Passport and visa regulations
Nationalities
| Passport required | visa required | Return ticket required | |
| Germany | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Austria | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Switzerland | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Other EU countries | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Turkey | Yes | no | Yes |
Passport information
Generally required, must still be valid for at least 6 months upon entry.
Visa information
Generally required, except for citizens of the following countries listed in the table above for stays of up to 3 months with a passport that is valid for at least 6 months upon departure: Turkey. E-Visa: Citizens of the following countries, among others, can apply for an E-Visa. After registration you will receive a reference number, which you can use to collect the visa and the necessary documents from the relevant Iranian diplomatic mission: Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Belgium, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Greece, Iceland, Italy and Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Sweden, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Czech Republic and Hungary. Visa on arrival: Nationals of the following countries can apply for a tourist visa on arrival at all international airports (valid for up to 3 months at many airports for a stay of max. 30 days). Rejection of visa applications and delayed processing occasionally occur, so applying for a visa before entering the country is recommended. The following must be presented: passport (valid for at least 6 months), health insurance, pre-arrival eVisa confirmation (see “Attention” below), invitation or hotel booking confirmation, return flight ticket, 1 passport photo (women with headscarves), completed application form (available at the airport). Cost: approx. €75: (a) EU countries; (b) Switzerland. Attention: Applying for a tourist visa at the airport is not recommended for several reasons. There is no legal entitlement to the issue of a visa and rejection may occur. The waiting time can last up to 24 hours. Travelers who do not have a pre-arranged visa should only travel with a confirmation (“pre-arrival eVisa confirmation”) obtained from the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs prior to travel, with which they will receive an airport visa after arrival. Contacting the embassy before travel is strongly recommended. Business people, journalists, cameramen and photographers always need a visa that has been obtained in advance. Note: Anyone entering the country on a business visa should also be able to present a letter of invitation and the hotel booking confirmation upon entry. In the past, these documents were repeatedly requested despite having a business visa.
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Costs
The fees indicated apply to all citizens of countries participating in the Schengen Agreement, for visas previously applied for: E-Visa: €35-90 depending on the purpose of the trip. Application in Berlin: Tourist visa: (single entry, valid for 10 – 12 weeks): 50 € (normal processing). Business/Enter visa: €60 (single entry); €100 (multiple entries, valid for 3 months); €140 (multiple entries, valid for 6 months): €200 (multiple entries, valid for 1 year). Express processing: visa fee + 50%. Different fees apply for applications submitted to other consular representations (Frankfurt, Hamburg, Munich). Application in Switzerland: Tourist visa: 58 CHF (single entry), 87 CHF (double entry). Business/Entry Visa (single entry): 69 CHF. E-visa: 69 CHF Application in Austria: Tourist visa: 50 € Single entry visa: 60 € Double visa: 90 € Transit visa: 40 €
Visa types and costs
Including entry visas (including for business travellers), tourist and transit visas.
Validity
Tourist Visa: Up to 3 months, length of stay 1-3 months. Business/Immigration Visa: Varies. Transit Visa: Up to 5 days.
Transit
Otherwise, transit travelers who require a visa, who do not leave the transit area, fly on within 24 hours and can prove tickets for the onward journey, do not need a transit visa. The transit visa can be obtained upon arrival for a fee of US$40. First online and then at the consular department of the responsible embassy (see contact addresses) or a tourist visa directly at the airport. Attention: In Switzerland, the visa application can only be made online. For each visa application, the responsible consulate must have a seven-digit reference number from the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The reference numbers must be requested by the Iranian tour operators. The visa can be applied for online in advance at the following diplomatic missions and picked up personally after receiving the reference number: Embassy and diplomatic missions of the Islamic Republic in Berlin, Hamburg, Frankfurt am Main and Munich. Iranian Consulate General in Hamburg; Iranian Consulate General in Frankfurt am Main; Iranian Consulate General in Munich (munich.mfa.ir). The so-called pre-arrival eVisa can be obtained from the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Application required
Tourist visa: (a) 1 application form and 1 additional form (in Frankfurt: copy of the three-page form 1). (b) 2 recent color passport photos (3 x 4 cm). (c) Passport (original) and copy, which is valid for at least 6 months at the time of the visa application and which contains two blank, facing pages. (d) Confirmation of Visa Fee Deposit (Wire Transfer). (e) Proof of accident and health insurance valid in Iran, taken out with an international or Iranian insurance company, or a declaration of commitment by the traveler, when crossing the border at the Iranian airport with an Iranian insurance company (f) Reference number of the invitation from the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, provided by the travel agency. (g) If applicable, a copy of the flight ticket. (h) Fingerprints taken at the local police station. (i) Hotel Booking Confirmation. (j) Planned Itinerary Documents. Business Visa: (a) A pre-approval (Visa Grant Notice) must be applied for online from the Iranian company and be barcoded. This replaces the application form. (bi). (j) Reference number of the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs: The reference number is requested by the Iranian business partner from the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and deposited in the responsible embassy in Germany. (k) Letter of secondment from the company with the reason and duration of the trip, full details of the business partner in Iran and confirmation of the assumption of costs. (l) Letter of invitation and business card from the sending company. (m) Booking confirmation of the return or onward journey. e-Visa: (a) completed visa application form (b) original passport + digital photo of passport (c) certificate of travel insurance (d) reference number (e) proof of booked accommodation, means of transport (f) CV (g) digital photo (current, colored, as JPEG, between 10-500 kB, 400 + 600 px, without hat, without glasses) (h) Receipt of visa fee (i) Fingerprints
Temporary Residence
If you want to stay in the country for more than 3 months, you need a residence permit. The application must be submitted to the police headquarters or the Ministry of Foreign Affairs within 8 days of entering the country.
Processing time
Personal application: Usually 1-2 weeks. Express processing in Munich: 6 working days. Since some visas have to be confirmed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Tehran, the processing time can take up to 2 months. Bern: 2 weeks after submission of all documents and the reference number. Visa on arrival: The processing process can take several hours, sometimes even up to 24 hours.
Proof of sufficient funds
Foreigners must have sufficient funds during their stay.
Legally Required Registration
All travelers (except Iranians) must report to the police headquarters within 8 days. In the case of hotel accommodation, this is usually taken over by the hotel.
Documents required upon entry
(a) Return or onward travel tickets. (b) Sufficient Funds. (c) Recommended: several copies of the most important passport pages and several passport photos that may be required in Iran (In Iran, contact with foreigners, e.g. from hotels or authorities, must be proven. Passport photos and copies of the passport are required for this.). Visa on arrival (a) – (c) (d) Proof of health insurance. (e) Invitation with the name and address of the inviter or hotel booking confirmation. (f) strongly recommended for business trips: in addition to the visa, a copy of the letter of invitation from Iran and a hotel booking confirmation or the correct address.
Extension of stay
Extension applications to the Immigration Office of the Tehran Police Headquarters. The period of validity and the length of stay will be decided on a case-by-case basis.
Entry with children
German: Machine-readable children’s passport or your own passport. Austrians: Own passport. Swiss: Own passport. Turks: Own passport. Note: The same visa requirements apply to children as to their parents. Since June 27, 2012, children need their own travel document (passport / children’s passport) for trips abroad (also within the EU). Entries of children in the parental passport are no longer possible.
Entry restrictions
The government of Iran refuses entry to the following groups of people, among others: (a) Women of all nationalities who do not comply with the Islamic dress code (chador or headscarf and long, non-fitted coat in a restrained colour, opaque dark stockings or long trousers and closed-toe shoes). (b) Travelers who have either an Israeli visa or an Israeli entry stamp in their passport.
