Travelers entering Iran doesn’t need PCR Test or Vaccination Certificate anymore.

Getting an Iran visa is not a hard thing to do anymore, you can easily fill in the online Iran visa application form here, pay the service fees, and collect your visa within 3 business days.

However one of the biggest questions of travelers coming to Iran is their Iran visa duration. Keep on reading to see some of the most asked questions about Iran visa and its duration.

How Long Can I Stay in Iran With an Iran Visa?

The moment you receive your authorization code and your visa has been approved, you can stay in Iran for maximum of 90 days now due to new laws. Before you could only stay in Iran for 30 days but now you can enjoy the wonders of Iran for more days.

Can I Extend my Iran Visa?

The answer is yes, of course! You can extend your visa 2 times but the total duration can not exceed 90 days. However, you should note that the approval of your visa extension depends on two factors: the reason you want to extend your visa and the officer’s opinion of the Immigration & Passport Police Head Office. The reasons for your Iran visa extension can include having a host, emergency reasons, medical causes, or any other reason that is convincing enough. If your extension was approved it may be between 30 to 45 days.

You should keep in mind that tourist visa duration is based on the traveler’s demand on the application. Make sure to check the number of days with your travel agency. In addition, it’s better to extend your visa in 2 different cities.

Where Can I Extend My Iran Visa Duration?

You can extend your visa in Tehran, Mashhad, Isfahan, Shiraz, Tabriz, Rasht, Bandar Abbas, and Yazd at the Immigration & Passport Police Head Office. It is best to extend your visa in less populated cities including Yazd and Bandar Abbas.

Before extending your visa, make sure to do it 1 or 2 days before the expiry date and check the calendar for possible holidays to avoid any possible problems.

If you are applying for different types of  Iran visa including business, medical, and others, you will get the exact days as it is mentioned in their visa and it may not be possible to extend your visa; unless they can prove that they need to stay longer and the immigration will decide to approve the extension or not.

You can contact our operation team for more information about different types of visa and their duration.

You can read more about extending your visa on the Iran Visa extension page, or you can easily contact our 24/7 operation team to help you out.

Requirements for Extending Your Iran Visa Duration

In order to have your visa extended, you should present the following documents to the office:

• Your passport
• Two passport-size photos (women need to have a head-scarf)
• Your current visa document
• Payment with an Iran debit card if possible. Otherwise, you should pay the visa extension fee at a bank.

Period Validity of Iran Visa

Your Iran Visa will be issued with a validity of 3 months, meaning that once your Iran Visa has been issued, you have 3 months to enter the country.

This is only if you choose one of the Iran international airports as the place of visa issue.

In the other case, if you choose an Iranian embassy or consulate, you’ll have to collect your visa within 60 days. However, you have 90 days to come to Iran from the moment you collect your visa.

Place of Issue of Visa – Where Can I Collect my Iran Visa

If you are entering through air borders and want to pick up your visa from one of the international airports of Iran, you have 90 days to pick up your visa after receiving the visa authorization code.

But if you are collecting your visa through an Iranian embassy you have only 60 days to collect your visa.

How Can I Enter Iran? – The main entrance gateways of Iran

Iran has many international airports where you can enter Iran. All you have to do is to book your flight and choose your desired gateway. However, it is best to enter Iran through IKA to avoid any problems.

It is the main national airport in Iran and almost all international flights land at this airport.

• Imam Khomeini International Airport
• Isfahan International Airport
• Shiraz International Airport
• Tabriz International Airport
• Mashhad International Airport
• Kish Island International Airport
• Qeshm Island International Airport
• Bandar Abbas International Airport
• Urmia International Airport
• Ahwaz International Airport
• Bushehr International Airport
• Kerman International Airport
• Larestan International Airport

Coming to Iran with a Private Vehicle & by land

All travelers coming to Iran should provide a day-by-day itinerary but for the ones who are coming by land with their vehicles or bicycles, hitchhikers, and campers this rule is more restricted.

This is only to ensure safety and provide rapid assistance in cases of theft, assault, or accidents. This has been set by the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs for Tourist Visa applicants.

Based on your travel plan and the routes you have in your mind you need to provide a day-by-day itinerary for all your safety reasons.

You should give this itinerary to the travel agency that is applying for your visa. It can be changed while you are traveling of course, but you’ll need to update the travel agency as you are traveling.

If you are only Driving in Iran and have applied for a transit visa, your visa duration is only 7 days.

Which Countries Can Apply for a Visa on Arrival (VOA)?

