Iran Visa Services
Applying online for your authorization number
In order to apply and get a visa you must submit your passport details to an authorised Iranian travel or tour company. After receiving your information we apply online to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) to get your visa approval number. Your visa will then be processed and if approved an authorization number will be faxed to the Iranian embassy you nominated to have it picked up at. Our office will then email you the authorization number so you can then pick up your visa. The authorization number means that your visa has been approved by the MFA but it is not the visa itself. Normal processing time by the MFA is 10-14 days and longer for passports from USA and UK.
If you need to change the embassy location after the approval is issued then advise us and we can get it reissued at the new location usually within a few days.
Picking up your visa at an Iranian embassy
After you receive your authorization number you can apply in person or by mail at the nominated embassy or consulate. The actual processing time depends on the embassy and can be from 1-5 days. The visa is valid for 3 months from the date it is processed into your passport so don’t pick it up too early before you plan to travel to Iran.
Check our link below to find an Iranian embassy/consulate and its contact details.
Requirements:
- 1 Passport (must have more than 6 months of validity left)
- 1 Application form (sometimes available online)
- 2-4 visa/passport size photos (not smaller than 1”x1.5” or 2.5cm x 3.8cm)
- Proof of medical travel insurance (including evacuation and repatriation coverage)
- MFA Authorization Number
- Visa fee
- Some embassies ask for 1 or 2 photocopies of your passport photo page
Picking up your visa on arrival at an Iranian Airport
Visas are available for pick up at Tehran International Airport on arrival for about 70 nationalities if this method is more convenient. We will prepare an authorization letter for you to give to the airline counter at check in. Once you arrive at the airport in Iran proceed to the Visa Office to have your visa issued. Note that these airport offices sometimes take 20-45 minutes to process your visa and if there is a large group waiting then sometimes longer. Proof of medical travel insurance is now compulsory and is available for sale from the immigration office at the airport.
Check our link below to find out if your nationality is able to get a 15 day visa on arrival.
As of Dec 2014 the following nationalities can NOT get Visa on Arrival anymore:
Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Colombia, India, Iraq, Jordan, Pakistan, Somolia.
AITO Iran Tours can arrange this for you whether you plan to take a tour with us or are planning to make your own arrangements.
Note for American/Canadian/UK Passport holders
- Processing for an Authorization number from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs takes longer than other nationalities due to extra security processing that needs to take place
- Visas for American & Candians can be issued at the Iranian Interest Section of the Pakistan Embassy in Washington, DC.
Visa Authorization Fees:
- If travelling on a group tour with AITO Iran Tours then this service is included in the tour price.
- If travelling independently then we charge the fee we pay to the MFA for your application.
Currently our fee is 35 USD or 25 Euro per person.