The Basics

Quick essentials for daily life — Iran's time zone, how to dial in and around the country, and the electrical supply and plug types you'll find.

Time zone

Iran is in the Iran Standard Time (IRST) zone, three and a half hours ahead of Coordinated Universal Time (UTC). Since Iran abandoned daylight saving time in 2023, there is no clock change during the year.

Calling codes

To call into Iran from another country, dial the country code +98 before the national number. For example, to call the Iranian mobile number 0933 786 1234 from abroad, dial +98 933 786 1234 or 0098 933 786 1234.

Qum area code. The area code for Qum is 025, which should prefix local Qum numbers when dialling from another city — or from a mobile phone. For example, to call the Qum local number 3256 1234, dial 025 3256 1234.

Electrical supply

The standard voltage in Iran is 220 V at 50 Hz. You can safely use appliances brought from home if your country’s standard voltage is between 220–240 V (as in the UK, Europe, Australia and most of Asia and Africa). In the United States and Canada the standard is 110 V; however, many modern devices are dual voltage — meaning they work on both. This is usually marked on the appliance, for example “110–220 V” or “110/220V”. Some older devices cannot cope with the difference and need a bulky, heavy voltage converter, which can be hard to find in Iran.

The plug types used are Type C (two round pins) and Type F (two round pins with earth clips on the side). Adapters are readily available in Iran at very affordable prices.