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Iran for Emirati passport holders: Visa-free

Your circumstances

Passport:
🇦🇪 Emirati
Lives in:
Not specified (general rule)
Going to:
🇮🇷 Iran
Purpose:
Holiday

Route summary

Visa-free

Visa-free for up to 15 days

Iran's MFA e-visa portal lists United Arab Emirates among the 27 countries whose ordinary passport holders can stay in Iran for tourism for a non-extendable period of 15 days once every six months.

Conditions

  • Iran's MFA e-visa portal lists United Arab Emirates among the 27 countries whose ordinary passport holders can stay in Iran for tourism for a non-extendable period of 15 days once every six months.

About this route

Route type
Visa-free: no visa application needed.
Documents
Document list not published by the official source.
Fee
No visa fee (as published).
Processing
Processing time not published by the official source.

Next step

Steps not published by the official source — use the official link to start.

Official sourceevisa.mfa.ir ↗ (opens in a new tab)

Last checked 2 Nov 2026 against evisa.mfa.ir · Official page read 2026-11-02 (audit)

Documents

Document list not published by the official source.

Fees

Official government fee
No visa fee
Visa-centre / service fee (not a government fee)
None stated by the official source
Notes from the source
No visa fee.

Visa-centre, service or other third-party charges are never official government fees.

Processing and validity

Processing time
Not published by the official source
Validity
Not published by the official source
Maximum stay
Up to 15 days

Requirements for all visitors to Iran

These apply on top of the visa rules above, whatever your passport, unless an item says otherwise.

  • HealthYellow fever certificate if arriving from a WHO yellow-fever risk country

    Applies to: travellers aged 9 months or over arriving from a country WHO lists as a yellow-fever risk country; also after an airport transit of more than 12 hours in such a country.

    Official source: cdn.who.int · Also checked: wwwnc.cdc.govNot official · Last checked 25 Oct 2026

Quick answers

Do Emirati passport holders need a visa for Iran?

Visa-free for up to 15 days. Iran's MFA e-visa portal lists United Arab Emirates among the 27 countries whose ordinary passport holders can stay in Iran for tourism for a non-extendable period of 15 days once every six months. Source: https://evisa.mfa.ir/en/

Business, work or just passing through?

The rules above are for a holiday: tourism and visiting family and friends. Business visits, paid work and transit are covered separately below.

Business visits to Iran

Option 1
Visa-freeBusiness visit (meetings, conferences – not paid work)

Business visit: Visa-free for up to 15 days (tourism)

Unofficial source – not verified

This rule is not from an official Iran government source. It is based on a secondary reference source (en.wikipedia.org). Confirm with the embassy or the official immigration authority before you travel.

Short business visits (meetings, conferences – not paid work): the official source only covers tourism, but the cited Wikipedia page 'Visa policy of Iran' says business visits are allowed on the same terms. Not from an official Iran government source; based on research of the cited Wikipedia page 'Visa policy of Iran'. Confirm with the embassy before travel.

Conditions

  • Ordinary passports only.
  • Tourism only – business, work, study or other purposes need a visa.
  • Not extendable; staying longer or visiting more often than once every 6 months needs a visa from an Iranian mission.
  • Passport valid for at least 6 months at the time of departure (MFA visa-on-arrival page: all visitors).
Government fee
No visa fee
No visa fee stated.
Processing
Not verified yet
Validity
Not verified yet
Max stay
15 days, once every 6 months (not extendable)
Steps, documents & where to apply

How to apply

Steps not verified yet — follow the official source below.

Documents checklist

Document list not verified yet — check the official source.

✓ Secondary_research

Official wording

“Wikipedia: 'Citizens of the following countries and territories may enter Iran without a visa for business or tourist purposes for the following period (unless otherwise noted)'”

Working in Iran

⚠ Not from an official source: items marked below come from secondary sources (law firms, employer-of-record guides, IOM, Wikipedia), not the destination government. They are not verified and may be out of date; confirm with the embassy or immigration authority.

Main work visa routes for Iran

These are the main routes and what they require. Whether you qualify depends on your circumstances; the official page decides.

Work visa and residency permit

⚠ Not from an official source

For: Foreign employees in Iran

  • Work visa plus a residency permit
Length
Work visa typically one year, renewable

Source: Multiplier – Iran hiring guide (employer-of-record guide) (Not official) (usemultiplier.com) · Not from an official source.

