New visa system in Iran
In a move to alleviate tourists’ concerns over US sanctions on individuals visiting Iran, the Iranian ministry of foreign affairs has started a program to not stamp the passports of entrants arriving in Iran.
With entry and exit stamps not to be put on the passports of the visiting tourists, Iran is going to remove tourists’ concerns about visiting Iran because of the US sanctions.
This action has been approved by the Iranian police and foreign ministry and it has been put into practice after it got the approval of the council of ministers. In case our partner tour operators in Europe or Asia ask for this, we will be able to organize this process for them in order to facilitate the visa procedure.
Please Note: If you are eligible for Iran visa, while entering Iran via any international airports (not land borders) or while receiving visa at a consulate, you can easily ask the authorities to print your visa on a separate piece of paper. This is particularly useful for business people who concern the U.S. sanctions against Iran or for people who travel to the U.S. frequently.
Iran Visa Guideline
Basically, In order to obtain Iranian visa, first you will need to get a Visa Authorization Code which is the online visa approval and can only be applied in two ways:
A) Apply online directly on the Iran MFA e-visa website: It is free, but it takes 2 to 8 weeks and the rejection rate is high.
B) Apply online through a licensed authorized travel agency (by submitting Iran visa application form on our website) – It is subject to a service cost but takes only 3-7 business days. it is safe and visa approval is guaranteed. As soon as you obtain the authorization letter, you will be able to collect your visa at the relevant consulate or at the Iran airport. The visa authorization code is valid for one month.
What is Iran Visa Authorization Code?
The most important part of getting an Iran visa (consulate or airport types) is to get your Iran visa authorization code, which is a document of approval of your Iran visa application. This document is also known as the “Iran Visa Grant Notice”, “Iran Visa Approval”, “Iran Letter of Invitation” or “Iran Visa Reference Number”. In fact, these names are all the same thing.
This document is actually the approval confirmation of your Iran visa application. In fact, having the Iran visa authorization code means your Iran visa is approved and you only need to pay the visa fee and receive your e-visa by email or collect your Iran visa from an Iran Embassy/Consulate or from an International airport upon arrival.
The Iran visa authorization code or Iran visa grant notice contains your photo, application ID, the details of the preferred visa issuance place, applicant details, and all other visa grant details.
Iran Visa Application Online
Visitors with valid passports or other types of travel documents are welcomed to apply for Iran Visa for various purposes such as tourism, visiting relatives, medical purpose or business. According to the regulations of the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA), almost all foreign nationals require a visa to visit Iran. This visa is issued for a maximum stay of 90 days with option of extensions for shorter stays in Iran. The visa remains valid for a period of 3 months from the date of issue. Most consulates need an authorization letter from the ministry of Foreign Affairs in Tehran. Applying for this Authorization is the most important step in visa application process which can be done by Iran Safar travel agency. after this step your visa will be issued by the relevant Iranian Embassy/Consulate.
Which Nationals Do Not Require a Visa to Enter Iran?
We’re thrilled to announce that as of February 2024, visitors from countries listed below can enter Iran without the hassle of obtaining a visa.
Iran Visa Waiver Program
According to the latest regulations, nationals holding ordinary passports from the following countries are eligible for visa-free entry for tourism purposes:
🔹 United Arab Emirates🔹 Kingdom of Bahrain🔹 Kingdom of Saudi Arabia🔹 Qatar🔹 Kuwait🔹 Republic of Uzbekistan🔹 Republic of Kyrgyzstan🔹 Republic of Tunisia🔹 Islamic Republic of Mauritania🔹 United Republic of Tanzania🔹 Republic of Zimbabwe🔹 Republic of Mauritius🔹 Republic of Seychelles🔹 Republic of Indonesia🔹 Brunei Darussalam🔹 Japan🔹 Republic of Singapore🔹 Kingdom of Cambodia🔹 Socialist Republic of Vietnam🔹 Federal Republic of Brazil🔹 Republic of Peru🔹 Republic of Cuba🔹 United States of Mexico🔹 Bosnia and Herzegovina🔹 Republic of Serbia🔹 Republic of Croatia🔹 Republic of Belarus🔹 Republic of India
Important note: This visa waiver program allows for a 15-day stay (non-extendable) within each period of 6 months, exclusively for tourism purposes. Additionally, please be aware that for Indian nationals, this privilege is applicable only for those entering Iran via air border.
