Iran
Phone Code
+98
Capital
Tehran
Population
89 Million
Native Name
ایران
Region
Asia
Southern Asia
Timezone
Iran Daylight Time
UTC+03:30
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Iran is a 1.65 million-square-kilometre country at the crossroads of the Middle East, Central Asia and the Caucasus, bordered by Turkey, Azerbaijan and Armenia in the north-west, the Caspian Sea, Turkmenistan and Afghanistan in the north-east, Pakistan in the south-east and Iraq in the west, with 2,400 km of southern coastline on the Persian Gulf and Gulf of Oman. The roughly 89 million Iranians speak Persian (Farsi) as the universal language, with substantial regional populations speaking Azeri (around 16 percent in the north-west), Kurdish (around 10 percent in the west), Mazandarani and Gilaki (along the Caspian), Luri, Baluchi and Arabic in Khuzestan. The capital, Tehran, sits at the foot of the Alborz Mountains in the north and holds about 9 million people in the city proper and 16 million in the metropolitan area. Iran has 28 UNESCO World Heritage sites — among the highest counts in the world — anchored by Persepolis (Takht-e Jamshid), the Achaemenid ceremonial capital built between 518 and 330 BCE, and Pasargadae with the tomb of Cyrus the Great; the Naqsh-e Jahan Square in Isfahan, one of the largest urban squares in the world, framed by the Shah and Sheikh Lotfollah mosques and the Ali Qapu Palace; the historic city of Yazd, an adobe desert city of windcatchers (badgir) and one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world; the Persian Garden ensemble (Bagh-e Eram in Shiraz, Bagh-e Fin in Kashan, Bagh-e Dolat-Abad in Yazd, six others); Susa and the Chogha Zanbil ziggurat from the Elamite era; the Tabriz Historic Bazaar Complex; the Bisotun reliefs of Darius the Great; the Lut Desert (Dasht-e Lut), a UNESCO natural site with some of the highest land surface temperatures recorded on Earth; and ten further sites across the country. Iranian culture is the heir of the Achaemenid, Parthian, Sassanid and post-Islamic Persian dynasties, and is best read through Persian poetry (Hafez and Saadi in Shiraz, Ferdowsi's Shahnameh, Rumi, Khayyam in Nishapur), miniature painting and tile-work, the music of the tar and santur, the carpet weaving traditions of Tabriz, Isfahan, Kerman and Qom, and a cuisine — chelo kebab, fesenjan (walnut and pomegranate stew), ghormeh sabzi (herb stew), joojeh kebab, ash reshteh (noodle soup), tahdig (the prized crisped rice base), baghali polo with saffron, dates from Bam, pistachios from Kerman, cardamom-and-rosewater desserts, the long tea ritual — that travellers cite among the great cuisines of West Asia. Iran's hospitality (taarof, the elaborate ritualised politeness that runs through every encounter, including the famous repeated 'no, please, you keep it') is one of the most striking first impressions for international visitors and is consistently noted by returning travellers across decades and political contexts.
Visa Requirements for Iran
Iran requires a visa for citizens of essentially all nationalities (a small number of African and Asian states have bilateral visa-free arrangements). The standard route for tourism is a two-step process: an online application through the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs e-visa portal at evisa.mfa.ir for an authorisation code (also called a 'visa grant notice' or 'reference number'), followed by collection of the actual visa sticker either at an Iranian consulate abroad or at the visa-on-arrival counter at major airports. The application typically takes 5–10 working days and costs around EUR 50–100 depending on nationality and processing speed. Visa on arrival is available at Imam Khomeini International Airport (IKA, Tehran), Mehrabad (THR, Tehran domestic but accepts some flights), Mashhad (MHD), Isfahan (IFN), Shiraz (SYZ), Tabriz (TBZ) and Kish and Qeshm island free zones for most European, Latin American, East Asian and Australasian nationalities — typically 30 days, around EUR 75–100, paid in cash euros at the airport visa-on-arrival office before passport control. Citizens of the United States, the United Kingdom and Canada are a distinct case: they cannot use the visa-on-arrival route and must travel as part of a pre-arranged organised tour with a licensed Iranian tour operator who provides the accompanying guide for the duration of the visit. Israeli passport holders, and travellers whose passport contains an Israeli entry or exit stamp, are denied entry; carry a passport without such marks if you intend to enter Iran. Passport must be valid at least six months from the date of entry. Mandatory travel insurance covering medical care in Iran is required and may be checked at the airport — many travellers buy a 30-day Iranian-domestic policy on arrival for around EUR 15. Female travellers are required to be photographed with a headscarf (hijab) for the visa application and to wear hijab in public throughout the visit (see notes below). The visa system has tightened and loosened in cycles; verify the current rules for your nationality on evisa.mfa.ir or with a Iranian consulate or accredited tour operator before booking, especially given the political volatility surrounding US/UK/Canadian travel and dual-nationality risks (see Important Travel Information).