VOA is not available at the moment. So you have to apply through the E-visa website or through a travel agency.

So, to travel at ease and enjoy the best of your adventures trip to Iran, it is best to contact a travel agency to apply for your visa in advance. It is a guaranteed way of entering Iran and you wouldn’t face any possible problems.

If you apply via the E-visa website, you may be rejected or the status remains pending for a long time.

If you want to have a faster process and want to be able to track your application process, you should apply for your visa through a travel agency like TAP Persia.

Countries Eligible for Visa-Free Entry to Iran

Iran’s visa-free policy includes several countries, each allowing a specific duration of stay:

• Turkey (90 days)
• China (21 days)
• Egypt (20 days)
• Macau (21 days)
• Malaysia (15 days)
• Azerbaijan (14 days)
• Oman (90 days)
• Armenia (90 days within 180 days)
• Georgia (45 days)
• Lebanon (29 days)
• Hong Kong (21 days)
• Syria (90 days within 180 days)

Starting 5th February 2024, 28 more countries are added to this list for a 15-day visa-free visit, including India, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Indonesia, Brunei, Japan, Singapore, Cambodia, Vietnam, Brazil, Peru, Cuba, Mexico, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Croatia, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tunisia, Mauritania, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, Mauritius, and Seychelles. Notably, Indian nationals can enter Iran by air without a visa but need one for land entry.

Different types of Iran visa

Various types of visas are fully explained below. Check them out and see which type works for you the best and apply for your visa to visit Iran as soon as possible.

• Tourist Visa: The most common type of visa for people who want to enter Iran simply for tourism purposes.
• Pilgrimage Visa: All foreign Muslims all around the world who are willing to visit the religious holy sites are eligible for this type of visa.
• Entry Visa: This type of Iran visa is applicable for those foreign citizens who have an invitation letter from family, ministries, governmental organizations, or private and public sectors for work, or visiting family and friends.
• Student Visa: All foreign students, professors, scholars, and researchers are eligible to apply for this type of visa (Iran student visa). Applicants will need a Certificate of Eligibility for Nonimmigrant Student Status from the science ministry, education ministry, or an accredited academic institution
• Work Visa: Skilled workers, doctors, engineers, and generally all specialists in different fields can apply for this visa. As the name suggests these travelers are traveling for temporary work and to share their skills with Iranians.
• Transit Visa: This kind of visa allows foreign citizens to pass through Iran with no purpose of staying. Merchants and transporters are mostly the people who apply for this type of visa. Travelers will need a visa for the final destination or other proof of onward travel.
• Marital Visa: This type of visa is eligible for those families who have different nationalities. If your husband or wife is Iranian, you can apply for this type of visa. This also works for the children of such families.
• Media Visa: All members of the media including radio workers, press reporters, cameramen or photographers, cinema and television directors, actors, and producers who are traveling to Iran as a part of their job can apply for this kind of visa (Iran press visa). Applicants need a permit from the Media & Public Diplomacy Center.
• Medical Visa: This special type of Iran visa (Iran medical visa) is for those foreign citizens who are traveling to Iran for medical purposes.

What Do I Need to Apply for an Iran Visa?

To apply for your Iran visa, some documents are needed including your passport, an electronic copy of the first page of your passport, one passport-type picture, and a travel itinerary. This may differ due to the type of visa you are applying for.

Make sure to ask the operation team of the travel agency that is applying for your visa for more information.

Iran Visa for the UK, US, and Canadian Citizens

Citizens of the UK, US, and Canadian citizens must apply through a travel agency and cannot apply for an Iran E-visa individually. Another point worth mentioning is that they must have a tour guide with them to pick them up and accompany them during their trip.

You can read more about the laws of these citizens traveling to Iran here (iran-tours-visa-us-uk-canadian).

Free Trade Zones of Iran – No Visa Needed

Iran has several free trade zones and you can stay there for 14 days without an Iran visa, but as most of them are inside the land borders and you can’t enter them without crossing the non-free zones, so only the islands are possible for foreigners to enter without the need for visa. These are the free trade zones of Iran:

• Kish Island (possible for tourists)
• Qeshm Island (possible for tourists)
• Arvand Free Zone
• Aras Free Zone
• Chabahar Free Trade Industrial Zone
• Maku

Hope you have found the answer to all your questions concerning the Iran visa and its duration. If you have more questions to ask or if you have any problems while applying for your visa, feel free to ask in the comments or contact our operation team. They will be more than happy to help you out.