Iran Visa Requirements 2020
Before applying for an Iranian visa, you have to make sure that your documents meet Iran visa requirements and consider all MFA standards for digital pictures that you will upload onto the e-visa website. Any incompatible uploaded file can lead to visa refusal.
- Tourist Visa Requirements
- E-VOA Requirements
- Other Visa Types Requirements
- Passport Scan Requirements
- Photo Scan Requirements
- FAQs
Iran Tourist Visa Requirements
If you intend to visit Iran you have to apply online for the Iran visa and receive the authorization code or Iran visa grant notice via email. To get this visa approval, you have to have a valid travel document, which has at least 6 months validity.
An acceptable travel document is: an ordinary passport, service passport, diplomatic passport, refugee passport, travel document, or laissez passer. Your passport information page should be scanned and uploaded alongside a digital recent photo of yourself.
You also need to declare your trip itinerary, purpose of trip, home address, telephone number, and a valid email address.
In summary, Iran tourist visa requirements are:
- Iran visa grant notice (Iran visa authorization code)
- A travel document valid for at least 6 months + digital picture (scan) of its information page.
- A recent personal digital picture (this picture will be printed on your Iran e-visa).
- A valid email address to receive your Iran e-visa.
- Trip itinerary.
- Residence address and telephone number.
- For some nationalities like Afghanistan and Bangladesh there is one more requirement: Digital picture (scan) of their residence permit (if they are living in a country other than their home country).
- A valid travel insurance.
- Visa fee to be paid to an Iranian Embassy/Consulate.
Iran Visa on Arrival (VOA) Requirements
To get your Iran VOA, you have to apply online for the visa before your departure and have received your visa grant notice or at least your visa submission notice. Also, it is required to have valid travel insurance. Finally, you have to pay the visa fee in CASH in Euros.
In summary, Iran e-VOA requirements are:
- Iran visa grant notice.
- Valid travel insurance.
- Enough CASH in Euros to pay the visa fee.
In case you don’t have any visa approval or haven’t already applied online and plan to apply on site (at the international airport) for a visa, more documents will be required. Although the visa officer ultimately decides what documents should be submitted, it is recommended to bring all these documents:
- Confirmed returned air ticket.
- Hotel reservation.
- Telephone number of your host or contact person in Iran.
- Personal picture to be attached to your Iran visa application form.
Other Iran visa requirements
If you are applying for any visa type other than the Tourist (B) and Pilgrimage (C) visas, you may need to submit some more documents:
Iran Entry Visa (A) Requirements:
- A travel document valid for at least 6 months.
- Travel insurance valid in Iran.
- A valid invitation letter.
- Online visa application.
Iran Education Visa (E) Requirements:
- A travel document valid for at least 6 months.
- Travel insurance valid in Iran.
- Certificate of Eligibility for Non-immigrant Student Status from the Science Ministry, Education Ministry, or an accredited academic institution.
- Online visa application.
Iran Temporary Work Visa (F) Requirements:
- A travel document valid for at least 6 months.
- Travel insurance valid in Iran.
- Obtaining the labor certificate from a sponsor employer in Iran, approved by the Labor Ministry.
- Online visa application.
Iran Transit Visa (G) Requirements:
- A travel document valid for at least 6 months.
- Declaring visa or eligibility to enter the destination.
- Online visa application.
Iran Media Visa (H) Requirements:
- A travel document valid for at least 6 months.
- Travel insurance valid in Iran.
- Obtaining the permit from the Media & Public Diplomacy Center.
- Online visa application.
Iran Investment Visa (I) Requirements:
- A travel document valid for at least 6 months.
- Travel insurance valid in Iran.
- Approval letter from the Organization for Investment Economic and Technical Assistance of Iran.
- Online visa application.
Iran Marital Visa (M) Requirements:
- A travel document valid for at least 6 months.
- Travel insurance valid in Iran.
- Father’s official permission regarding the children’s trip to Iran.
- Online visa application.
Iran Medical Visa (T) Requirements:
- A travel document valid for at least 6 months.
- Travel insurance valid in Iran.
- Approval letter from one of the authorized Iranian medical centers.
- Online visa application.
When you are applying online for an Iran visa, please NOTE that all uploaded documents should meet the MFA standards. They are:
Iran Visa Passport Scan Requirements
The digital image of your passport or personal photo is a vital part of your Iran visa application. To learn more, review the information below from the MFA on how to provide a suitable digital image. The acceptance of your photo is at the discretion of the Iranian Embassy/Consulate where you apply to collect your Iranian visa.
