions can visit Iran without a visa:[12]

1 - only for arriving by air directly from Damascus


Iran free trade zones

Holders of normal passports traveling as tourists can enter following Iran trade zones without a visa with a maximum stay of 2 weeks (extendable), as by December 2017:[21][22][23]

Kish and Qeshm Islands

All tourists, may stay on Kish Island or Qeshm Island for 14 days or less without obtaining any visa. Americans, Canadians, and Britons 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 him/her and let the immigration office of the airport know about the arrival of the American/Canadian/British passenger 48 hours before the arrival.

Diplomatic and service category passports
Visa policy of Iran for diplomatic and official or service passport holders
  Iran
  Visa-free for holders of diplomatic or service category passports
  Visa-free for diplomatic passports only

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

Visa on arrival

Holders of normal passports travelling as tourists can obtain a visa on arrival for a maximum stay of 30 days (extendable),[24] at the following airports, as of January 2018:[12][25][26][27]

Note: to obtain a visa on arrival, passengers must already have made an application, at least 2 days before arrival, at the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affair's E-Visa website and present the submission notification at the airport's visa desk on arrival.[33]

Iran plans to increase the length of stay from 1 month to 3 months. Visas on arrival will be available at Shahid Sadooghi Airport in the near future.[34]

Visa on arrival is not applicable to nationals of the following countries who must obtain a visa in advance:[12]

Passport holders of these countries are required to apply for an Iranian visa at an Iranian embassy or consulate prior to their arrival in Iran.

Shahid Rajaee Port

Marine travelers entering Iran via Shahid Rajaee Port in the southern Hormozgan Province can also receive a visa on arrival.[35]

Electronic visa

E-visas have been available since 22 November 2018.[36]

Mandatory guides

UK, Canadian and US citizens 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.[37]

Israel

Admission and transit are refused for nationals of Israel, even if not leaving the aircraft and proceeding by the same flight.

Admission is refused to holders of passports or travel documents containing an Israeli visa or stamp (less than 365 days) or any data showing that visitor has been to Israel or indication of any connection with the state of Israel .[38]

Are free trade zones and special economic zones different?

Special economic zones are older than free trade zones. In 1989, in the first five-year development plan of the country and in Note 20 of this law, in order to support the production, customs and the Ports and Shipping Organization of the Islamic Republic of Iran, special and protected areas along the country's customs border for Establish storage of raw materials, parts and products that are imported safely and without currency transfer.

  • A free trade zone is more like a city than a special economic zone and has more facilities for economic actors.
  • The most important difference between the two is the difference in the tax exemption, which is about 15 or 20 years in the free zones, but we do not have the tax exemption in the special zones.
  • The next difference is the possibility of retailing, which in special areas may only be for foreign nationals, but in the case of free trade zones, there is no such restriction under the law.
  • Free zone restrictions on foreign visas are also much lower. However, for special economic zones, the same domestic laws apply to visas.
  • In free trade zones, labor regulations and social security insurance for foreign nationals have special regulations, and the rules for special zones are similar to those in the country. [39]


See also

References[40]
  1. "Passport Information - Warning". Timatic. IATA. Archived from the original on 15 February 2017. Retrieved 17 December 2013.
  2. "Travel in Iran". sitara.com. Archived from the original on 2012-11-27. Retrieved 2012-12-12.
  4. "Iran allows visa-free travel for citizens of 7 countries". Press TV. Retrieved 10 June 2016.
  5. "ویزای ایران | درخواست انواع ویزای ایران و تمدید و اخذ ویزای ایران برای اتباع خارجی". سایت ویزای ایران | اخذ ویزای ایران | گرفتن ویزای ایران | درخواست ویزای ایران | روادید ایران (in Persian). Retrieved 2018-08-26.
  6. Iran Relaxes Visa Process to Incentivize Foreign Tourists
  7. "Iran Waives Visa Stamping Rules to Boost Tourism". IFP News.
  8. No more passport stamps for foreign nationals visiting Iran
  9. "Iran Travel Insurance - Termeh Travel". termehtravel.com. Retrieved 2020-02-11.
  10. "Iran Visa". termehtravel.com. Retrieved 2020-10-15.
  11. "Iran Visa". termehtravel.com. Retrieved 2020-10-04.
  12. "Country information (visa section)". Timatic. International Air Transport Association (IATA) through Olympic Air. Retrieved 1 April 2017.
  13. "Iran extends visa-free regime to Azerbaijani citizens". trend.az. 2 November 2015.
  14. 伊朗对中国公民实行单方面免签及赴伊朗注意事项
  15. https://www.isna.ir/news/97070100186
  16. al-Shamahi, Abubakr. "Iran waives visa requirements for Egypt, Lebanon, Syria nationals".
  17. "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.
  19. Iran temporarily lifts visa requirement for Iraqi nationals
  20. Iran ends visa-free travel for Serbians
  21. "مزایای ثبت شرکت در مناطق آزاد".
  22. "No Visa required for Iran free trade zones".
  23. "Iran Visa". termehtravel.com. Retrieved 2020-02-08.
  24. "Citizens of 190 Countries to Get Visa on Arrival in Iran: Official - Tasnim News Agency". tasnimnews.com.
  25. "Iran to issue On Arrival visa at 10 airports". en.isna.ir. Retrieved 22 April 2017.
  26. "دفتر صدور الکترونیکی روادید درفرودگاه اهواز راه اندازی شد". roozame.com.
  27. "Iran issuing entry visas at Qeshm airport". persiadigest.com.
  28. "Iran issuing entry visas at Qeshm airport". persiadigest.com. Retrieved 11 January 2018.
  29. "گشایش دفتر صدور روادید الکترونیکی در فرودگاه بین المللی ارومیه". kojaro.com. Retrieved 24 January 2017.
  30. "گشایش دفتر صدور روادید الکترونیکی در فرودگاه بین المللی ارومیه". kojaro.com.
  31. "دفتر صدور الکترونیکی روادید درفرودگاه اهواز راه اندازی شد". roozame.com. Retrieved 28 December 2017.
  32. "10 Iranian Airports Issue Visa on Arrival". financialtribune.com. Retrieved April 24, 2017.
  34. "Iran extends visa on arrival to 3 months". tehrantimes.com. 13 July 2016.
  35. "Shahid Rajaee Port Visa on Arrival". financialtribune.com. Retrieved April 24, 2017.
  36. https://www.presstv.com/Detail/2018/11/24/580942/Iran-hopes-Evisa-can-attract-more-foreign-tourists
  37. http://www.iraniantours.com/us.htm ESCORTED TOURS THROUGH IRAN
  38. "Visa information on the site of IRI Embassy in Moscow". mfa.ir.
  39. صفر تا صد ثبت شرکت در مناطق آزاد تجاری «وکیل تاپ»
  40. "ثبت شرکت - ثبت سبز - ثبت علائم تجاری - ثبت برند". ثبت شرکت - ثبت سبز - ثبت علائم تجاری - ثبت برند (in Persian). Retrieved 2020-05-27.
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