For those seeking longer stays or different types of visas (such as business or entry visas), we encourage you to apply for the appropriate visa to ensure a smooth and enjoyable visit.
Citizens of Syria, Turkey, Lebanon, Sultanate of Oman, the Republic of Azerbaijan, Georgia, Bolivia, Armenia, Egypt, Venezuela, Malaysia and China, are eligible to enter Iran without visa for stay duration of a certain period of time without any visa:
– Citizens of Syria, Turkey and Armenia for 90 days, Georgia for 45 days, Egypt for 20 days, Lebanon and Bolivia for 30 days, the Republic of Azerbaijan, Malaysia, Oman and Venezuela for 15 days each, and citizens of China for 21 days, without the need for a visa.
– Chinese citizens can stay in Iran for 21 days without a visa if they intend to enter Iran with a tourist visa. (Citizens of Taiwan are not subject to this regulation).
– This condition is available only if the applicants of above list enter Iran from their own country. Otherwise, they must apply for a consulate visa to enter Iran.
– In order to extend the visa, the mentioned nationals can also apply for Iran visa through the consulates or embassies of Iran. Also, if they are in Iran, they can refer to the Iranian Immigration & Passport Police to extend their visa and apply for an extension.
If you are not among nationals of above countries, please keep reading this article.
Which nationals can obtain Iran visa on arrival?
Visitors of some nationalities (listed below) holding valid ordinary passports and wishing to visit Iran’s mainland, are eligible to receive a 45-day Tourist Visa Upon Arrival at the airport:
Australia 🔹 Austria 🔹Belgium 🔹 Bulgaria 🔹 Colombia 🔹 Cyprus 🔹 Denmark 🔹 Finland 🔹 France 🔹 Germany 🔹 Greece 🔹 Hungary, Italy 🔹 Kazakhstan 🔹 Kuwait 🔹 Luxembourg 🔹 Mongolia 🔹 Netherlands 🔹 New Zealand 🔹 North Korea 🔹 Norway 🔹 Palestine 🔹 Philippines 🔹 Poland 🔹 Portugal 🔹 Romania 🔹 Russian Federation 🔹 Slovak (Rep.) 🔹 Slovenia 🔹 South Korea 🔹 Spain 🔹 Sweden 🔹 Switzerland 🔹 Tajikistan 🔹 Thailand 🔹 Turkmenistan 🔹 Ukraine.
How to apply for an Iran tourist visa ?
In case you are not among nationals listed above, you will need visa to enter Iran.
Obtaining Iran tourist visa looks a little complicated to most travelers, as there is not much clear information about it in the online world … However, the Iranian Government is easing Iran visa process. For Example, In a move to alleviate tourists’ concerns over US sanctions on individuals visiting Iran, the Iranian ministry of foreign affairs has started a program to not stamp the passports of the tourists arriving in Iran; with entry and exit stamps new rules which are not put on the passports of the visiting tourists any more, Iran is going to remove tourists’ concerns about visiting Iran because of US sanctions.
Iran visa requirements
Passport with a minimum of 6-months validity
The visa authorization reference code (Visa Grant Notice)
Passport copy
Two Face photos (there is no obligation for any hair covering)
Hotel Booking Voucher(s)
Visa Fee in Cash
Hotel booking document: At least you need to show your hotel reservation printed out for your first night in Iran. If you are staying with locals, provide their contact details to be shown to immigration police. Iran Safar Visa Dept. will help you with the needed documents.
Host’s ID copy and contact details (if applicable)
Visa authorization code document: This visa grant notice is probably the most important document; your in advance visa approval. Although there is no obligation to have any visa authorization for VOA, but having such a document would guarantee your visa. It means, you can easily obtain your visa authorization prior to your trip in order to prevent risks of any refusal at the airport, it also saves visa issuance time.
Travel Insurance: All travelers must have valid travel insurance for Iran. If you don’t, you can purchase at the spot for 14 Euros. However, the insurance you buy at the airport has very limited coverage, so coming with proper travel insurance is a must. Unfortunately, most global travel insurance companies will not provide and coverage service for Iran. We highly recommend you to provide an Iran travel insurance in advance.
