Entry Visas

How visas work in Iran, the student (education) visa process and timelines, and securing separate visas for a spouse and children.

A visa is an official document that allows the bearer to enter a foreign country legally. Almost all foreigners need a visa to enter the Islamic Republic of Iran, whether on arrival or obtained in advance — though citizens of a handful of countries, such as Iraq, Turkey and Lebanon, enjoy visa-free travel.

Recent changes have modernised the process: a traveller’s passport is no longer stamped or affixed with a visa. Instead a paper visa is issued, and dates of entry and exit are no longer stamped, as eVisas are linked to the passport number and all details are stored electronically. As with any country, Iran has its own specific application requirements that must be followed carefully; check the official guidelines for the current details.

Student visas

Once your application to study in the hawzah has been approved, the institution will begin the process of securing an education visa (visa tahseeli), also known as a student visa, on your behalf. This can take a long time — sometimes six months or more, depending on your nationality. Security clearances and issuance times for students from the USA, Canada and the UK typically take longer, owing to those countries’ political and diplomatic relations with Iran. It is wise to check on your application’s status periodically by contacting the school directly.

Once the necessary security clearance is obtained, the school requests a Visa Grant Notice, commonly called an authorisation code. Issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, this code authorises the Iranian embassy in your home country to issue the visa. When the school receives the notice, it forwards it to you, and you then follow your local Iranian embassy’s procedures to obtain the visa — so contact that embassy for specific instructions and further information.

Education visas are typically not free, so be prepared to pay a fee. The cost varies by country but generally ranges from $50 to $400. The Visa Grant Notice is normally valid for 60 days, within which you must submit your passport to the embassy to obtain the visa. The visa itself is typically valid for 90 days, meaning you must enter the country within three months of the date of issue.

Visas for dependents

A student visa is issued solely to the individual applying to study in the hawzah and does not extend to family members. Married students intending to bring their spouse and children must secure separate visas for them independently.

Applications for the Visa Grant Notice can be submitted electronically through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs E-Visa website, or via a travel agent. The online route lets you track your application and carries no fee for the visa code, but many report delays and a higher rejection rate. Using a travel agent can significantly improve the chances of approval and speed things up, though it can work out expensive — agents charge between $20 and $80 per application, on top of the visa fee itself.