New e-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.
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 30 days with option of extensions 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 Embassies/Consulates.
How to apply for an Iran tourist visa ?
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 trying to ease the process for many nationals. 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 Guideline
Basically, In order to obtain Iranian visa, first you will need to get an approval or visa authorization code which 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 2-5 working 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.
Iran visa requirements
Passport with a minimum of 6-months validity
The visa authorization code letter (visa grant notice)
Passport copy
Two Face photos (there is no obligation for any hair covering)
Iran Visa application form
Flight ticket
Travel Insurance
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.
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. 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
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. Two ID photos 4×5: White background, Full Face, Colored
Visa fee: The must be paid only in Cash, only in (€) Euro currency. It really depends on your nationality but, typically, prices would range from 40 to 150€. Iran Visa Fee is 75 € for EU citizens.
Which nationals require to apply for Iran tourist visa?
Citizens of more than 100 countries need visa to enter Iran. We are ready to provide advice and services to facilitate the visa process for you or your guests. To get more information in this regard, read more will help you a lot.
Nationals that do not require a visa to enter Iran
Citizens of Syria, Turkey, Lebanon, the Republic of Azerbaijan, Georgia, Bolivia, Armenia, Egypt, Venezuela, Malaysia and China, they can stay for 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.
– This condition is available only if the applicants of above list enter Iran from their own country. Otherwise, they must apply for a 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 Migration Police to extend their visa and apply for an extension.
Please note: 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).
If you are not among nationals of above countries, you’d better keep reading this article.
Visa for US, UK, Canadian and Ireland Citizens
US, British, Canadian and Irish nationals require to book a guided tour from arrival to departure; essentially this means you need a certificated guide while you are in Iran. Citizens of these countries need to have a confirmed itinerary, which should be requested from a valid tour company. For this, they should send necessary visa requirements along with a profession & educational CV to the Iranian tour operator.
Typically, getting the visa process for these applicants take around 30 working days.
Iran visa on arrival (VOA)
According to the latest regulations of Iranian MFA (as of June 2019) 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, Colombia, Bangladesh, India, Iraq, Jordan, Pakistan, Somalia and Sri Lanka.
Visitors of some nationalities (listed below) holding valid passports and wishing to visit Iran’s mainland, are eligible to receive a 30-day Tourist Visa Upon Arrival at the airport
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
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
3
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.
4
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.
5
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: Iran Safar Travel Co. provides you with visa authorization code letter.
Iran Visa on Arrival Fee
The Iran visa on arrival fee is a bit more expensive than the visa issued by an Iranian Embassy/Consulate. It must be pain in cash and only Euro currency is accepted. Iran only issues Entry (type A), Tourist (type B), and Pilgrimage (type C) VOA. All visas are single entry and maximum duration of stay is 30 days. Iran VOA fees for the different nationalities are:
VOA with Visa grant notice document
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.
✔ You enter the country overland.
✔ You are flying from Afghanistan, Iraq, Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan, Pakistan or Turkey, you must apply for your visa in advance.
✔ You wish to prevent time lose at the airport, specially after a long flight.
✔ You want to secure your visa
✔ You are a Canada, UK, US, Ireland, Colombia, Bangladesh, India, Afghanistan, Nepal, Iraq, Jordan, Pakistan, Somalia and Sri Lanka citizen, you will need to apply your visa prior to your trip, through an Iranian travel company.
