One of the most important questions for travelers interested in eastern countries and especially in the Middle East, is the destination’s safety. Iran is a special country with a wide range of natural features and different cultures. Therefore, due to its tourism potential, Iran is considered as a great destination for foreign tourists.
In addition, visiting Iran is financially affordable for most people around the world because of devaluation of Iranian currency. But the most essential question which crosses the minds would be: Is Iran safe to Travel?! 

Is Iran Dangerous?

In order to get a certain answer to this question, you can simply search what previous visitors say about Iran on internet. The clear information would be found in travel forums. Forget about the messages of government offices or widespread propaganda on media …. it’s all politic and not based on facts, you know!  The internet seems to go from the extreme positive, claiming there is no problem at all, to the extreme negative, like you must be mad for even thinking about travel to Iran!

Off course due to global political issues and negative media propaganda against Iran, there are many negative opinions about this country all over the world and many tourists forget the fact that all these arguments are between governments, not the people.
One of the most important factors that has always attracted visitors is the Iranian hospitality. Many western visitors do not have a correct view of Islam due to negative propaganda and are unaware of Iranian attitude towards guests.

So you can experience the reality by traveling to Iran. Don’t listen to what the mainstream of US media says about Iran. Travel to Iran, and enjoy a few thousand years of culture and civilization alongside hospitable people.

According to “Independent”, the results of a new study show that Iran’s safety can be compared to European countries and is among the safest countries in the world- listed next to Britain, Slovenia, Denmark and Switzerland. read the full article here

Two international institutions called ” Control Risk” and “International SOS” have worked together to develop a map called “2019 Travel Risk Map” that highlights the level of risk that travelers in any country or political territory may face.
Political threats (including terrorism, civil protests, riots and wars), social unrest (including ethnic and sectarian violence) and street crimes are among the risks considered in this study.
The quality of public transport infrastructure, the state of industrial relations, the efficiency of security and emergency services, and the rate of vulnerability to natural disasters have also been factors that have helped “International SOS” and “Control Risk” to verify the safety level of the countries for travel.
The map prepared by these two institutions classifies the travel risk of different countries in five levels: Insignificant, Low, Medium, High and Extreme. Very few countries have been classified as Insignificant Risk in terms of travel security. Luxembourg, Denmark, Slovenia, Switzerland, Norway, Finland, Greenland and Iceland are the only countries in this category from the European continent.
By contrast, most European countries, including the United Kingdom, are listed as “low risk” destinations, and interestingly, Iran, Jordan, Oman, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Armenia and Uzbekistan are ranked among the same category respectively. Canada, America, Australia and New Zealand are also Low Risk.
According to this map, countries with high or extreme risk are almost entirely from Africa and the Middle East. Syria, Yemen, Afghanistan, Iraq, Libya, Mali, South Sudan and Somalia are among the top ten countries in the category of “extreme-risk”.

According to the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), Iran is ranked among the top 10 countries in the world in tourism. The UNWTO publishes this list three times a year as part of the World Tourism Assessment. In this survey, tourism is measured both on the basis of the number of tourists and on the basis of its profits, and Iran is ranked fifth in the natural attractions and 10th in the cultural-historical attractions in this list.

Is Iran safe for solo female travelers ?

While in Iran,  all female travelers are required to follow the Iranian dress code that means wearing a headscarf and types of clothing that cover the body -such as trousers and manteau (tunic) but there is no rule about the color of the dress and scarf. There is also gender segregation of some public transport such as city buses.

Apart from the dress code, the rest is quite the same as home and women will generally have no issues when it comes to safety.

Like many other places in the world, it is likely that during your trip you come across sexual harassment at some point. Most men in Iran will treat you with respect, but the guidelines on sexual harassment are almost the same as in most countries when you travel alone as a woman.

Iran Covid-19 situation –  April 2022 Update

Iran’s air borders are now open to travelers and Iran visa is issued again.

The Iranian government has developed a comprehensive vaccination program. Due to the vaccination program, around 90% of the Iranian population has been vaccinated – which has led to the control of the virus epidemic.

According to the latest statistics to date – Saturday, Apr 16, 2022 a total of 64,173,275 people have received the first dose of corona virus vaccine.

To date, 57,325,244 people have received the second dose of the vaccine; Also, 26,719,467 people have received the third dose of the vaccine.

Taking into account this number, the total dose of injected vaccine in the country is 148,217,986 cases.

Iran Travel Restrictions – Covid-19 (Update April 2022)

In case you have received your second dose of the Covid-19 vaccine during last 9 months, you are allowed to enter the country. Passengers must provide a valid COVID-19 double vaccination certificate issued no later than 14 days before your flight. You’ll also need to complete self-declaration forms on inbound flights.

Is Covid-19 PCR test needed to enter Iran?

No, there is no need for PCR test anymore for fully vaccinated passengers entering Iran.

Is Iran Safe for British or American Tourists?

Yes. Us citizens or British can travel to Iran in a planned tour format with no problem. US, British and Canadian nationals will need to have a set itinerary and a certificated tour guide beforehand.

Sticking to the itinerary is part of the conditions of visa approval, so sticking to the itinerary and the instructions of the tour guide will ensure that there are no problems.

Walter Greenfield, England

David Billard, USA