Naqsh-e Jahan Square in Isfahan seen through the ornate muqarnas arch of the Qeysariyeh gate, with the Safavid mosque domes beyond

Prepare for your trip to Iran.

An ancient nation with one of the world's great cultures — Persepolis, Isfahan's blue domes, Persian poetry and famed hospitality — governed by a repressive state, under heavy sanctions and current regional tension. Governments including the UK FCDO advise against all travel, and British and dual nationals face a real risk of arbitrary detention. This briefing is orientation to verify and to take seriously — not encouragement to travel.

Destination Iran

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Region: Middle East · Persia
Capital: Tehran
Languages: Persian (Farsi) (official) · Azerbaijani (Azeri Turkic), Kurdish, Gilaki, Luri, Arabic, Balochi and others
Entry: Depends on your passport

Travel advisory · UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office

The UK FCDO advises against all travel to Iran. It warns that British nationals — and especially British-Iranian dual nationals — face a significant risk of arbitrary arrest, questioning and detention, which can lead to months or years of imprisonment, and that UK consular support is extremely limited with no face-to-face assistance in emergencies. Regional tensions have also affected ports, roads, airports and energy infrastructure, and internet access is severely restricted. This is a foreign-government advisory; conditions can change quickly.

Reviewed 9 Sept 2026 · FCDO advice was last updated 13 Aug 2026 and advises against all travel, emphasising detention risk for British and dual nationals. Conditions change rapidly — verify before any travel.

Read the current advice

Do I need a visa for Iran?

A visa must be arranged well in advance — there is no visa on arrival in the ordinary sense, and British passport holders typically need an organised tour or a sponsor. Evidence of travel to Israel may lead to refusal, and Iran does not recognise dual nationality. Above all, governments advise against all travel, and dual nationals face a real detention risk. Choose the passport you'll travel with and this section adjusts to you.

Which passport will you use?

Choose your passport country, not your country of residence.

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Your entry context starts here

Choose a passport and this shows your real, sourced entry status for Iran — verified, provisional or verification-required — straight from the engine.

What should I verify before I travel?

A visa must be obtained in advance from the Iranian authorities (often via an organised tour or a sponsor); confirm the current process, your eligibility and the permitted stay, and expect it to be slow and unpredictable. Iran treats dual nationals as Iranian and is highly unlikely to accept consular requests on their behalf. Consular support is extremely limited. The overriding official advice is against all travel; the final decision on admission rests with the authorities.

Why does Trefeo show "verification required"?

Trefeo keeps sourced destination context separate from passport-specific rules that still need confirmation. Selecting a passport should never turn an unverified rule into a verified requirement, so Trefeo holds it at "verification required" until it's confirmed against an authoritative source.

An ancient culture.
A high-control state.
Your context.

Iran's warmth and heritage sit alongside heavy state control, mandatory dress laws, pervasive surveillance and a serious detention risk for foreign and dual nationals. What matters depends on who you are and the current picture, so this is built to skim — and to read alongside current advice and the counsel of trusted local partners.

Staying connected in Iran

Three operators cover the country — MCI (Hamrah-e Aval), Irancell and RighTel — but the internet is among the world's most restricted: most major platforms are blocked, surveillance is pervasive, and near-total shutdowns occur during unrest. Assume networks and devices are monitored, do not rely on connectivity for safety-critical communication, and agree offline fallbacks before travel. Foreign bank and credit cards do not work under sanctions.

Mobile networksMCI (Hamrah-e Aval) · Irancell · RighTel

Getting onlineHeavily filtered & monitored, with shutdowns — plan offline fallbacks

Digital conditions · sourced

Internet freedomhigh

Rated 'Not Free' (13/100) — among the world's most repressive. The state filters heavily, throttles, and pushes a controlled domestic internet.

Blocking & shutdownshigh

Most major platforms — Facebook, X, YouTube, TikTok — are blocked or filtered, and authorities imposed a near-total nationwide shutdown during the June 2025 conflict. Connectivity can be cut without warning.

Online speechhigh

People have received extreme punishments for online activity — long prison terms, and floggings and arrests of women over social-media posts. Assume online speech carries severe legal risk.

Surveillancehigh

Authorities deploy pervasive surveillance, including IMSI-catchers to identify and track individuals. Assume networks and devices are monitored.

VPNsmoderate

Many rely on VPNs to reach the global internet, but access is deliberately made cumbersome and legal risk exists — prefer an organization-approved provider configured before arrival, and verify current rules.

Photography of sensitive siteshigh

Avoid photographing military, security, government, nuclear and border locations entirely; doing so can lead to arrest.