Return flight ticket: some claim their VOA has not been granted because they didn’t have a return flight ticket or because the authorities could not contact their host or any other excuse. Make sure to have your return flight ticket just in case.
Face photos: Two face photos 4×5, White background, Full Face, Colored
Visa fee: The visa fee must be paid only in Cash, only in (€) Euro currency. It really depends on your nationality but, typically, prices would range from 20 to 150€. Iran airport visa Fee is 75 € for EU citizens.
Iran visa on arrival (VOA)
According to the latest regulations of Iranian MFA (as of January 2024) almost all nationals can get an Iran VOA (Visa on Arrival) through 6 international airports in Iran:
IKA: Tehran Imam Khomeini International Airport
KIH: Kish International Airport
GSM: Qeshm International Airport
ISF: Isfahan International Airport
TBZ: Tabriz International Airport
SYZ: Shiraz International Airport
MHD: Mashhad International Airport
AWZ: Ahwaz Ahwaz International Airport
BND: Bandar Abbas International Airport
LRR: Lar International Airport
BUZ: Bushehr International Airport
The Iran VOA is not applicable for citizens form countries listed below:
Canada, UK, US, Afghanistan, Nepal, Bangladesh, Iraq, Jordan, Pakistan, Somalia, Sri Lanka and Israil
Which nationals can obtain Iran visa on arrival?
Visitors of some nationalities (listed below) holding valid ordinary passports and wishing to visit Iran’s mainland, are eligible to receive a 45-day Tourist Visa Upon Arrival at the airport:
Australia 🔹 Austria 🔹Belgium 🔹 Bulgaria 🔹 Colombia 🔹 Cyprus 🔹 Denmark 🔹 Finland 🔹 France 🔹 Germany 🔹 Greece 🔹 Hungary, Italy 🔹 Kazakhstan 🔹 Kuwait 🔹 Luxembourg 🔹 Mongolia 🔹 Netherlands 🔹 New Zealand 🔹 North Korea 🔹 Norway 🔹 Palestine 🔹 Philippines 🔹 Poland 🔹 Portugal 🔹 Romania 🔹 Russian Federation 🔹 Slovak (Rep.) 🔹 Slovenia 🔹 South Korea 🔹 Spain 🔹 Sweden 🔹 Switzerland 🔹 Tajikistan 🔹 Thailand 🔹 Turkmenistan 🔹 Ukraine.
Iran Visa Requirements for VOA
VOA is visa on arrival that is issued at the airport. You will need documents listed below:
1
Hotel booking document:
At least you need to show your hotel reservation printed out for your first night in Iran. If you are staying with locals, provide their contact details to be shown to immigration police. Iran Safar Visa Dept. will help you with the needed documents.
2
Host’s ID copy and contact details:
In case you have a host in Iran who you are going to stay with, you would need to provide their contact details and a copy of their national ID document.
3
Travel Insurance: All travelers must have valid travel insurance for Iran. If you don’t, you can purchase it at the spot for 14 Euro.
However, the insurance you buy at the airport has very limited coverage, so coming with proper travel insurance is a must. Unfortunately, most global travel insurance companies will not provide and coverage service for Iran. We highly recommend you to provide an Iranian travel insurance in advance. Please contact
4
Return flight ticket: some claim their VOA has not been granted because they didn’t have a return flight ticket to be shown at the airport. Make sure to have your return flight ticket just in case.
5
Visa fee: The visa fee must be paid at the spot (Embassy or Airport), only in Cash, and only in (€) Euro currency. The fee depends on your nationality but, typically, prices would range from 40 to 150€. Iran Visa Fee is 75 € for EU citizens.
6
Visa authorization code document
This visa grant notice is probably the most important document; your in advance visa approval.
Although there is no obligation to have any visa authorization for VOA, but having such a document would guarantee your visa. It means, you can easily obtain your visa authorization prior to your trip in order to prevent risks of any refusal at the airport, it also saves visa issuance time.
Please note: We at Iran Safar can provide you with visa authorization code.
VOA without Visa Authorization Code?
Although officially there is no obligation to have any visa authorization for VOA, but having such a document would guarantee your visa. It means, it is recommended to obtain your visa authorization prior to your trip in order to prevent risks of any refusal at the airport, it also saves visa issuance time.
