The Iran Visa on Arrival Process for Tehran Airport Made Easy in 2025
If you have adventurous friends, they might have told you that Iran boasts gorgeous scenery and hospitable people. Decades of negative news coverage about the Middle East mean that many people don’t realise it’s also safe and easy to visit (conflicts with Israel aside). The Iran visa on arrival is available to many nationalities.
There is a lot of confusion about the Iran visa on arrival process on the Internet, however, with people describing wildly different experiences. What I went through was also very different from what I read, and having spent three hours waiting and watching with two of my friends, this is what I have to share about the experience at Tehran’s Imam Khomeini Airport (IKA).
(Updated August 2025)
Iran visa on arrival: the basics
The details on Iran visa on arrival countries can be found on the Wikipedia page on Iran’s visa policy. As of August 2025, if you need to apply for a visa, you can only visit on a guided tour, so the tour agent should have that process sorted.
Four things are needed to obtain a visa on arrival in Iran:
- Passport (valid for at least 6 months)
- The contact details of a sponsor in Iran (which can be an authorised hotel)
- A letter from the said sponsor
- Up to 150 euros
- Insurance (but not just any worldwide travel insurance, see the next section)
As of 2024, Singapore passport holders may stay in the country visa-free for 15 days but it is not extendable. This process no longer applies to us and neither does the requirement to be on a guided tour. Just remember to stay at authorised hotels!
On the topic of insurance…
It’s valid only if there are offices in Iran, so that excludes almost every global policy. The local policy from Bimeh is just 15 Euros, but it only covers medical treatment. In any case, no insurance company in Singapore covers travel to Iran.
Apply for an eVisa before you go
If you are eligible for an Iran visa on arrival, there is a step you should take at least two weeks before your trip to Iran. Visit the Iranian Foreign Ministry’s eVisa website to complete the eVisa application. No payment is required at this stage but there may be cases where you need to visit a consulate for an interview.
Iran visa on arrival at Imam Khomeini Airport
Follow the signs to the visa office rather than immigration. Then, head to the insurance counter instead of the visa counter. Try to minimise your trips to the latter, especially in the wee hours of the morning. The tired-looking bloke on duty told us to get our travel insurance checked first, hence my suggestion.
When the insurance is paid for, present everyone’s passport, the invitation or confirmation letter from the accommodation, and the insurance receipt to the visa counter staff. Fill the form that the staff give you when they return your documents (just one for the whole travelling party). You will need to fill in the sponsor’s address and phone number.
Accommodation tips that smoothen the process
With the changes to the Iran visa on arrival rules, you can stay only at authorised hotels, or the hotels that are on your tour itinerary. For the former, it’s a good idea to let them contact know your flight arrival time, especially for early morning arrivals. When we were there, the backroom officers checked every number. One guy was sent away because his contact did not answer the phone. I don’t anticipate such trouble for hotels, though.
Needless to say, Couchsurfing and staying with local hosts can be also ruled out, and they are explicitly forbidden. That being said, those who have visa-free access can still meet locals on the street and visit them, as I describe in my other posts about our visit.
When the form is completed, go to the bank office to pay. The visa office staff should have written the total price of the visas for the whole party. It can cost up to 150 euros per person, depending on the country whose passport you hold. Once you’re done, go back to the visa office and hand over the form, bank receipt and your passport(s).

The wait
For us, the whole visa process took two hours. The most unbearable part was the absence of public wifi in the airport to resume our trip research. However, it gave us the opportunity to mingle with the other young backpackers.
From my observations, the e-visa pre-approval code was not worth the extra money, as it did not make things any faster and even caused confusion. The Malaysians we met did not need to pay for the visa but their waiting times varied widely.
This was the most stressful part of any airport that I had been to. People huddled anxiously around the window, badgering the counter staff for updates, only for the staff to shoo them away. The process would repeat with every newly-arrived flight. I could only conclude that manning a visa on arrival office is the most soul-destroying job in the world.
However, there is no reason to worry. As long as the backroom guy hasn’t delivered bad news and called for an escort, you’re still in the clear. The Iran visa on arrival will be yours as long as everything is in order. Think of it this way: there is no reason for them to retain your passport if they don’t want you in the country. You won’t see it again only if you’re going to jail, I guess.
A word of caution
Some hotels offer airport pick-up and say that the drivers will wait for two hours after their flight arrival time. I say it’s not enough; three hours is much safer. People had to rush the counter staff when their drivers started paging them.
