Once you have decided on visiting Iran as a tourist destination, you may ask yourself would they let me in the country, at all?

So the answer is probably Yes. Even if you are a US or UK citizen, you only need to follow the steps mentioned in Visa for the US & UK passport Holders. Now, how to apply for an Iran visa?

Here are some procedures people who traveled to Iran have been through.

Exempted citizens from applying for a visa to enter Iran

First things first, let’s see which citizens can go to Iran without filling out any application. Tourists coming from the Republic of Azerbaijan, Bolivia, Turkey, Syria, Lebanon, Georgia, Armenia, Venezuela, Egypt and Malaysia, can enter Iran anytime.

If you are from other countries, you can apply through Electronic visa, VOA, and Iranian consulates

Electronic Visa

Jonathan Pimpim

Nationality: French

Here is the website I went on in order to apply for the electronic visa:
https://e_visa.mfa.ir/en/
The application is for free, take approximately a week to get a positive response, and then I payed the 50euros fees at the Tehran airport upon arrival. This works for french people and probably for other European countries.

Saba: Okay! So when was that? And is there an embassy right now in France? Is there offices in different cities except for Paris?

Jonathan: It was in September. There is an ambassy in Paris. And I do not think there others in the rest of the country.

Susanna Pigliapochi

Nationality: Italian

Dear Saba, thank you for your message. I’m very happy to help you with your article. I bought my visa to Iran online, via this website:

http://e_visa.mfa.ir/en/The online procedure was a little hard, especially because I had some troubles uploading my ID photo (resolution and dimensions had to be extremely precise for having the picture accepted by the system).

After some days we received the confirmation via e-mail and I was able to download the confirmation document from the website. With this printed document, then I collected my visa upon arrive at Komehini Airport in Teheran, where I also payed for it (75€, if I remember well).

There the procedure was very easy and quick. Some kind employee waited for at the airport, we waited in line for not more than 10 minutes and then we immediately received the stamp on our passport. All in all the entire procedure (online+at the airport) was quick, easy and also not expensive. I was satisfied and would absolutely recommend it, instead of paying an agency to do it for you.

Hope that this info is useful for you 🙂

Saba: So when was that?And where are you from?

It was exactly one year ago: from 26th December 2017 to 5th January 2018. We are from Italy

Keep in mind, you need to actually book a hotel/hostel in Iran for indicating your address. Because they will check that booking in the mentioned hotel/hostel.

Visa on Arrival (VOA)

Peter Piator

Nationality: Czech Republic

Hi. Get it on airport in tehran. 75eur. You have to have arranged accommodation at least for one night. Plus you have to have insurance which covers whole world or they sell it to you on airport, i think about 25eur. It was on November 2017.Also depends which country are you from.Some countries needs to go to embassy up front. Like USA, gb, Israel, Saudi Arabia, etc.

Roja

Nationality: Austrian

Hi there! I got visa on arrival twice, at Tabriz airport and IKA Tehran, both times 75 Euros and it was all done quite quickly. Some questions because my father is Iranian but I only have an Austrian passport. All easy and people were always friendly and welcomed me.

Parco

Nationality: Malaysian

Assalamualaikum..I went to Iran few times..i think 6timesFor malaysian we just need visa on arrival (few years back for 21days) and now free visa for 14days

Anne-Kathrine

Nationality: German

Hi Saba. I got my visa on arrival at IKA in Tehran.It took about a good hour and cost 75 Euros. It was on Oct 2017.

Juana Ortega Camacho

Nationality: Spanish

We arrived early in the morning and luckily there was no a long queue and took us no longer than 20 minutes . First you have to pay 75€ for the Visa or 90 USA dollars . With that paper ,passport and Visa code you go to another window next.

While you are waiting to get your passport back, another person asks you to show hotel name or tour …and the insurance. I had already my insurance from Spain . If you need one, you can pay for one there ( next window ) for 14€ or 16 dollars .
It was easy and short because the Ministry had approved our Visa , otherwise you will wait longer if you apply VOA , I suppose .
I hope I have helped you with your doubts .
Wish you too all the best

Apply through Iranian Embassies

Ronaldo

Nationality: Italian

Hi Saba. I’m Italian. It was very easy to take the visa. I just applied on the Iranian visa site. After that I went to Iranian embassy in Rome and I gave them the receipt of my application, my passports, my finger prints. Moreover I payed a 50 euros fee with card. They do not accept cash. After few days I came back to the embassy to take back passport with the Iranian visa.

Cora Peters

Nationality: Dutch

It was quite easy to get the visum. I went to the ambassy in The Hague. I was too early but they kindly let me in and helped me immediately. In a quarter of an hour I was ready. It costed 50 euro and was ready in one week. My daughter visited Iran 3 times last year and she was afraid that they would ask questions, but no question at all!

Saba: So where are you from? And when did you travel to Iran?

We are from Holland, we were in Iran last years November/ December 2017…

Ross Clement

Nationality: New Zealand / Asutralian

Hi Saba. I only just read this email. I filled in the forms on the www.iranvisacode.com site, and sent them off. After a while, I was told that my visa had been approved, and to pay 23 euros. Once I did that I received my approval letter, and went down to the consulate in London to collect it. After waiting in line and filling in a form again, I paid £160 for a same day service. I went back at 4pm and collected my passport with my visa in it.

Saba: Thank you for sharing your experience, so when was that exactly?

I think I got my visa a month before I travelled on the 16th of December 2017.

Sophie B

Nationality: German

Dear Saba, thanks a lot for your kind message! 🙂 I think i don’t have anything interesting to tell you about this procedure.. it was very easy, i asked an agency do apply for me, sent my passport to the Iranian embassy in Frankfurt and after about 14 days i got my visa and passport back. only had to answer very few questions (like “reason to travel to Iran” and the place for my first night in Iran) but i think that was it! i paid 90 euro for it.. and the control at IKA was very easy too, even if i think i was the only non-Iranian on the whole plane 😀

Saba: So when was your trip to Iran?

I was in Iran in October 2017.

My visa application is rejected already, what should I do?

Do you see this sentence on your rejection letter as the reason?

از طریق میزبان تجاری یا اداری در مرکز درخواست شود

Try another way to apply, especially if you are a European you can easily get an on arrival visa. There are lots of agencies offer getting your visa and this is your choice. However, remember that, it is also very likely to get a visa on your own. At the end, you need to do what are comfortable with it.

So it literary means the invitation needs to come from a commercial entity rather than an individual. But what should you do?