Tehran visa and entry rules: the tour or sponsor requirement

Almost everyone needs a visa to visit Iran, and for British citizens the Iranian Embassy has told the UK government that a visa requires either an organized tour or a sponsor in Iran. Canada also lists a visa as required for tourism and says Iran runs an e-visa portal through its Ministry of Foreign Affairs. This page explains how the entry rules work for a visitor to Tehran, what the border can ask for and what can go wrong. It is a reference for people comparing rules, not encouragement to travel: the UK and Canada advise against all travel to Iran, and the decision guide should be read first.

The rules below come from the UK entry requirements page, which describes the position for people traveling on a full British citizen passport who choose to travel against FCDO advice and was updated on 13 August 2026, and from Canada's entry and exit section, updated on 23 July 2026. Other passports differ, and both governments say rules can change at short notice. Check with an Iranian embassy before you rely on any of this.

Read the original on the UK government's Iran entry requirements page. It says that some British nationals have had problems getting visas from private online visa agencies.

The two pages describe the same system from different starting points. The table below summarizes the main differences, and each point is explained after it.

If your passport is not British or Canadian, use the same pattern: find your own government's entry page, then confirm with the Iranian embassy that handles your country. For other passports, the visas and entry hub has the general rules, and the details will differ.

The UK says that if you choose to travel to Iran against FCDO advice you should apply well in advance, because the process for an Iranian visa can be long and unpredictable. Your passport must be valid for at least 6 months from the date you submit the application, and women and girls aged 10 or over should wear a headscarf in their visa application photos. The UK advises checking with the Iranian Embassy in the UK for more information.

Canada lists tourist, business, student, pilgrimage, press and transit visas as required, and links the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs e-visa portal and the Interests Section of the Islamic Republic of Iran at the Embassy of Pakistan in Washington. Canada says overstaying the visa period may lead to detention, imprisonment and fines and that you will have to remain in Iran until the situation is resolved. If you enter with a transit pass issued by an Iranian embassy or consulate, Canada says you may have to obtain an Iranian passport to exit.

Because this guide could not open the Iranian e-visa portal, it does not state fees or processing times. Use only official channels, and treat any agent that promises a fast visa with caution: the UK page notes problems with private online visa agencies.

The UK says that for entry your passport must have an expiry date at least 6 months after the day you arrive, and Canada says at least 6 months beyond the date you expect to leave. Use the longer of the two, and check your airline's own rule, which can be stricter. The six-month passport rule explains why that threshold is common.

On stamps, the UK says that if your passport has stamps from Israel or from other countries' border crossing points with Israel, you may be refused entry to Iran. Canada says Canadians have been denied entry because their passports bore an Israeli visa, an Israeli border stamp or an Egyptian or Jordanian border stamp issued by an office bordering Israel.

Dual nationality is the most serious issue. The UK says Iran does not recognize dual nationality, that British-Iranian dual nationals will be considered Iranian and that the authorities are highly unlikely to accept requests made by the UK government on their behalf. All Iranian nationals must enter and leave on an Iranian passport, and you may need to prove your right to enter the UK. The UK adds that the authorities may regard you as Iranian even if you do not, for example if your father is Iranian or if you are married to an Iranian man, and that media reports suggest Iran is willing to detain people who have been visiting relatives. Canada says dual Canadian-Iranian citizens must enter and exit with an Iranian passport and that military service is mandatory for male Iranian citizens aged 18 to 34, including those born in Canada.

For vaccines, the UK says you must have certificates to prove a yellow fever vaccination if you are coming from a country listed as a transmission risk, and a polio vaccine if you are coming from a polio-affected country. For customs, it says there are strict rules about goods and that you must declare anything that may be prohibited or subject to tax or duty. Importing pork products is illegal. Canada says luggage may be searched on arrival and departure, that electronic devices may be screened and that possessing prohibited items, including sexual or explicit magazines and DVDs, satellite dishes, Western CDs and film and pork products, may lead to detention or imprisonment.

For children, the UK says a female parent traveling with her children must have the father's permission, usually verbal, to take them out of Iran, and that immigration authorities will usually assume permission unless the father has petitioned the court. Canada says children of a male Iranian national are in the sole custody of their father and need his permission to leave Iran. Both advise taking legal advice before traveling in any family dispute.

Kish Island has its own rules. The UK says you must arrange a visit through an Iranian travel agency that informs the Ministry of Foreign Affairs at least two weeks in advance and has confirmation that a visa will be issued on arrival, that you must have a hotel reservation and that travelers have occasionally been denied entry to Kish without explanation.

Putting the official points together gives a short list of what an officer, an airline or an insurer could ask for. First, a passport valid for the longest of the periods above and free of stamps that raise the Israel question. Second, the visa, obtained through the route the Iranian authorities accept for your passport, with the application photo rules followed. Third, certificates for yellow fever or polio if your route requires them. Fourth, copies of your passport photo page and visa, which the UK says you must carry for identification. Fifth, for a parent traveling with children, evidence of the other parent's permission. Sixth, for dual nationals, the Iranian passport that the authorities expect you to use, and, for men aged 18 to 34, proof of military service status.

Keep copies offline and with someone at home, and keep your insurance policy and the insurer's written reply about Iran with the documents. If any item on the list is unclear, treat that as a reason to stop and ask the embassy rather than to travel and see.

Expect questions and checks. Canada says officers may screen your electronic devices and search your luggage. The UK says that if you are traveling through an Iranian airport you should check visa requirements with your airline and the Iranian Embassy, that you will be denied entry if you travel on a lost or stolen document and that you must carry copies of your passport photo page and visa for identification in Iran. If you overstay, the UK says you may have to stay until the matter is resolved and may be detained.

Leaving can be as hard as arriving. Canada says dual citizens may not be able to leave Iran unless they meet certain conditions, and the UK says a British passport cannot be applied for from inside Iran. The companion guide to leaving Iran covers borders and flights.

The first mistake is treating the visa as a formality. For British citizens the tour or sponsor requirement means the process depends on a third party in Iran. The second is relying on a private online agency, which the UK says has caused problems. The third is leaving passport validity to the last minute: six months applies at application and at arrival. The fourth is overlooking an Israeli stamp. The fifth is assuming a second passport helps: it can create a legal problem.

The last is relying on a summary. Government pages change, and this is a snapshot from 4 October 2026. Read the originals, ask the embassy and keep the confirmation offline. These rules describe what would be required, not a suggestion to apply. For the other practical rules, see money, phones and rules in Tehran, and compare travel insurance terms before paying for anything non-refundable.