What you actually need to apply in 2026: the right route for your passport, real costs, realistic waiting times, and the travel warnings to read before you pay for anything.
Check my visa routeSee the stepsIran is not a normal destination right now. We would rather tell you that up front than bury it halfway down the page.
Yes, in almost every case. If you hold a US, UK, Canadian or EU passport you need a visa before you travel. Iran splits Western travellers into two groups, and the difference is big.
Waiting times come from agencies, not the Iranian government, and sources disagree. Treat them as a rough guide. Iran also refuses entry to anyone with evidence of travel to Israel, and treats dual Iranian citizens as Iranians.
The process for European passports. US, UK and Canadian applicants follow the same order, but through an agency.
On evisa.mfa.ir, or through a licensed agency that files for you. Beware of lookalike sites.
Security checks are slowing things down. Don’t book non-refundable flights until the notice is in your inbox.
An Iranian embassy or consulate, or an airport on arrival. With fewer flights, sorting it before you leave is safer. The choice often can’t be changed.
It depends on your passport and the embassy. Pay what that embassy’s own page says.
Government visa feeSet by Iran, charged at the embassy or airport. Example: €50 at the Dutch embassy for EU passports.
Mandatory insuranceA few euros, added through the e-visa system. Around €10 for a standard visa.
Agency feeOptional for most Europeans, required for US, UK and Canadian passports. The guided trip is the real expense for them.
The visa is only half the job. As of late October 2026, Iranian airlines fly to a handful of countries, including Turkey, Russia, China and Armenia. Services to the UAE, Oman, Georgia and Azerbaijan are cancelled or restricted, and some European airlines have reported suspending flights.
More visitors are arriving overland. The Turkish crossings at Bazargan and Razi and the Armenian crossing at Nordooz are open but crowded. Don’t count on getting a visa at a land border.
Keep printed copies of your passport, visa and bookings, since internet access inside Iran can be unreliable.
Wait for the grant notice first.
Rules for Europeans changed twice in 2025.
Airlines may stop you at check-in.
Check the wording before you pay.
It often can’t be changed later.
Registered accommodation only.
Yes, if you hold a US, UK, Canadian or EU passport. A small group of mostly neighbouring countries can enter without one. Free trade zones such as Kish Island allow short visa-free stays for many nationalities, with extra conditions for Americans, Britons and Canadians.
Technically yes, on a pre-arranged guided tour through a licensed Iranian agency. In practice the US government rates Iran Level 4, “Do not travel,” and warns of wrongful detention and exit bans. The US has no embassy in Iran.
Yes. Since October 2025, European passport holders can travel independently after getting a visa, as long as they stay in registered accommodation. Most European governments still advise against travel.
For many European passports it exists on paper, with the grant notice already in hand. It is not available to US, UK or Canadian passport holders. Given the flight situation, arrange the visa before leaving instead of counting on the airport.
Sources vary. Europeans should allow six to eight weeks. Americans, Britons and Canadians should allow three months or more.
The embassy fee differs by passport and embassy, for example €50 at the Dutch embassy and 525 NOK in Norway. Add a small insurance charge and any agency fee. US, UK and Canadian travellers also pay for the guided tour.
The US, UK, Canadian and Australian governments all advise against it, citing armed conflict, regional tension and the risk of arbitrary detention. Only you can weigh that, and it’s worth reading your own government’s advice in full.
Not for most nationalities. You receive a separate paper visa. US, UK and Canadian passport holders may still receive a stamp or sticker.
No. Iran refuses entry to anyone whose passport shows an Israeli stamp or other evidence of a trip to Israel.
Yes, usually twice, for 30 days each time, up to 90 days in total. You do it in person at the immigration police office in Iran, with your passport, photos and proof of registered accommodation.
Often not. Policies commonly exclude countries your government advises against visiting. Check the wording, and if needed buy a policy that names Iran and covers conflict-related events.
Ask your agency what it knows about the reason before you reapply. Fees generally aren’t returned, and some airports refuse visas on arrival for people who were turned down before.
Tell us your passport and travel dates and we’ll point you to the right application path.
Start my applicationRules change quickly. Confirm everything on the Iranian Foreign Ministry e-visa site, your embassy’s own page, and your government’s travel advice (US State Department, UK FCDO) before you pay.