The travel rules have changed recently for visiting Iran, so what does it mean for independent travel and what is possible now? Saiga Tours is up-to-date with the latest Iran travel information so read along and find out if you can still go solo, or if you have to join an Iran group tour.
Independent Travel in Iran – What It Really Means
Firstly, independent travel refers to travellers being able to explore the country without a guide at all. Previously this was available to nearly everyone, except people from the USA, Canada and UK. Since the recent conflict with Israel, the government has decided to extend these restrictions to everyone who needs a visa.
I can get visa on arrival does this apply to me?
Yes. Even for those of you that were eligible for visa on arrival, you will now be subject to the same restrictions that were imposed on USA, Canadian and British citizens years ago. Most nationalities will have to contact a tour company for a Letter of Invitation (LOI) which you will be able to use to get the visa at the airport. Other nationalities that can’t get the visa issued at the airport, will be able to organise the document beforehand and then can use this to be stamped in at the port of entry.
Countries That Can Travel to Iran Without a Tour
So, you don’t need a visa to Iran, do you have to go in a group? Actually no. This new rule only applied to anyone who needs a visa either in advance or on arrival. The citizens of the following countries can enter Iran without a visa and therefore also can still travel independently.
Visa-free travel (90 days in 180 day period)
- Armenia
- Oman
- Syria (must enter by air to be able to get exemption)
- Turkey
Visa-free travel 45 days
- Georgia
Visa-free travel 30 days
- Lebanon
- Iraq
- Tajikistan (must depart from Dushanbe Airport and arrive in Tehran Imam Komeini Airport).
Visa-free travel 21 days
- China
- Hong Kong
- Macau
Visa-free travel 20 days
- Egypt
Visa-free travel 15 days
- Venezuela
Visa-free travel 15 (within any 180 days)
- GCC member states (except Oman)
- Belarus
- Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Brazil
- Brunei
- Cambodia
- Croatia
- Cuba
- India
- Indonesia
- Japan
- Kyrgyzstan
- Mauritania
- Mauritius
- Mexico
- Peru
- Serbia
- Seychelles
- Singapore
- Tanzania
- Tunisia
- Uzbekistan
- Vietnam
- Zimbabwe
Visa-free travel 14 days
- Azerbaijan
- Kazakhstan
- Malaysia
If you don’t see your country on this list then that means no independent travel for you. If this will change, we don’t know, only time will tell.
What is a group tour like in Iran?
The reasoning for the sudden change is most likely security related. This doesn’t mean that Iran is unsafe, however the nations that are affected mostly don’t have the best relations with the country and so the government probably wants to keep track of them a little more so than usual. This makes sense considering the current conflict climate.
Group tours in Iran are usually not super strict and your guides will be relaxed and knowledgeable people. They will also be very flexible with you wanting to go to dinner at night or to go out and get snacks. If you get in trouble while in the country it will be their responsibility so they will want to ensure nothing happens to you. If you want to go to dinner later at night they will be fine to accompany you. If you do feel like you want to duck out quickly and grab something from a convenience store this would also be completely fine. They don’t have to physically be attached to you at the hip and they won’t monitor you like a government-paid hawk, in fact they are normally very relaxed.
You will have to be picked up from the airport with your guide however and they will also need to drop you off. It is unlikely that you would be stopped in the street by a security force member and questioned about your travel if you are just at the normal tourist sites, however, you should have your guide nearby in case you do get asked questions as they will be totally responsible for you and you won’t want to get them in any kind of trouble.
What Independent Travel Looks Like in Iran
Independent travel in the country can be super fun! We have quite our fair share of it when we were able to previously. Booking hotels and domestic flights can sometimes be a challenge due to sanctions as it makes it very difficult to pay for anything online. Iranian people are extremely friendly and hospitable though and if you do run into any struggles while travelling independently it is highly likely that a local person will take you to their home to eat one of the most delicious meals of your life. The first time I personally travelled to Iran around 10 years ago this happened in almost every city we went to.
If you don’t speak any Farsi, it would be a good idea to pick up a few words.
Benefits of Travelling with a Tour – Even If You Don’t Have To
Even if you are able to travel independently to Iran, we recommend going on a guided tour as you will get so much more out of your experience. Information about many sites and restaurants can be hard to come by in English. The knowledge of your local guide will open all kinds of doors for you and will result in you having a much better experience than if you went in solo and blind.
Travelling with a guide is also great as an extra layer of security in the rare chance you do get stopped and questioned by police.
How Saiga Tours Helps All Types of Travellers
We can provide assistance with a customised private tour for you of Iran which will include assistance with the visa if required. Alternatively, if you’d like to join one of our Iran group tours, check out the
tour dates here on our website
. If you want an idea of what you should see in such an overwhelming country then check out our
blog here
with on the top historical sites to visit.
If you want to know more information on travel to Iran and to get those handy travel tips, then check out our
Iran destination guide
on our website.
To secure your spot on a group tour or to ask about a private tour, send us an email to
[email protected]
.