After Immigration returned our passports (the staff called our country “SENG-GA-PURRR”), everything else was a breeze. We had to go to the immigration counters closest to where we entered the airport building, and our bags were waiting for us at the luggage belts on that side.
When you have the time, take a look at how your name is spelt in Persian script and the date of your arrival according to the Islamic calendar. It’s not important but fun to know.
Other airport tips
To change your first Rial, you can go to the money exchange kiosk (sarafi in Persian) in the departure hall instead of the bank in the arrival hall. If you can remember your bearings, it is on the same side of the airport as the visa office. They have a limit of 200 US dollars or 200 Euros per person though.
If you don’t have a driver waiting for you, go down to the escalators next to the sarafi and exit the terminal. There will be taxi drivers touting their services, but there is an airport taxi office just 30 metres to the right. I’m certain they’re all legit as long as they quote 65,000 Tooman (650,000 Rial). The drive to Tehran takes at least 30 minutes – all the better to enjoy the views of the desert and the Alborz mountains.

If you have information on the Iran visa on arrival cost and process at other international airports like Shiraz, I welcome your contribution!
Not sure where to go next in Iran and for how long?
Check out my reasonably-priced Iran itinerary and the following attractions:
11/06/2016 @ 11:47 AM
Thanks for the information. Can you explain a little more about the “sponsor” section of the visa form? What information do you write in that section? Is the name and address of the hotel enough?
Thanks.
11/06/2016 @ 9:30 PM
Hi James, it will be stated on the form, i.e. name (we wrote the name of the person who provided the confirmation), address and telephone number.
05/09/2016 @ 1:10 PM
Visa on Arrival Application Update 22 Aug 2016 (for Singaporean):
I found the information on this website really useful so I thought I will contribute with an update on my experience for anyone who is interested.
Upon arrival at the airport, you can follow the signs to the visa application counter. Over there, I was asked only for my hotel reservation email, the other documents that I have prepared (i.e. photocopy of passport, return air ticket voucher and passport photo) were not required. There was no need to fill in any forms. They would ask for you to purchase their insurance and make payment for the visa at another counter.
The insurance cost was 14 euros, while the visa cost was 75 euros or 85 USD. After purchasing the insurance and making the payment at the other counter, you pass the insurance paper and receipt to the first counter. My visa was ready after about 20 minutes.
The visa was good for 30 days, and the hotel reservation email that I submitted was only for the first 2 nights of my 14 day itinerary. I did not have any reservations for the remaining days, but the application still went through. There were also Indonesian and Chinese travelers making the application with me, everything was the same for them as for me, except for the visa fees.
So there was my VOA experience in Iran, hope it was useful! Of course your experience may vary, it might not hurt to be over prepared by bring the other documents listed in the post.
06/09/2016 @ 6:15 PM
Thanks for the update, Joel! Hope you enjoyed the trip.
26/05/2017 @ 8:44 AM
Great post btw and thanks for sharing!
Quick question: Did you have any problems departing from Singapore without any visa in your passport? I worry they will not board me for lack of one.
26/05/2017 @ 8:46 AM
Thanks for reading, Wisnu! I didn’t face issues leaving Singapore since my AirAsia flight was to KL and back (it didn’t indicate that I was going to Iran). At the Mahan Air check-in counter in KLIA, the agents let us proceed after checking that we could get VOA with our Singapore passports. Hope that clarifies.
29/05/2017 @ 5:32 PM
I am a Singaporean who just got back from Iran in April 2017, and I second just about everything the original poster wrote. The visa on arrival process took about 45 minutes for me (which apparently is pretty good seeing that the OP had to wait for 2 hours!) The cost is still the same at 75 Euros and you are allowed to pay in US Dollars, although this will cost 85 USD. The visa on arrival people were friendly but firm and did not give me any additional hassles when I was applying for the visa. The application form is a bit on the tedious side though, and it will be good to have a local Iranian address and telephone number on hand to facilitate the completion of this form.
For the insurance policy, you are required to purchase their local insurance policy unless you have a signed letter from your insurance company confirming WORLDWIDE coverage. I would suggest that Singaporeans obtain this prior to traveling to Iran if you want to avoid the additional cost. An insurance policy card alone is not going to be enough unless it explicitly says “Worldwide coverage”.
