HOW TO GET A VISA FOR IRAN
Application forms and guides to get your Iran tourist visa online.
Latest update: Monday – August 24th, 2022
An Iran tourist visa is issued in case you wish to travel to Iran for tourist purposes only. Almost everyone needs a visa to enter Iran, unless you have a Turkey, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bolivia, Georgia, Malaysia, Syria and Venezuela passport in which case they’ll just stamp you in at the border.
– Passports of travelers entering Iran will not be stamped.
WHEN IRAN VISA WILL OPEN?
Iran is open now to vaccinated tourists. If you have received your two doses of the vaccines OR have a negative COVID-19 PCR test result, you are eligible to apply for the tourist visa.
All passengers over 12 years old should be fully vaccinated or have a negative COVID 19 RT‑PCR test certificate for a test taken not more than 72 hours before departure to be accepted for travel to Iran. You are considered fully vaccinated 14 days after you receive the final required dose of any COVID‑19 vaccine.
HOW TO APPLY FOR IRAN TOURIST VISA
Before you can apply for an Iran tourist visa, you must contact a travel agent in Iran to issue a Letter of Invitation (Iran Visa Code).
The travel agency in Iran will submit an application with the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA). If the application is successful, they will send you a visa code, which you have to take to the Iran Embassy/Consulate along with all the other required documents.
Iran visa requirements
– Passport Scan: A colour scan of your photo page from your passport (must be in colour).
– Passport Photo: An individual colour passport photo scanned.
Visa application fee
The visa application fee is payable to the travel agency to get your Iran Visa Code. Visa application fees are non-refundable.
Visa fee
At the time of visa collection applicants are required to consider making related consular visa collection and paperwork fees. The visa fee depends on your nationality from 30 Euros to 150 Euros.
How long does it take to receive an Iran visa?
First, It takes about 5-7 working days to receive an Iran Visa Code from the travel agency. If you are from the US, UK or Canada, it may take around 1-3 months.
Then, once you receive your Iran Visa Code, you have to apply for your Iran visa at the Embassy, which again can take one day to two weeks, depending on your nationality.
If you are not applying at an Embassy, then you can get the Iran visa on arrival, which takes just a few hours at the airport.
How long is the Iran tourist visa valid for?
Iran Visa (in advance from Embassy) and Visa on Arrival are valid for 30 days.
How can I extend my Iran visa?
If you have received an Iran visa in advance or on arrival, you can extend it from the Police Department of Aliens Affairs in a major Iranian city. The process usually takes only about one day.
The extension of your visa is based on the initial duration: if you had a 30-day visa, you can extend it for an additional 30 days. If you had a 15-day visa, then you can only extend it for another 15 days, and so on.
IRAN VISA FOR US, UK OR CANADIAN CITIZENS
US, UK, or Canada citizens must consider a few important tips in order to obtain an Iranian visa.
– US, UK, or Canada citizens will have to have their itinerary and tour guide approved 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.
– US, UK, or Canadian citizens can only enter and leave Iran through air borders.
– US, UK, or Canadian citizens must be accompanied by a guide at all times while they are in Iran.
– All applications from US, UK, or Canada citizens must be accompanied with a detailed resume.
How long does it take for the US, UK or Canadian citizens?
US, UK, or Canada citizens can expect to wait anywhere from 1 to 3 months to receive their Visa Code.
Once you receive your visa authorization code, you’re officially approved to get a visa.
Now, all you need to do is actually *get* the visa in person (for US, UK or Canadian citizens) or by mail (for US and Canadian citizens only).
Visa requirements for the US or Canadian citizens
U.S and Canadian passport holders will need to apply for a travel authorization number from a licensed tour operator. This will require submitting the following information:
– Passport Scan: A colour scan of your photo page from your passport (must be in colour).
– Passport Photo: An individual colour passport photo scanned.
– A complete tour itinerary
– A personal information document (Download)
– A professional resume* (Sample)
*Resume: This must be a document that lists the applicants’ education and employment history – similar to what you would prepare for a job application. This should include short paragraphs explaining your previous job responsibilities, but may also include hobbies/interests, and education. If you are or have been unemployed please simply include a short explanation of what period this applies to and why. Please note that this document may be rejected and cause delays to your application if it is shorter than 2-3 pages.
I’m from Us/Canada. Can I get the visa by mail?
For most Canadians and Americans, you’ll have to mail your visa application and passport to the Iranian Interests Section of the Pakistan Embassy. Pakistan’s embassy operates as the representation for Iran, as there’s no Iranian embassy in the United States. To obtain the visa, you’ll need to provide the following items in your mailed package, and send to 1250 23rd St. N.W. Suite # 200 Washington, DC 20037:
– Visa application forms (Download)
– Authorization code
– Colour passport photo
– Valid passport with minimum six months validity
– Insurance policy: In order to collect your visa directly, you must carry your travel insurance policy that covers you whilst in Iran. You can buy from Treasureplat
– $120 USD money order for visa processing fee and return mailing fee
– Return envelope
After you mail your paperwork, it typically takes 2-3 weeks to process and arrive in your mailbox again. You can also pay an additional fee to expedite the process, if necessary.
If you’re lucky enough to live in or near Washington DC, you can simply bring your authorization code, visa application forms, passport photos, passport, and $90 USD money order (no mailing fee needed) to the Pakistan Embassy yourself, located at 1250 23rd St NW #200, on any weekday from 8-11 AM or 2-4 PM.
After you dropped your passport off, it took approximately 4 days for them to process the visa and return the passport to you. You can pick it up at the same office where you dropped it off.
I’m from UK, Can I get the visa by mail?
Currently, visas are issued only in person. After receiving the visa verification code, British citizens should submit their documents in person to the Iranian Embassy in London at 150 Kensington Court London W8 5DD, on any weekday from 9-12 AM, Tel: +44 (20) 722-53000 – email: lon.visa@mfa.gov.ir
British passport holders will need to apply for a travel authorization number from a licensed tour operator . This will require submitting the following information:
– Authorization code
– Two recently taken photos
– Valid passport with minimum six months validity
– Completed application form (Download)
– Visa fee (£165)
IRAN VSA REQUIREMENTS
When applying for an Iran visa, it is crucial to ensure that all required documents are present and accounted for. In addition to a valid passport with at least six months remaining before expiration, applicants must also provide a recent passport-sized photo and a color image of the first page of their passport.
Photo Requirements
Your photo is a vital part of your visa application. We recommend you use a professional visa photo service to ensure your photo meets all the requirements.
Your passport photos must be:
- clear and in focus
- in colour
- unaltered by computer software
- at least 600 pixels wide and 750 pixels tall
- at least 50KB and no more than 2MB
Passport Copy Requirements
The digital image of your passport is a vital part of your visa application. To learn more, review the information below on how to provide a suitable digital image. The acceptance of your passport copy is at the discretion of the IR.IRAN Embassy or consulate where you apply.
Your passport photos must be:
· clear and in focus
· in colour
· unaltered by computer software
· at least 50KB and no more than 10MB
