Iran Visa Information

Passports

All travellers require a passport to travel to Iran. Your passport must have validity for 6 months beyond the intended length of your stay. Your passport must also have a minimum of two blank pages.

Visas

Most travellers require a visa to enter Iran. Visas can be issued for up to 30 days and can sometimes be extended by a further 15 days.

For all clients, we will arrange a visa authorisation code which will enable you to get an Iranian visa by going to your local embassy in person. In some countries, this can also be done by post. Nationals of many Western countries, excluding UK, US and Canada, can also obtain a visa on arrival.

In order to obtain your visa authorisation code, at the time of booking, we will require the following;

  • a photocopy of the photograph page of your passport
  • a passport-sized photo 
  • your father's full name 
  • your current occupation
  • details of any previous visits to Iran
  • the embassy/consulate you will use 
  • for US/UK/Canadian passport holders, a complete resume (curriculum vitae) outlining your employment and education information (prior to retirement where applicable)
  • for US/UK/Canadian passport holders, a list of the countries you have visited in the past 10 years and the year you visited them. 

The visa authorisation code acts as an approval for your visa application and once it has been issued, it will only be valid for 1 month. All that needs to be arranged by you are just the logistics of passport deliveries to/from the embassy/consulate with the required documents, typically; 

  • Passport
  • 2 x passport photos per person travelling (women must be wearing a headscarf). One photo needs to be glued to the form and the other photo tucked into the passport.
  • Completed, original, signed copy of the visa application form (one per person travelling)
  • Your visa authorisation code (which will be emailed to you by Travel The Unknown once it has been issued)
  • Payment (cash only)

Visa prior to arrival

Once the visa has been stamped in the passport, it will only be valid for two months for entry into Iran. 

For UK-based clients, at the current time, the London Consulate requires you to go in person once your authorisation code has been received. 

The consulate is open between 2 - 5pm Monday, Wednesday and Friday for visa applications, however we recommend arriving early around 1-1:30pm to join the queue to ensure you are seen. 

We have been told that registered envelopes (to return your passport with visa to you) as well as same day service - both at additional cost - are now available but this has not yet been verified.  

London Visa Application Form Download.

Costs (subject to change)
£165.00 per person (visa posted in 7-10 days - you will need to provide a self-addressed, special delivery envelope. You can purchase this at the Embassy for £8.00 per envelope) 
£250.00 per person for same day pick-up (pick-up 4pm-5pm only)

It has been advised that ladies should take a headscarf to wear in the consulate. 

Visa on arrival

Nationals of many Western countries, excluding UK, US and Canada, can obtain a visa on arrival. This can only be done for trips up to a maximum of 30 days. In this instance, we would still provide you with a visa authorisation code and payment would be made on arrival (preferably in US dollars or Euros) as opposed to at an embassy/consulate.

Please note: clients obtaining an Iranian visa on arrival will be required to pay a compulsory $20 health insurance fee.

Iran Visa Processing Timeline

(All times are approximations and may vary in practice.) 

When booking, Travel The Unknown will require a copy of the photograph page of your passport, answers to the visa questions and resume (for UK/US/Canadian passport holders).

3 months prior to trip departure, Travel The Unknown will apply for your visa authorisation code via the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Tehran.

Approx 1 - 2 months prior to trip departure, Travel The Unknown will email you with your visa authorisation code and the next required steps.

Within 1 month of receiving your visa authorisation code, you will need to visit your local consulate/embassy to obtain your paper visa.

Embassies/Consulates

Previous travel

If your passport contains an Israeli stamp or stamps from Iraq, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Yemen and Syria, you may be refused entry to Iran. Please check with us before booking. 

If you have any further questions or would like to speak to our Iran travel specialist, please contact us here.

Please note, all the information provided is correct at the time of writing to the best of our knowledge, however, we recommend contacting your local embassy or consulate to confirm.

Clifford Wheeler Classical Iran

"Thanks to Travel The Unknown, I have a head full of the most incredible memories of a truly remarkable holiday. The organisation, from the arrival in Shiraz, to my driver dropping me off two weeks later at Tehran airport was faultless. The group size and itinerary were perfect. Everything they say about Iranian hospitality myself and the group found to be true, it was quite overwhelming. Men and women would often stop me in the street and personally welcome me to their beautiful country. I have had an interest in Islamic architecture for many years, so when the opportunity arose to visit the country with probably some of the finest examples of the genre, I just had to come to Iran. Many of the mosques and palaces, when seen first hand instead of in books, literally took the breath away. So, thank you David and your excellent company. I would recommend Travel the Unknown to anyone looking for a first rate travel company."
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