Common Visa Types
Tourist Visa with Authorisation Code (Pre-Arranged)
Tourism for citizens of almost all countries — the standard pre-arranged route via the Ministry of Foreign Affairs e-visa portal, with the actual visa collected either at an Iranian consulate abroad or as visa on arrival.
Visa on Arrival (30 Days)
Tourism for citizens of most European, Latin American, East Asian and Australasian countries — including the entire Schengen area, the UK if travelling unaccompanied is permitted (verify before booking), Australia, New Zealand, Japan, South Korea, Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, Mexico, Chile, Argentina, Brazil and others; not available to US, UK and Canadian nationals (organised tour required, see below).
Tourist Visa via Organised Tour (US, UK, Canada)
Tourism for US, UK and Canadian nationals, who under current Iranian regulations cannot use the visa-on-arrival route and must enter the country as part of a pre-arranged organised tour with a licensed Iranian tour operator and an accompanying guide for the duration of the visit.
Pilgrimage, Business, Press & Long-Term Visa
Pilgrimage to Mashhad and Qom (the standard Shia pilgrimage routes attract several million annual visitors from Iraq, Pakistan, Lebanon, Azerbaijan and beyond), business travel, journalism and press, study at Iranian universities, family reunification with Iranian citizens, and long-term residence (carte de séjour, the Iqamat-e Pelak Sabz).
Important Travel Information
Travel Guide
Iran is one of the world's great destinations for travellers interested in deep history, Islamic and Persian architecture, the great gardens and miniature traditions, Silk Road bazaars and a cuisine that ranks among the most distinctive in West Asia — and is increasingly recognised by repeat visitors as one of the most hospitable countries on Earth, regardless of the political climate around it. The classic two-week itinerary follows the historical heart of Iran in a Tehran–Kashan–Isfahan–Yazd–Shiraz–Persepolis loop, often extended north-west to Tabriz or east to Mashhad. Tehran, the capital, is a sprawling modern megacity at the foot of the Alborz with the National Museum of Iran and the National Jewelry Treasury (the Crown Jewels including the Darya-e Noor diamond), the Golestan Palace UNESCO complex of Qajar-era audience halls, the Carpet Museum, the contemporary Tabiat Bridge, the Tochal cable car up the mountain north of the city, and a thriving restaurant and café scene in the northern Tajrish, Niavaran and Elahieh neighbourhoods. Kashan, three hours south of Tehran, is the gateway to the desert circuit, with the four classical Qajar merchant houses (Borujerdi, Tabatabaei, Abbasian, Ameri), the Bagh-e Fin Persian garden (UNESCO) and the rosewater distilleries of Qamsar in May. Isfahan — Esfahan nesf-e jahan, 'Isfahan is half the world' as the saying goes — is the country's signature city: the Naqsh-e Jahan Square (UNESCO), one of the largest urban squares in the world, frames the 17th-century Shah Mosque, the smaller jewel-like Sheikh Lotfollah Mosque, the Ali Qapu Palace and the entrance to the Grand Bazaar; the Khaju and Si-o-Se Pol bridges across the Zayanderud, the Vank Cathedral in the Armenian quarter of Jolfa, the Chehel Sotoun and Hasht Behesht palaces and pavilions complete the city. Yazd, four hours south-east, is the Zoroastrian and desert architecture city — UNESCO-listed adobe old town, the world's highest concentration of windcatchers (badgir), the Atash Behram Zoroastrian fire temple keeping a flame alight since the 5th century, the Towers of Silence on the city's edge, the Amir Chakhmaq complex. Shiraz, the city of poetry, is the gateway to Persepolis (UNESCO, the Achaemenid capital 60 km away) and Pasargadae (UNESCO, with Cyrus the Great's tomb 130 km further) and holds in its own right the Nasir al-Mulk 'Pink Mosque' (with the famous stained-glass winter prayer hall), the Eram Garden (UNESCO Persian garden), the tombs of Hafez and Saadi (the great Persian poets), the Vakil Bazaar and the Karim Khan Citadel. Tabriz in the north-west is the country's textile and bazaar capital, with the UNESCO-listed Tabriz Historic Bazaar Complex (one of the largest covered bazaars in