Temporary work visa for a foreign skilled worker, specialist or engineer sponsored by an Iranian employer and approved by the labour ministry.
Eligibility: 1Documents: 1Process & costs: 3Report facts: 8
Southern Asia · Immigration
Iran
Iran sits in Southern Asia. Its immigration system runs 13 distinct routes — led by short stays and visits, humanitarian protection and work, each set out in official law. 11 of them cite an official government source, shown on the route with the date we last read it. Who actually qualifies depends on your full profile.
3 further routes are recorded for Iran but not shown here — their details are still under review.
- Immigration routes
- 13across 9 route categories, each set out in official law
- Source-cited routes
- 11 of 13cite an official government source, with the date we last read it
- Largest category
- Short stays and visits4 of the 13 routes — see them under Short stays and visits below
- Region
- Southern Asia
- Capital
- Tehran
- Population
- 92,417,681
- Official language
- Persian (Farsi)
- Currency
- IRR
- Time zone
- UTC+03:30
Source-cited pathways
Immigration routes
All 13 routes, grouped by purpose — 11 of 13 cite an official government source directly. Any route below without one says so on the route.
Work
1 route
Investment
1 route
Investment visa for a merchant or investor whose investment permit has been approved by Iran's competent investment authority.
Eligibility: 1Process & costs: 3Report facts: 8
Study
1 route
Study visa for a foreign school student, higher-education student, religious scholar or researcher with an official eligibility certificate.
Eligibility: 1Documents: 2Process & costs: 3Report facts: 6
Family
1 route
Family visa for a foreign man married to an Iranian woman and for children of that family.
Process & costs: 3Report facts: 10
Culture, faith and volunteering
1 route
Non-immigrant visa for a foreign Muslim visiting holy places in Iran.
Eligibility: 1Process & costs: 3Report facts: 7
Short stays and visits
4 routes
— No eligibility summary published for this route yet
Process & costs: 3Report facts: 12
Non-immigrant visa for a foreign citizen travelling to Iran for tourism.
Process & costs: 3Report facts: 7
Airport visa process for an eligible international-airport traveller who completes the advance eVisa measures.
Process & costs: 2Report facts: 8
Tourist entry without the conventional visa process for a passport holder covered by Iran's published waiver arrangements.
Documents: 1Process & costs: 2Report facts: 7
Official government source: evisa.mfa.ir · checked 2026-07-27
Humanitarian protection
2 routes
Annual continuation process for previously registered Afghan Amayesh and Iraqi Hoviat status holders.
Can bring: children, parents
Process & costs: 2Report facts: 9
Government-run registration and refugee-status determination process for a newly arrived person seeking protection in Iran.
Process & costs: 1Report facts: 4
Source pending confirmation: help.unhcr.org · checked 2026-07-27
Medical treatment
1 route
Medical-treatment visa for a foreign patient with a physical illness and prior approval from an authorised Iranian medical centre.
Process & costs: 2Report facts: 9
Transit
1 route
Transit visa for a driver, tourist or merchant passing through Iran without a purpose of stay.
Documents: 1Process & costs: 3Report facts: 5
Official sources
- MFA Family VisaGovernment
See which Iran routes you actually qualify for.
Take the free 3-minute check for your verdict, country by country — then unlock the full report.