Residents of Iran
Iranian nationals without a valid vaccination certificate or negative PCR test may be directed to quarantine locations for 14 days and will incur associated medical and accommodation costs.
Children and young people
For children under the age of 12, neither vaccination certificate nor PCR test is required.
Children travelling without a male parent
Under Iranian law, a female parent travelling with her children must have the (usually verbal) permission of the father to take them out of Iran. This is assumed to be the case by Iranian immigration authorities unless the father has petitioned the court, and/or the court has ruled to prevent the children travelling. For further information, contact the Iranian Embassy or Consulate nearest you.
Kish
Risks of detention relating to the rest of Iran, also exist in Kish.
Entry to Kish Island requires you to meet the following conditions, or you may be refused entry:
- have arranged the visit through an Iranian travel agency who has informed the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs about your visit at least 2 weeks in advance of travel, and received confirmation that a visa will be issued on arrival. Advice and a list of registered travel agents can be obtained from the nearest Iranian Embassy or Consulate.
- have a hotel reservation prior to travelling. Your guide must pass a copy of the hotel reservation confirmation to the Immigration Office at Kish Airport at least 48 hours before your arrival, and meet you at the airport upon your arrival.
Some travellers have occasionally been denied entry to Kish without explanation. If you’re denied entry, you should follow the advice of your airline or travel agent.
Check your passport and travel documents before you travel
Visas
You will need a visa to enter Iran as a visitor.
You should make your visa application well in advance of your date of travel. The application process for an Iranian visa can be long and unpredictable. The Iranian Embassy has told the FCDO that to get a visa you must either apply as part of an organised tour, or have a sponsor in Iran. Check with the Iranian embassy for more information and advice. Your passport must be valid for a minimum period of 6 months from the date a visa application for Iran is submitted.
Check the expiry date of your visa before travelling. If you overstay your visa, you may have to remain in Iran until the situation is resolved. Some British nationals have experienced considerable difficulties trying to get visas from private online visa agencies.
Women, and girls over the age of nine, should wear a headscarf in their visa application photos.
If you’re transiting through an Iranian airport, you should check visa requirements with your airline and the Iranian Embassy.
Passports
If you are visiting Iran, your passport should be valid for 6 months from the date you arrive.
Check with your travel provider to make sure your passport and other travel documents meet their requirements.
Previous travel to Israel
If your passport contains an Israeli stamp or stamps from other countries’ border crossing points with Israel, you may be refused entry to Iran.
Dual nationality
Under Iranian law, all Iranian nationals must travel to and from Iran using an Iranian passport. Even if you don’t consider yourself to be Iranian, you may be regarded as an Iranian national by the Iranian authorities – e.g., if your father is Iranian, or if you’re married to an Iranian man.
In order to return to the UK you’ll need to demonstrate to the Iranian authorities that you have a right to return. At present, the Iranian authorities are accepting the presentation of a British passport on departure if you don’t have a UK visa in your Iranian passport. However, the Iranian authorities could change their position on this and it’s officially illegal in Iran to hold two nationalities.
Yellow fever
Check whether you need a yellow fever certificate by visiting the National Travel Health Network and Centre’s TravelHealthPro website.