Iran: visa and entry rules

Iran's borders: every crossing point

Iran's land border crossings, listed by neighbour:

With Armenia: Norduz — Agarak in the north. The key crossing for a route from the South Caucasus.

With Azerbaijan: Astara on the Caspian coast and Julfa in Nakhchivan.

With Turkey: Bazargan — Gurbulak, the largest crossing on the western route.

With Iraq: Khosravi and Mehran; whether they are usable depends on the situation.

With Turkmenistan: Bajgiran and Sarakhs in the northeast.

With Afghanistan: Dogharoun — Islam Qala. The route is unsafe.

With Pakistan: Mirjaveh — Taftan. It runs through Balochistan, a difficult region.

By sea — ferries across the Caspian and the Persian Gulf ports, including services to the UAE.

Driving to Iran

How long a car may stay in the country, and whether a carnet is required to bring it into Iran, is decided by the local customs service. The rules of neighbouring countries are no guide.

Insurance is bought locally.

An International Driving Permit is required.

A carnet de passages is required for temporary vehicle import. A route through Iran is a classic part of the overland journey from Europe to Asia, but the eastern and southeastern border regions are unsafe.

Travelling to Iran with a pet

You need an international veterinary certificate, endorsed by the state veterinary service of the country you are leaving.

The rabies vaccination must be valid on the date of entry.

An import permit is arranged in advance.

Gather the documents for bringing an animal into Iran well in advance. Check vaccination timings, the microchip requirement and quarantine rules with the veterinary service and with the airline — their lists may not match.

When the situation is unstable the veterinary services work erratically, and the paperwork takes an unpredictable amount of time.

Overstaying your visa in Iran

A fine accrues for every day beyond your permitted stay and is paid on departure.

You will pay at the border, and that is where you will be told how much. There is no finding out the amount in Iran in advance, so do not book a tight connection and keep cash on you.

When the situation is unstable an overstay is more dangerous than usual: document checks are more frequent, and the consequences less predictable.

Extensions are arranged in advance, before the permitted period runs out.