What the source says

"A work visa in Iran is typically valid for one year and can be renewed." … "Along with a work visa , one must also obtain a residency permit"

Checked 16 Oct 2026. Requirements, fees and thresholds change; confirm on the official page before applying.

Your work travel report

We only create the PDF report from rules checked against an official government source.

Transit through Iran

Option 1
Visa-freeTransit (changing flights)

Airside transit generally without a visa (not from an official source)

Unofficial source – not verified

This rule is not from an official Iran government source. It is based on a secondary reference source (dict.dyimin.com). Confirm with the embassy or the official immigration authority before you travel.

Not from an official Iran government source: based on the World Visa Encyclopedia (dict.dyimin.com, an unofficial reference site), a single unofficial source. Not verified - conditions vary by airline and airport; confirm with your airline and the embassy before travel. The site says: “Visa-Free Airport Transit (Airside Transit) When transiting through Iran on international flights, travelers may remain in the airport transit area (airside) without an Iranian entry visa, provided that all of the following conditions are met: Remaining within the transit area without passing through immigration control at an international airport equipped with transit facilities, such as Tehran Imam Khomeini International Airport (IKA); Holding a confirmed connecting ticket to a third country departing within 12 to 24 hours; Having no requirement to recheck checked baggage, or being able to handle luggage via an airport luggage transfer service without exiting the airport.”

Conditions

  • Stay in the international transit area (airside); do not pass immigration.
  • Check your airline allows it (through ticket and checked-through baggage).
Government fee
Fee not officially published
Processing
Not verified yet
Validity
Not verified yet
Max stay
Not verified yet
Steps, documents & where to apply

How to apply

Steps not verified yet — follow the official source below.

Documents checklist

Document list not verified yet — check the official source.

✓ Secondary_research

Official wording

“World Visa Encyclopedia (dict.dyimin.com), 'Iran' chapter 14 Transit / Transfer: “Visa-Free Airport Transit (Airside Transit) When transiting through Iran on international flights, travelers may remain in the airport transit area (airside) without an Iranian entry visa, provided that all of the following conditions are met: Remaining within the transit area without passing through immigration control at an international airport equipped with transit facilities, such as Tehran Imam Khomeini International Airport (IKA); Holding a confirmed connecting ticket to a third country departing within 12 to 24 hours; Having no requirement to recheck checked baggage, or being able to handle luggage via an airport luggage transfer service without exiting the airport.””

Your transit travel report

We only create the PDF report from rules checked against an official government source.

Alert me if this route changes

Get an email when we update the guidance for Emirati passport holders going to Iran, after we've checked the change against the official source. Nothing else.

Tell me about changes to

We send a confirmation email first. Unconfirmed sign-ups are deleted after 7 days.

Before you go to Iran

Customs cash limits and the scams official travel advice warns about in Iran.

Cash you can bring in and take out

Bringing cash in
Declare foreign currency above EUR 10,000 (or equivalent) on arrival and keep the receipt.
Taking cash out
Without an entry declaration you may take out up to EUR 5,000 by air (EUR 2,000 by land/rail/sea); more only with the entry declaration receipt.

Official source: cbi.ir · Last checked 2 Nov 2026 · Details

Common tourist traps

  1. Fake police in plain clothes

    How it works: Thieves posing as police have robbed foreign visitors.

    How to avoid it: Ask for ID and a uniformed officer or marked car; do not hand over cash or documents or get into a vehicle.

  2. Motorcycle taxis

    How it works: Motorcycle taxis have taken tourists to quiet places and robbed them.

    How to avoid it: Do not use them; pre-book taxis.

  3. Street money changing

    How it works: Changing money on the street is illegal, and foreign cards do not work in Iran.

    How to avoid it: Plan legal access to rials before you go; use official exchange offices.

All 4 traps for Iran →

Emergency numbers in Iran

Paraphrased from official travel advice: gov.uk · FCDO page updated 13 Aug 2026 · Last checked 4 Oct 2026.

Explore Iran

Read the full Iran guide

Emirati passport: of the 152 destinations with a rule verified from an official source, 110 visa-free, 17 visa on arrival, 18 eVisa or travel authorisation, 7 embassy visa.

Iran: rules verified from an official source for 196 of 198 passports. Iran guide and every passport →

Where else can Emirati passport holders travel? See every destination we cover →

Verify with the embassy before you book. Visa rules change without notice. We link every rule to its official source and last checked it on 2 Nov 2026, but the embassy, official e-visa portal and your airline have the final say. MyVisaPort is not a visa agent and is not affiliated with any government.