When you plan to travel to Iran as a tourist, you need to have a tourist visa before you can enter the country. In the past, you had to go to the Iranian embassy in your country or your region and apply for a visa. Since January 2016, Iranian government has changed the rules to apply for a visa and you can get your Iran visa on arrival at Tehran airport for 30 days. But how does it work?
My travel to Iran
In the Netherlands there is an Iranian embassy, but I decided to see how the visa on arrival at Tehran airport works, so I didn’t apply for a visa before I left. I’m a Dutch citizen en I travelled solo to Iran for 2 weeks in February 2017. I arrived to Tehran airport on a direct flight and had a return ticket for 2 weeks.
Read more: Is it safe to travel solo to Iran?
Please be aware, American, Canadian and British passport holders cannot travel Iran independently. You have to show evidence of a tour and you need to apply for a visa before your departure. Read about an experience from a British passport holder to apply for an Iranian visa in London here. A few other nationalities cannot get a VOA but need to go to the Iranian Embassy in their country. Please always check your local authorities and what rules apply for your nationality.
Tehran Airport
Most international flights will arrive at IKA – Imam Khomeini Airport in Tehran. After you disembarked the plane, the route will lead you to the main hall. On the far left, there are booths for customs authorities. You can only go through direct if you already have a visa or don’t need one.
In the main hall, you’ll find:
- Insurance booth in the middle of the hall
- Office to apply for your visa on arrival on the right
- Booth to pay for your visa
What do you need to bring for your Iran visa on arrival?
Before you leave home, make sure to have the following things with you (in your carry on!).
- Valid passport that is still valid for 6 months after the duration of your intended visa
- CASH!! Either $ or € will do. I paid 75 euros but this seems to vary.
- Name and address + phone number of the location where you’re staying the first night. You do not need proof of your whole itinerary but authorities will check the first night.
- Proof of insurance coverage in Iran. If you do not have this, you can buy it at Tehran airport. Make sure your insurance company states: “valid in Iran” on the document. The words “world coverage” do not count. Obviously, the document needs to be in English.
Read more: Practical preparations for travel to Iran.
What do you need to do for a visa on arrival at Tehran Airport?
I arrived at 1.30 am on a Saturday morning. On my flight were various European nationalities. An African party and a few Asian travellers also applied for their Iran visa on arrival. None got declined.
Insurance for travel in Iran
First, you need to get your insurance paper stamped. Just wait in line at the insurance office for the guy to stamp your paper. If you do not have proof that your insurance covers you in Iran, you can buy insurance for €15. Or purchase it online before you go, for example via this company.
Read more: How travel to Iran ruined my future travel experiences
Iran Visa application forms
After this, you need to get to the main office and ask the man for the visa application papers. He will give you a white, blue and pink paper. You need to fill out all the details just like any other visa application form. I recommend not to mention you’re a blogger, journalist or photographer as your occupation. Just in case.
Pay for your Iran visa on arrival at the airport
Once you filled everything out, the guy at the office will give you a yellow post-it with an amount on it, which you can pay at the payment booth. Your credit card or debit card will not function, so you can pay in US Dollars or Euro. I paid € 75.
Read more: My 2 weeks in Iran Travel Budget – How much did I spent?
You’ll get a confirmation that you paid for your Iran visa on arrival and you’ll hand over all the papers and you passport to the main office.
Wait for your Iranian visa
Now you have to wait until they call your name. My hotel confirmed that the authorities called them to check if I had a reservation with them. A group of Belgium people confirmed their tour guide received a phone call too.
How long does it take to apply for a visa on arrival?
For me, it took a little over an hour. This was at 1.30 am and we were the 2nd plane at that time. We had to wait until the previous applications had been handled, before I could apply for my Iran visa on arrival.
It can take up 2 hours, depending on how busy it is at Tehran airport and how quick you are yourself! Make sure to calculate enough time if you arrange taxi or pick-up service before you leave home.
Final step for your visa on arrival at Tehran airport
As I was the last tourist standing, the guy didn’t have to call my name. I got my passport and inspected the visa.
Make sure your visa has all the correct information and check if you received the correct passport back!
