All visitors to Iran are required to acquire a visa from one of the Iranian diplomatic missions unless they come from one of the visa-exempt countries such as Turkey, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bolivia, Georgia, Malaysia, Syria, and Venezuela or countries eligible for a visa on arrival.

With the consent from the Iranian foreign ministry, we have the authority to assist all guests traveling with Zhivar Tour and Travel Agency with the visa application process for obtaining a 30-day tourist visa for touring Iran.

Zhivar Tour and Travel Agency can start your visa application process as early as 90 days before your departure date.

Passport-holders from Bosnia-Herzegovina, Macedonia, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Slovenia, and Turkey can get a three-month tourist visa on arrival. All other Passport-holders need to arrange a visa in advance or seek a 30-day visa on arrival at an airport.

US, British, and Canadian citizens need to pre-arrange a tour with an Iranian tour operator and a national guide or be sponsored by a friend or relative in Iran, who will take legal responsibility while visiting Iran.

VISA ON ARRIVAL (VOA)

Most nationalities can obtain their visa upon their arrival (VOA) at the administration office of MFA of seven international airports in Iran, including Imam Khomeini Airport (IKA), Mashhad Airport (MHD), Tabriz Airport (TBZ), Shiraz Airport (SYZ), Isfahan airport (ISF), Kish airport (KIH) and Qeshm airport (GSM).

It is highly recommended to apply for a visa reference code before your trip via our visa department to avoid complications or wait in line at the airport upon arrival.

Please note that UK, USA, and Canadian nationalities are not allowed to apply for visas on arrival and must apply at least three months before their trip via a reputable inbound Iranian tour operator and are required to be accompanied by a certified Iranian national tour guide while traveling in Iran.

OBTAINING YOUR IRAN VISA

Obtaining your visa for Iran is a two-step process. First, you’ll require a visa authorization code from the authorities in Iran, which Zhivar Tours requests on your behalf. Once your visa authorization code is issued, Zhivar Tours notifies you to submit your passport to the nearest Iranian embassy in your country of residence for your visa to be stamped in your passport and sent back to you in a timely manner.

VISA APPLICATION PROCESS AND TIMELINE:

Once you have booked your trip with Zhivar Tours, you will forward us a scanned, high resolution, color copy of the passport photo page (right and left side of the first page) for each passenger, along with the information you need to fill out in the visa application form and all the required items listed below, at your earliest convenience:

1-     3 x 4 cm passport size photo (as per the following specification):

• White (plain) background
• Good/Sharp resolution (we need very clear photos)
• To show face, neck, shoulder

2-     Clearly scanned passport photo page (color copy with high resolution)

3-     Visa application form/spreadsheet (please click on this link)

4-     Arrival and Departure flight details

Step by step visa application process:

1- You will forward us the applicant information required by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Please click on this link for your visa application form or have us email you an Excel spreadsheet file to fill out)

2- Once we have the applicant info in hand, we will apply for the visas by sending in a request to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

3- The Ministry of Foreign Affairs will process the information and issue a visa authorization code for each applicant upon approval

4- We will forward both you and your local Iranian embassy the visa authorization code for each applicant.

5- You will then send your passport and visa authorization code to the Interests Section of the Islamic Republic of Iran in Washington DC or to your local Iranian embassy in your country of residence, along with the visa application fee for the visa stamps to be issued.

6- In return, the Iranian embassy in your country of residence will stamp your passport with your visa and mail it back to you (you can request an express overnight service for an extra fee).

Depending on your nationality, the visa application and approval timeline for most European passport holders take about 1 to 2 weeks and 6-8 weeks for UK, USA, and Canadian passport holders.

(All visitors must hold a passport valid for at least six months with at least two blank pages.)

As a package tour operator, we provide the following services for all tours and trips for groups and individuals, including:

• Applying for visas (visa stamp fee paid directly by applicants to the Iranian Consulate).
• Accommodation in 3-4* or 4-5* hotels, on BB/HB/FB basis.
• All land transportations in A/C sedan.
• All transfers to/from airports, from/to hotels.
• All portages and entrance fees for main sites and excursions.
• English, German, Spanish, French, or Italian-speaking national guide.

Please feel free to contact one of our representatives with any additional questions you may have about obtaining a 30 Day tourist visa to Iran.

We hope to see you soon!