Should you travel to Tehran right now? What the UK and Canada say

The UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) advises against all travel to Iran, and so does the Government of Canada, which adds that anyone already in the country should leave now if they can do so safely. This page is not a case for going. It sets out what those governments say about Tehran and the rest of Iran, which risks fall on an ordinary visitor and which questions are worth settling before anyone decides. If they cannot be answered with confidence, the honest answer to the question is no.

The UK advice was last changed on 13 August 2026, when it removed information about the temporary withdrawal of UK staff and the embassy operating remotely. Canada's advice was last updated on 23 July 2026, with new information on the tensions in the Middle East. Both pages were checked on 4 October 2026 and can change without notice. Readers with other passports should check their own foreign ministry too, because consular support and the rules differ by nationality.

Read the full text on the UK government's Iran travel advice before deciding anything, and read it again just before any departure.

The two governments agree on the conclusion and emphasize different reasons. The table summarizes them, and each original has the exact text.

Read together, the two pages make three points. First, the main risk for some passport holders is legal and political, not street crime. The UK says holding a British passport or having perceived connections to the UK can be reason enough to be detained. Second, government help is thin. The UK says its support is extremely limited, that no face-to-face consular assistance will be possible in an emergency and that it will not be able to help if you get into difficulty. Canada says its ability to provide consular services is extremely limited, especially during an active conflict, and that people should not rely on its help for evacuations or assisted departures. Third, the situation can change quickly, which is why each page tells readers to keep checking.

The risks fall into several groups, and it helps to take them one at a time.

Arrest, detention and the death penalty. The UK says there is a very high risk of arrest, questioning and detention for British nationals and British-Iranian dual nationals. It says that if the Iranian authorities accuse a British national of security-related offences, there is a risk of a death sentence, and that Iran executed some foreign national detainees in 2023, including a British-Iranian national. It describes the criminal justice process as falling below international standards. If you are detained, it says you could face months or years of imprisonment, fines and strict bail conditions, and that dual nationals' cases may not even be notified to the UK government.

Regional conflict and infrastructure. The UK says the US and Iran announced a memorandum of understanding on 17 June, but that the situation in the Middle East remains unpredictable, that there have been strikes and retaliatory attacks across the region since 8 July and that the US and Israel have struck infrastructure across Iran, with reports of effects on ports, roads, railways, bridges, energy facilities, water systems and airports. Canada says drone and missile attacks have resumed and struck targets in Iran, including civilian infrastructure, and that some airlines have suspended flights, although commercial flights and overland crossings remain available.

Protests and surveillance. Canada says protests erupted across Iran for several weeks in December 2025, including in Tehran, causing mass casualties and arrests, and that renewed demonstrations and a violent response remain possible. The UK says that if you are in or near a protest you are at serious risk of arrest, that mass arrests including of bystanders happen often and that the Iranian authorities have accused people with links to the UK of inciting protests. Canada adds that Canadians are likely to face increased surveillance and scrutiny, including for taking photographs in public places or interacting with the local population.

Communications and basics. The UK says there is ongoing disruption to communications across Iran, with limitations on internet access. Canada says there are connectivity problems, power outages that occur frequently and can last several hours, and water shortages in Tehran and several provinces. The companion guide to money, phones and rules in Tehran covers those practical issues.

Terrorism. The UK says terrorists are likely to try to carry out attacks in Iran, which could be indiscriminate and include places frequented by foreign nationals, and it lists attacks in Kerman in 2024 and at the Shah Cheragh mausoleum in Shiraz in 2022 and 2023. Canada lists tourist attractions, public transportation and airports among the targets of attacks that have occurred.

Borders, crime and roads. The UK describes border areas as highly sensitive and advises British nationals already in Iran against all travel within 100 km of the Afghanistan border, within 10 km of the Iraq border and in Sistan and Baluchistan province, where Canada also reports kidnappings of foreigners. In cities the UK warns of attempted robberies by thieves posing as policemen, of deaths from alcohol containing methanol and of a high rate of road accidents, and it says motorcycle taxis have taken tourists to quiet places and robbed them.

Insurance is where the advice turns into money. The UK says your travel insurance could be invalidated if you travel against FCDO advice. Many standard policies exclude countries under an against-all-travel warning, and a claim for medical care, evacuation or cancelation can then be refused. That matters more here than almost anywhere, because both governments say help from them will be limited. See the travel insurance guide for how exclusions work and what credit card travel insurance covers for why card benefits rarely help in a case like this.

Put these questions to an insurer in writing. Does the policy cover Iran given the current advice? Does it pay for emergency medical evacuation, and who decides when evacuation is possible? Does it cover legal costs or an exit arranged privately because flights or borders are closed? The UK says that if you travel against advice you should research your destinations and get insurance that covers your itinerary, planned activities and expenses in an emergency. Keep the reply and read the exclusions list in full.

Each government tells readers to plan an exit that does not depend on it. The UK says air, sea and land routes are under the control of the Iranian authorities, that airspace may close at short notice and that ports and borders may close too. It says you should have a contingency plan to leave Iran in an emergency and should not assume borders will remain open. Canada says that leaving by a land border is at your own risk and that the Embassy of Canada in Ankara can request facilitation for Canadians entering Turkey. The companion guide to leaving Iran sets out the border notes.

Some travelers face risks beyond the general ones. The UK says British-Iranian dual nationals are treated as Iranian, that Iran does not recognize dual nationality and that British nationals who have ever been involved in civil society, journalism, social media about politics or Iran, academic work or links to Israel or the US government may be at greater risk. Canada says Canadian-Iranian dual citizens must enter and exit on their Iranian passports, may not be allowed to leave without meeting conditions and are at risk of arbitrary questioning, arrest and passport confiscation, and that military service is mandatory for male Iranian citizens aged 18 to 34, including dual citizens born in Canada.

Women face dress rules and harassment, and the UK says enforcement crackdowns can lead to large-scale arrests. Canada says 2SLGBTQI+ persons could face corporal punishment, imprisonment or the death penalty. The companion guide to dress and conduct rules in Esfahan sets out those rules, which apply throughout Iran.

Before anyone decides, these questions deserve written answers. Does your own government's advice still say the same thing today, and what does your insurer's wording allow? Is your reason for traveling essential and time-bound? Do you or anyone traveling with you hold a second passport, or have family or professional links the authorities could treat as suspicious? Who knows where you are, and what is your exit plan if flights and borders close? Could you fund a private departure if flights and borders close? If any answer is uncertain, the two governments' advice leaves little room for doubt.

The wider reference pages on visas and entry and travel insurance cover general rules, and the Iran guide explains why this site limits itself to advice, entry and safety basics while the advice stands. The purpose of this page is to record the advice, not to argue for a visit.