Now, only one final step to take: go to the custom office and get that visa stamped! Welcome to Iran! You successfully applied for your Iran visa on arrival at Tehran airport!
Read more: 2 weeks travel in Iran itinerary
FAQ about Iran visa on arrival
Can you only apply for an Iran visa on arrival at Tehran airport?
>> No, you also apply for a visa at the other international airports of Iran. I met Ellen from Australia, who applied for a visa on arrival at Shiraz airport and it took her 15 minutes to get one.
Can I apply for a visa on arrival for Iran for more than 30 days?
>> No, the standard visa on arrival is valid for 30 days. In case you need more time, you can apply for an extension of your visa in Tehran or Shiraz.
Do women need to have a passport photo with their hair covered?
>> No, at least my passport photo shows my hair and this wasn’t a problem. None of the other women I spoke to mentioned this being an issue.
Can I apply for a multi-entry visa for Iran on arrival?
>> No, you can only apply for a single-entry tourist visa for Iran.
Read more: Best places to see the desert in Iran.
Pros and Cons for Iran Visa on Arrival
I wanted to apply for the visa on arrival because I could and wanted to see what it is like and tell you people all about it. Some other things to keep in mind when you decide if you apply or not:
Pro’s for applying for your Iranian visa at the airport
- You do not have to travel to an embassy to apply for the visa
- You do not have to leave your passport for multiple days to get a visa
- You can spontaneously visit Iran on a last minute decision
Con’s to applying for your Iran visa on arrival
- It might be cheaper to apply for the visa at the embassy
- You will not know if you get your Iran visa until the very last moment
- If you’re declined (for whatever reason) you have to find a flight elsewhere at the airport.
For me, the cost and time to travel to my embassy and leave my passport there for a couple of days was more inconvenient than to apply for the Iran visa on arrival at the airport. I did worry a bit if I’d get my visa for Iran on arrival but I hope this post eases your mind about how you can apply for your Iran visa on arrival at the airport.
Use an agency to get your visa
If you’re still not sure if you want to take the risk to apply for a visa on arrival at the Iran airport, you can use an agency to get your Iranian visa before. They save you the time and hassle of going to an embassy to apply. You need to pay a fee, fill out a form and they handle the application for you.
Apply for your Iran Visa with 1stQuest
Thank you for reading. Would you like to get updates about the blog and my travels? Sign-up to my newsletter. Once a month you’ll receive an e-mail with information about Probe around the Globe and what is new on the blog. As a gift, you can download my FREE Iran Photo E-Book with all the best images of my travel to Iran to flip through and use as inspiration.
Do you plan to travel to Iran and have more questions? Please let me know and I’ll do my best to answer them and add them here.
This post contains affiliate links. If you decide to book something via one of my links, I’ll earn a small commission. This is at no extra costs to you.
Hello!
Did they ask you for an exit flight ticket? Because I would like to exit through Azerbaijan overland.
Thanks (:
I booked a return ticket, so they didn’t ask me as it was pretty obvious, but you can also obtain the via at the border, so I guess it will be ok. Better check with your embassy what they say about it. Have a good time Antonio.
Hoi! Wat een ontzettend duidelijke blog!:) Ook leuk om te lezen hoe je reist! Ik hoop binnenkort ook solo naar Iran te gaan, maar vraag me af; weet je misschien of het mogelijk is je visum buiten je paspoort te laten drukken? Zodat je ook nog naar de VS en Israel kan blijven reizen?:)
Dank je Rose. Ik denk niet dat dat kan voor een Iraans visum. Het plakkaat gaat echt in je paspoort.
Hoi Rose.
Naar de VS reizen kort nadat je in Iran bent geweest, zal sowieso vervelend worden. Op een ESTA moet je niet meer hopen en bij een gewone visumaanvraag kan je je aan ernstige vragen en misschien een weigering van je visumaanvraag verwachten.
Naar Israel reizen is in theorie geen probleem. Mensen die Iran bezochten worden niet systematisch geweigerd bij de Israelische grens. Verwacht je echter ook hier aan erg veel vragen. Zeker in Israel gaat het er bij zulke ondervragingen om dat je gewoon kalm, eerlijk en geduldig moet antwoorden op de vragen en dan komt alles wel goed.