Digital conditions from Freedom House · reviewed 9 Sept 2026. Per-item sources shown by severity (Freedom House, UK FCDO, editorial).

Mission context

Iranian society is predominantly Shia Muslim and ethnically diverse (Persian, Azeri, Kurdish, Baloch, Arab and more), under a state that tightly controls religion and prohibits proselytising. Any engagement is private, relational, and carries real risk for locals and visitors alike; recognised minorities are small and the Baha'i are persecuted.

People groups91 total · 85 unreached · 70 frontier

Evangelical~1.2% (Joshua Project estimate)

Primary languagePersian (Farsi)

Progress levelLevel 1 — unreached

Explore mission-focused context

Joshua Project lists 91 people groups in Iran, of which 85 are considered unreached and 70 are 'frontier'. It estimates the population at about 1.8% Christian adherent and 1.2% evangelical, and rates overall progress at Level 1 ('unreached'). The largest single group is Azeri (Azerbaijani) Turks, estimated near 18 million.
Joshua Project

People-group figures are Joshua Project estimates, used with attribution. Complements — does not replace — dedicated research platforms. · reviewed 9 Sept 2026.

Local customs and etiquette in Iran

Iran is deeply hospitable and culturally rich, but it is a high-control society where dress laws are enforced, politics and religion are dangerous subjects, and surveillance shapes daily life. Read these notes carefully, and take all security decisions from trusted local partners.

The Si-o-se-pol bridge in Isfahan lit at night, its thirty-three arches receding along the Zayanderud — **Isfahan · Si-o-se-pol, the bridge of thirty-three arches**

Local context

Iran's law is shaped by Shia Islam and strictly enforced. The hijab is legally required for women in public and dress rules apply to everyone; alcohol is banned; relationships and conduct outside marriage, and same-sex relationships, are criminalised with severe penalties; and proselytising is prohibited and dangerous. Drug offences can carry the death penalty. Criticism of the state, the Supreme Leader or religion — in person or online — carries severe legal risk, and British and dual nationals face a real risk of arbitrary detention.Source: UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office

Communication and taarof

Iranians are famously warm and hospitable, and communication is elaborate and indirect, governed by taarof — a ritual politeness of offering and (at first) declining. Learn a little taarof, invest in rapport, and reciprocate graciously, but avoid political, religious and security topics entirely. Persian (Farsi) is the main language, and a few greetings are warmly received. Surveillance is pervasive, so protect the privacy and safety of anyone you speak with.Source: Travel Readiness Engine

Dress and religious sensitivity

Dress laws are enforced from the moment you arrive, including at the airport. Women must observe hijab rules in public — a headscarf and loose clothing covering the arms and legs — and all visitors should dress modestly and conservatively. Requirements can be applied unpredictably and strictly; take cues on current enforcement from trusted local partners.Source: UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office

Photography

Never photograph security, military, government, nuclear, infrastructure or border locations — doing so can lead to arrest and accusations of espionage. Do not photograph or film protests or gatherings. Always ask before photographing people, especially women, and never post others' images without consent.Source: UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office

Communication and discretion

In a high-surveillance environment, trust is built slowly and carefully. Keep a low profile, assume networks and devices are monitored, and take every security and movement decision from trusted local partners. Perceived foreign or dual-national connections can trigger scrutiny, and outside help is very limited — never create risks for the people you meet.Source: UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office

Local context, dress, photography and the detention and surveillance warnings draw on UK FCDO travel advice for Iran. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.

Reviewed 9 Sept 2026. Cross-cultural guidance authored by the mission-readiness team, awaiting review by local partners. Broad contextual tendencies that vary by individual and setting — not rules about how any person will behave — and must be read alongside the severe legal and detention risks.

Your readiness plan

Once you've built a plan, this becomes your personal, checkable preparation for Iran — the same engine behind every Trefeo briefing, honest about what still needs verifying.

Personal readiness · free

Build your free plan to see what this trip asks of you.

Add your passport and the devices you'll carry — no sign-in needed — and this turns into a personal, checkable readiness plan for Iran: entry, accounts, devices, connectivity, culture and emergency, starting at 0% until you work through it.

Sources & licences

Every fact on this page is traceable. Each section above links its own source and review date; the full list is below.

Joshua Project viewMission research
Iran — people groups, languages and religions · Free to use with attribution; NON-COMMERCIAL
Travel Readiness EngineTrefeo editorial
Editorial guidance (mission-readiness team)
U.S. Department of State viewOfficial government
2023 Report on International Religious Freedom: Iran · Public domain (U.S. Government work, 17 U.S.C. §105)
UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office viewGovernment travel advisory
Foreign travel advice: Iran · Open Government Licence v3.0