Citizens of most countries can get a visa on arrival in Iran. In fact, all citizens can get Iran VOA except citizens of Canada, United Kingdom, United States, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Colombia, Jordan, Pakistan, Iraq, Sri Lanka, Scotland and Somalia. In this case, you need a visa pre-arrival from an Iranian embassy or consulate.
You can either apply for your Iran visa on arrival when you arrive at one of Iran international airports or apply online for your Iran visa on arrival in advance before your travel to Iran. We highly recommend to apply for your Iran visa on arrival (VOA) in advance for safer, faster and hassle-free entry to Iran.
Here you can find more details about the process of getting the Iran e visa, all points and tips that help you to get your visa very easily:
What should you do to get an Iran visa on arrival?
To acquire a visa on arrival at Iranian International Airports, you should take the following measures:
- Make sure you are eligible for Iran visa on arrival (VOA)
- Apply for an electronic visa application here to receive your Iran visa authorization code. it takes around 3 to 10 business days.
- When you arrive at one of Iran international airports, you need to show your authorization code to the visa issuance officer and they will issue you, Iran visa paper.
Documents you should provide at Iran airports to pick up your Iran visa paper:
1. Iran visa authorization code
As said above, you should fill in the online Iran visa application form and get your visa code, which takes three to ten business days. So do it days before you begin your travel to Iran. At the airport, you should have a hard copy of your approved visa authorization code with you.
When you arrive in Iran, you should submit a hard copy of the Grant Notice (visa authorization code) at the visa counter at the airport.
2. Valid travel insurance
You should have valid travel insurance to get an Iran visa. If you have already travel insurance, the name of ‘Iran’ is mentioned in the printed version of your travel insurance. So check this issue with the insurance office. Remember that some broad terms like ‘Asia’ or ‘Middle East’ are not acceptable while you want to collect your Iran visa.
In fact, you can apply for travel insurance even at the airport, if you want to collect VOA. However, it has minimal coverage, and you do not have options to choose from for your preferred services. However, At Exotigo you can easily purchase your Iran travel insurance before traveling to Iran. You can buy your insurance online in no time. We provide it for you at the lowest price in two working days. In this way, you are sure that you have valid travel insurance for traveling to Iran.
Read also: Travel to Iran: Tips for First Travelers
3. Valid Passport
To enter Iran, you should have a passport with a validity of at least six months after your departure.
4. A confirmed return ticket/hotel voucher
It is not necessary but if you have a rigid plan, your return ticket is a good document. However, a lot of travelers do not have a definite plan and any return ticket and it is fine.
Sometimes, the officer may ask about the hotel reservation. It is a good idea to bring the hotel reservation or voucher you booked for the first days of your sojourn with you.
5. Enough cash in Euros to pay the visa fee
The arrival visa fee for most of the countries is 75 euros at the moment. But for a few countries, it’s up to 150 euros. You can check the exact fee in the table below:
Read also: Cash or Credit? What You Need to Know About Iranian Credit Cards
Airports and land borders you can get the Iran visa on arrival
Currently, these airports and ports in Iran give you a visa on arrival.
The number of airports and land ports may change during the time.
So it is wise to check it before you travel to Iran again:
Here you can find the international airports that you can get your visa on arrival:
IKIA: Tehran Imam Khomeini International Airport (Tehran Province)
THR: Mehrabad International Airport (Tehran)
MHD: Mashhad International Airport
SYZ: Shiraz International Airport
TBZ: Tabriz International Airport
ISF: Isfahan International Airport
KIH: Kish international Airport
LRR: Lar International Airport
AWZ: Ahwaz International Airport
BND: Bandar Abbas International Airport
BUZ: Bushehr International Airport
GSM: Qeshm International Airport
If you entering Iran from the south through the seaport, BND: Shahid Bahonar Harbor, Bandar-e Abbas is the port where issues Iran VOA.
In the north of Iran, cyclists and tourists can receive Iran VOA in Astara, Iran-Azerbaijan border in northwestern Iran.
However, if you want to cross seaports or land borders to enter Iran, the wise decision is not to rely on Iran VOA. You can apply E-VOA or double-check the VOA service on the specified border you want to cross. Since issuing VOA policy at the Iranian border may change temporarily due to political and strategical relation between two countries.
Some extra tips about Iran visa on arrival :
- Iran visa on arrival waiting time: It may take between 30 minutes to two hours. It totally depends on the number of applicants at the airport. It takes a long time if you haven’t applied online for your visa before your arrival.
- All Iran’s airport visas are single entry and of stay is 30 days. You can extend your visa at Tehran central office:
Address: Central Police Department of Immigration and Passports, Kooh-e Noor St., Motahari St.
Phone: +98 21 7394 8912
Hours: From 7:30 AM – 13: 30 PM (closed on Fridays)
- All nationalities who are eligible for a VOA can get a 14-day free Iran tourist visa if they remain in Kish Island, Persian Gulf.
Who cannot get an Iran visa on arrival:
- Citizens of Canada, United Kingdom, United States, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Colombia, Jordan, Pakistan, Iraq, Sri Lanka, Scotland and Somalia.
- If an Iran embassy rejected your visa before, you don’t have a chance to get an Iranian visa on arrival.
- Those who are journalists and reporters on a mission from any country cannot get an Iran visa on arrival.
- If you are an Iranian and you hold another nationality’s passport, you are not allowed to get an Iran visa on arrival.
Remember that the Iran visa on arrival is for tourist purposes only. So if you hold a passport other than an ordinary passport (diplomatic passport, official passports, etc.) you cannot apply for this type of Iran visa.
Last but not least
To get Iran visa on arrival, all you need is a passport with six months of validity from your departure date, travel insurance, your Grant Notice, and your visa fee in cash! You can easily enter Iran and enjoy the mesmerizing history and nature of Iran.