the world), the Blue Mosque (Masjed-e Kabud, ruined but partly restored), the Azerbaijan Museum and the gateway to the Sabalan volcano and the village of Kandovan (a still-inhabited rock-cut village resembling Cappadocia). Mashhad in the north-east is the country's holiest city for Shia Muslims and one of the largest pilgrimage destinations in the Islamic world, centred on the Imam Reza Shrine — over a million square metres including mosques, madrasas, the Astan Quds Razavi museum, libraries and the actual mausoleum — and the resting place of the Persian poet Ferdowsi at Tus nearby. The Caspian coast in the north (Ramsar, Chalus, Babolsar) is summer beach territory for Iranians; the Persian Gulf islands of Kish and Qeshm have free-zone status with relaxed visa rules; the Lut Desert in the south-east is a UNESCO natural site for serious desert travellers; the Hyrcanian forests in the north, Iran's only temperate rainforests, were UNESCO-listed in 2019. Cuisine — chelo kebab, fesenjan, ghormeh sabzi, ash reshteh, joojeh kebab, dizi (the lamb stew you mash and pour over flatbread), tahdig, the saffron-and-rosewater bastani ice cream, the multi-hour Persian tea ritual with sugar candy (nabat) — is genuinely one of the great cuisines of the region. Iranian hospitality and the taarof code make every encounter memorable.
Ways to Experience This Destination
Persepolis (Takht-e Jamshid, UNESCO World Heritage) was the ceremonial capital of the Achaemenid Empire built between 518 and 330 BCE under Darius I, Xerxes I and their successors — the great staircase, the Apadana audience hall, the Hall of a Hundred Columns, the bas-reliefs of tribute-bearing delegations from across the ancient world. Pasargadae (UNESCO), 130 km north of Shiraz, holds the tomb of Cyrus the Great, founder of the Achaemenid Empire and author of the Cyrus Cylinder (often described as the world's first declaration of human rights). Naqsh-e Rustam, near Persepolis, holds the rock tombs of Darius the Great and three other kings carved into the cliff face. A standard 1–2 day excursion from Shiraz; reach by hired car or organised tour.
Isfahan, the 17th-century Safavid capital, is the city most travellers cite as their favourite stop in Iran. The Naqsh-e Jahan Square (UNESCO World Heritage), one of the largest urban squares in the world (160,000 m²), frames the Shah Mosque (now Imam Mosque) with its turquoise dome, the smaller and more intimate Sheikh Lotfollah Mosque (originally a private royal mosque), the Ali Qapu Palace with its music hall stucco ceilings and the entrance to the Grand Bazaar (Qeysarie). The Khaju and Si-o-Se Pol bridges over the Zayanderud are the city's evening gathering places; the Vank Cathedral in the Armenian quarter of Jolfa testifies to Shah Abbas's relocation of Armenian craftsmen; the Chehel Sotoun palace pavilion sits in a Persian garden of the same name (UNESCO).
Yazd (UNESCO Historic City), in the central Iranian desert plateau, is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities on Earth and the principal centre of Iran's surviving Zoroastrian community. The adobe-walled old town has the world's highest concentration of windcatchers (badgir), the elegant ventilation towers that cool houses without electricity; the Atash Behram fire temple has kept a flame alight continuously since the 5th century AD; the twin Towers of Silence on the city's outskirts are the historical Zoroastrian sky-burial sites; the Amir Chakhmaq complex anchors the centre with its photogenic three-tiered facade. Half of the desert tour-circuit operators run camel-and-dune safaris into the surrounding Lut and Kavir deserts from here.
Shiraz, the city of Hafez and Saadi (the two great Persian poets, both buried here in working pilgrimage sites), the Nasir al-Mulk 'Pink Mosque' (famous for the stained-glass kaleidoscope of light through its winter prayer hall at sunrise), the Eram Garden and the Bagh-e Naranjestan (both UNESCO-listed Persian gardens), the Karim Khan Citadel, the Vakil Bazaar and the Vakil Bath, and the Pars Museum. Shiraz is also the standard base for Persepolis (60 km), Pasargadae (130 km) and Naqsh-e Rustam (also 60 km) — the four-site Achaemenid circuit that anchors most Iran itineraries.