The scan of your passport must be:
- in color,
- in JPEG (.jpg) file format,
- equal to or less than 500 KB in file size (less than 10 KB is not accepted),
- only the first page (full-length images are not acceptable),
- horizontal in a rectangular aspect ratio (height must be less than width),
- at least 800 x 600 pixels in dimension,
- sharp without any visible pixels,
- properly exposed (too dark or light is not acceptable),
- in a right position,
- clear and all characters must be readable.
Please NOTE:
Photo taken by low quality cameras or mobile phone images are not acceptable. Please pay attention to the following examples:
Iran Visa Photo Requirements
Your personal photos must be:
- in color,
- in JPEG (.jpg) file format,
- equal to or less than 240 KB in file size (less than 10 KB is not accepted),
- vertical in a rectangular aspect ratio (height must be greater than width),
- at least 600 x 400 pixels in dimensions, about 70-80% of the photo must be filled by the applicant’s face,
- taken within the last 6 months to reflect your current appearance,
- the background should be plain white or off-white,
- taken in the full-face view directly facing the camera,
- with a natural facial expression and both eyes open,
- taken in clothing that you normally wear on a daily basis.
- Uniforms should not be worn in your photo, except religious clothing that is worn daily.
- Do not wear a hat or head covering that obscures the hair or hairline, unless worn daily for a religious purpose. Your full face must be visible, and the head covering must not cast any shadows on your face.
- Headphones, wireless hands-free devices, or similar items are not acceptable in your photo.
- Eyeglasses are not allowed in visa photos, except in rare circumstances when eyeglasses cannot be removed for medical reasons; e.g., the applicant has recently had ocular surgery and the eyeglasses are necessary to protect the applicant’s eyes. A medical statement signed by a medical professional/health practitioner must be provided in these cases. If the eyeglasses are accepted for medical reasons:
- The frames of the eyeglasses must not cover the eye(s).
- There must not be a glare on the eyeglasses that obscures the eye(s).
- There must not be shadows or any refraction from the eyeglasses that obscures the eye(s).
- Photos digitally scanned from driver’s licenses or other official documents are not acceptable. In addition, snapshots, magazine photos, low quality vending machine or mobile phone photos, and full-length photographs are not acceptable.
Change of Appearance
If your photo(s) or digital image does not reflect your current appearance, even if it is within 6 months, the Iranian Embassy/Consulate will request that you provide a new photo with your application.
Applicants will be requested to obtain a new photo if they have:
- undergone significant facial surgery or trauma,
- added or removed numerous/large facial piercings or tattoos,
- undergone a significant amount of weight loss or gain,
- made a gender transition.
Generally, if you can still be identified from the photo in your visa application, you will not need to submit a new photo. For example, growing a beard or coloring your hair would not generally be considered a significant change of appearance.
If the appearance of your child under the age of 16 has changed due to the normal aging process, he or she will generally not have to provide a new photo. However, the acceptance of your photo or digital image is at the discretion of the Iranian Embassy/Consulate where you apply.
Taking photos of your baby or toddler
When taking a photo of your baby or toddler, no other person should be in the photo, and your child should be looking at the camera with his or her eyes open.
Tip 1: Lay your baby on his or her back on a plain white or off-white sheet. This will ensure your baby’s head is supported and provide a plain background for the photo. Make certain there are no shadows on your baby’s face, especially if you take a picture from above with the baby lying down.
Tip 2: Cover a car seat with a plain white or off-white sheet and take a picture of your child in the car seat. This will also ensure your baby’s head is supported.
Please NOTE:
Photos taken by low quality cameras or mobile phone images are not acceptable. Please pay attention to the following examples:
FAQs
What is Iran visa on arrival requirements?
To get your Iran e-visa on arrival, you have to have a travel document (passport) valid for at least 6 months. You have to apply online for the visa before your departure and have received your visa grant notice or at least your visa submission notice. It is obligatory to have valid Iran travel insurance as well. Finally, you have to pay the Iran visa fees in cash, in Euros.
How can I get Iran visa?
To get a visa for Iran you need to:
- Fill in our Iran visa application from online.
- Receive your Iran visa grant notice.
- Submit your passport to Iran Embassy/Consulate or international airports.
- Pay the visa fee.
- Collect your visa or e-visa for Iran.
How much is Iran visa fee?
Iran visa cost varies between 20 and 150 euros. Iran visa cost is dependent to your nationality, visa type and where you want to collect your visa. Iran visa on arrival is a bit more expensive than if you collect your visa before arrival from Iran embassies or consulates.
Iran tourist visa cost for most European nationals is 50 and 75 euros if they collect visa from embassy or on arrival respectively.