As far as issues boarding the flight, I was arriving in Iran from the United States and the Qatar Airways check in agent was wondering why I did not have a visa for Iran in advance. However, I told him to check up the Timatic Database (which airlines use to check visa requirements) and upon doing so, he realized that Singaporeans were eligible to receive a visa on arrival. Mention the “Timatic database” if your airline check in agent gives you any trouble about not having a visa. Of course, if you are a national of Canada, the United Kingdom, the United States, and a few other countries (full information can be found here https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Visa_policy_of_Iran), you will have to obtain your visa in advance.
All in all though, Iran is a beautiful country and has a lot to offer. If you are looking to relax on a beach or looking to visit a more ‘mainstream’ destination such as France, the UK or Thailand, Iran is most definitely not for you. But any prospective travelers looking for an adventure should look no further than Iran.
30/05/2017 @ 10:07 PM
Hi Basanth, thanks for reading and for your detailed comments – glad you had an enjoyable trip and a shorter wait at Immigration!
24/01/2018 @ 12:20 PM
Dear Basanth and Nicholas. Thank you very much for the posts. Really appreciate the articles. My wife and I will be leaving for Tehran on 23rd March…for about 11 days. Can’t wait to be there. We are both senior citizens.
15/04/2019 @ 4:27 PM
En Adam’ Can you share your experience as a Muslim when visiting Iran especially the Immigration part. Any problem attending services in the local mosque for Sunnis.
29/06/2017 @ 1:53 AM
Can I check how the visa was affixed on your passport? I am likely travelling to the US after the Iran trip and was wondering if it’s possible for the Iranian immigration to grant a visa not affixed onto the passport and if it’s possible for them to stamp on a separate piece of paper like what they do in some other countries.
01/07/2017 @ 12:27 AM
Hi! The visa is glued to a page of your passport. I don’t know of anyone who has managed to get it on a loose leaf of paper. You can still travel to the U.S. after that but because you won’t be eligible for ESTA, you’ll need to get a visa in advance.
20/07/2017 @ 3:47 PM
Hi Nicholas, Thanks for sharing. I’m interested to travel to Iran, been looking for more details online. Besides the somewhat taxing procedure of VOA application, what is your take of a lone female travelling the place?
21/07/2017 @ 1:12 AM
Thanks for reading, Arris. Unfortunately, I’m a man, so I don’t think I should weigh in on a woman’s experience. You may want to ask Dina of TripZilla, she seemed to enjoy it. For what it’s worth, however, I felt safer walking alone at night than in some parts of England.
26/10/2017 @ 6:41 PM
is there any singapore embassy in iran?
27/10/2017 @ 7:40 AM
No. The nearest embassy is in Ankara, Turkey.
23/02/2018 @ 12:45 AM
Hi! thanks for sharing
Am wondering what are the complications for a Singaporean when you travel to other countries after Iran?
23/02/2018 @ 12:53 AM
You’re welcome. Firstly, you will no longer be eligible for ESTA if you want to visit the United States. You will need to apply for a visa at the embassy and pay the associated fees. My visit was near the end of my passport validity and, so far, I haven’t encountered any issues while travelling to Europe or the rest of East and Southeast Asia on my new one. However, my friend visited Israel while he still had an Iranian visa in his. He got quite a grilling on arrival and before departing the airport.
14/02/2019 @ 8:21 PM
Thanks for the informative post! Do check out our post on the Visa-Free Countries that Singaporeans can visit for 90 days!
Tom & Kate,
2bearbear.com
18/09/2019 @ 11:03 AM
Hi Nicholas,
Can we use Hotel as our sponsor once we get hotel to give us confirmation of stay?
Love the post, as a Singaporean it is very useful to have such posts to be prepared in advanced.
18/09/2019 @ 11:13 AM
Yes, you may. That’s what we did, hope you have a good trip!
04/08/2020 @ 10:31 PM
Last year in October I traveled to Iran, I had a wonderful trip. It is a must country you must see.
Also before starting my trip I was a bit confused about my travel and the visa process.
But finally, I found my answers via this article.
It helped me so much.
10/01/2021 @ 7:19 PM
Before my trip, I realized it isn’t safe to travel to Iran at that moment but through talking to one of my Iranian friends I was completely sure that I have to travel and finally I traveled to Iran in 2019. It was a magnificent country and a place that anyone should visit at least once. For applying for my visa I got a complete guide through visitouriran.com/blog/all-you-need-to-know-about-visa-to-iran/ Their support was good.