Tehran, the modern capital at the foot of the Alborz, holds the National Museum of Iran (the country's principal antiquities collection from prehistoric to Islamic eras), the Golestan Palace (UNESCO Qajar-era complex of audience halls and gardens), the National Jewelry Treasury with the Darya-e Noor diamond and the Peacock Throne, the Carpet Museum and the Tochal cable car up the mountain. Mashhad in the north-east is the country's holiest Shia city centred on the Imam Reza Shrine (over a million square metres of mosques, madrasas and the Astan Quds Razavi museum); the resting place of Ferdowsi at Tus is nearby. The Caspian coast (Ramsar, Chalus, Babolsar) is summer beach country for Tehranis; the Hyrcanian forests (UNESCO 2019) are Iran's only temperate rainforests.
Iranian cuisine is one of the great kitchens of West Asia: chelo kebab (the national dish of skewered lamb or chicken with saffron-buttered rice), fesenjan (walnut and pomegranate stew with chicken or duck), ghormeh sabzi (herb-and-kidney-bean stew), joojeh kebab (yoghurt-marinated saffron chicken), ash reshteh (the noodle, herb and bean soup of Persian New Year), dizi (the lamb-and-chickpea stew you mash with the pestle and pour over flatbread), tahdig (the prized crisped rice base), the saffron-and-rosewater bastani ice cream and the multi-hour Persian tea ritual with rock sugar (nabat). Carpet weaving is the other defining art: Tabriz, Isfahan, Kerman, Qom, Kashan and Nain are the famous origin cities. Taarof — the elaborate ritualised politeness that runs through every encounter — is one of the most striking first impressions for international visitors.
Money & Currency
Iranian Rial (IRR)
Currency code: IRR
Practical Money Tips
Iranian Rial (IRR) / Toman — bring USD, EUR, or AED cash; no international cards work
Iran uses the Iranian Rial (IRR) as its official currency, but Iranians commonly quote prices in Tomans — one Toman equals ten Rials (e.g., a price of '50,000 Toman' equals 500,000 Rials). Due to US-led sanctions, Iran is excluded from the SWIFT international banking network. As a result, no international debit or credit cards — Visa, Mastercard, American Express, or any other — work in Iran at any ATM or point-of-sale terminal. You must bring sufficient foreign cash for your entire trip before entering Iran. The most practical currencies are USD, EUR, and UAE Dirham (AED). Exchange cash at licensed exchange offices (sarrafis) in Tehran's Grand Bazaar, in hotel lobbies, or at exchange bureaux in major city centres — rates are generally competitive and consistent.
ATMs only work for Iranian-issued cards — no foreign cards accepted anywhere
There are ATMs throughout Iran's cities, but they exclusively serve holders of Iranian bank cards. Foreign visitors cannot use international ATMs in Iran under any circumstances — this is a direct consequence of SWIFT exclusion and financial sanctions. There is no workaround: bring all the cash you need for accommodation, food, transport, tours, and souvenirs. A common strategy is to calculate your total budget conservatively in USD or EUR and carry that amount divided across multiple secure locations. USD bills must be in good condition (no tears, no pen marks) — damaged bills may be refused by exchange offices.
No Apple Pay, no Google Pay, no contactless — cash is the only payment method
Apple Pay, Google Pay, and all international mobile and contactless payment technologies are entirely non-functional in Iran due to sanctions. Iranian banks offer their own domestic apps (Shaparak network) for Iranian cardholders, but these are inaccessible to foreign visitors. Some upscale hotels that cater to international guests will accept payment in cash USD or EUR at reception. In practical terms, every expense during your trip — accommodation, restaurants, transport, museums, bazaar shopping, taxis, and tour guides — will be settled in cash Rials/Tomans or in foreign currency at agreed rates.
Budget guide: accommodation $20–80/night; meals 2–15 USD equivalent; museums $2–10 USD
Despite complex logistics, Iran is generally affordable for international visitors once inside. Street food and local restaurant meals cost the equivalent of 2–8 USD. Mid-range restaurant meals in Tehran or Isfahan: 8–20 USD equivalent. Budget hostels and guesthouses: 15–35 USD per night. Mid-range hotels: 40–90 USD. Museum entries (Persepolis, Golestan Palace, National Museum): 2–10 USD per site. Taxis and ride apps (Snapp, Tap30) require an Iranian SIM to use; negotiate taxi fares in advance and settle in Rials. Carrying a mix of small USD bills ($1, $5, $10, $20) in addition to larger denominations helps with flexibility.
Note: Always check current exchange rates before traveling. Currency exchange is available at airports, banks, and authorized money changers.
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