Iran's visa picture for Indians changed sharply in late 2025. The visa waiver that Indian ordinary passport holders had been using was suspended from 22 November 2025, so every Indian ordinary passport holder now needs a visa, even to transit. On top of that, both the Indian government and the UK government currently advise against travel. This guide covers the official visa process through Iran's foreign ministry portal, what it says about your travel itinerary, and how a flight reservation fits in, without pretending the situation is routine.
Iran visa key facts for Indian travellers
| Iran question | Official source says |
|---|---|
| Visa required for Indian citizens? | Yes. Iran suspended the visa waiver for ordinary Indian passports from 22 November 2025; a visa is needed "to enter or transit through Iran".[1] |
| Where do I apply? | Online on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs e-visa portal, evisa.mfa.ir.[2] |
| Passport validity | At least six months beyond your actual travel date.[2] |
| Processing | The portal says to allow 10 business days for the application to pass the required process; some applicants are interviewed.[3] |
| Flight wording | "Travel itinerary, if you have already made travel arrangements."[3] |
| Travel advisories | India: avoid all non-essential travel (24 June 2026). UK FCDO: against all travel to Iran (13 August 2026).[4][5] |
Current travel advisories: on 24 June 2026 the Embassy of India in Tehran said that, despite recent improvements, Indian nationals "are advised to continue to avoid all non-essential travel to Iran until further notice", and asked anyone travelling to register with the embassy.[4] The UK FCDO (updated 13 August 2026) advises against all travel to Iran and warns that "Iranian airspace may close at short notice".[5] Read both before you spend money on a visa or flights, and check your insurer's position.
Who needs a visa for Iran now?
All ordinary Indian passport holders. The Ministry of External Affairs advisory of 17 November 2025 explains that Indians were being lured to Iran with false promises of jobs or onward transit to other countries, and several were kidnapped for ransom after arrival. Iran then suspended the visa waiver with effect from 22 November 2025.[1] The MEA also urges travellers to avoid agents offering visa-free travel or onward transit to third countries through Iran.
The e-visa portal still lists visa-free or simplified entry for some nationalities, including citizens of Turkey, Armenia, Georgia, China and Oman, and a 15-day tourism waiver for ordinary passports from 27 countries such as the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Japan and Singapore.[2] Those rules follow your passport, not where you live. An Indian living in Dubai is still an Indian passport holder and needs a visa.
The portal also notes that citizens of some countries may not be issued a visa "due to political and diplomatic considerations" and should contact an Iranian embassy.[2] GOV.UK says British passport holders must travel on an organised tour or have a sponsor in Iran.[6]
How does the Iran e-visa application work?
The application starts online and, for most people, ends with a visa collected at an Iranian embassy or consulate you choose on the form. The portal is clear that online submission is only "the FIRST STEP".[2][3]
The portal lists types by purpose; pick the one that matches your trip.[3]
Passport, a digital photo and passport scan to the stated standard, your travel itinerary if you have one, and a CV for some visa types.[3]
The portal asks you to avoid accented characters, so "São Paulo" becomes "Sao Paulo".[3]
If you do not, the application expires and you start again.[3]
Keep the tracking code. Allow 10 business days; some applicants are interviewed.[3]
The portal flags the fields where applicants most often make errors: visa type, nationality, home address, photo, and the embassy or consulate where you will collect the visa.[3] Choosing the wrong collection point is an easy mistake. If you live in Bengaluru but pick a mission in another country, you may have to travel there.
What does Iran ask for about flights?
Very little, and that matters. Under "Needed Documents", the portal lists "Travel itinerary, if you have already made travel arrangements."[3] It does not demand a paid ticket. It does not even demand an itinerary if you have not yet arranged travel.
So a flight document is optional at the application stage, and paying for a non-refundable seat while the visa is pending makes little sense, especially when airspace can close at short notice.[5] If you want to give the officer clear dates, a verifiable reservation does that honestly. It shows when you plan to arrive and leave, on a real airline booking that can be looked up.
Our view: for the e-visa, a reservation is a reasonable way to show dates, but it is not required by the portal's wording. Never call it a ticket on the form. Once the visa is issued and you have decided to travel despite the advisories, buy a flexible fare given the risk of disruption.
Want to show clear travel dates?
Show the Iranian officer firm dates with a held booking, sent within about ten minutes.
Then and now: Iran entry for Indians
| Before 22 Nov 2025 | From 22 Nov 2025 | |
|---|---|---|
| Ordinary Indian passport | Visa waiver facility available[1] | Visa required to enter or transit[1] |
| How to get a visa | Not needed for short tourist stays | e-visa portal, then collection at a chosen mission[3] |
| Flight document | None at application | Itinerary "if you have already made travel arrangements"[3] |
| Official advice | Varied over time | India: avoid non-essential travel; UK: against all travel[4][5] |
Attach a reservation, a refundable fare, or nothing?
Since the portal makes the itinerary conditional, you have a genuine choice. Here is how the options compare for an Indian applicant right now.
| Option | Fits the portal wording? | Cost if the visa is refused or travel is cancelled | When it makes sense |
|---|---|---|---|
| No flight document | Yes, if you have not made arrangements[3] | Nothing | Your dates are still flexible |
| Verifiable reservation | Yes, as an itinerary | The reservation fee only | You want the officer to see firm dates |
| Refundable fare | Yes | Depends on the fare rules | You have decided to travel and want the seat |
| Non-refundable fare | Yes | Possibly the whole fare | Hard to justify while advisories and airspace closures continue[5] |
Say you are a Pune-based researcher invited to a conference in Tehran in early February. You apply in mid-December, choose the Iranian mission nearest to you as your collection point, and attach a reservation showing a Mumbai departure on 2 February and a return on 9 February. If the visa is issued and the advisories still allow you to justify the trip, you then buy a flexible fare for those dates. If the visa is refused or the situation worsens, you have lost very little.
Whatever you choose, keep every date in the application consistent: the conference letter, the itinerary and the visa validity you request should all point to the same week.
Transiting Iran on the way somewhere else
The MEA advisory is explicit that Indians now need a visa to "transit through Iran".[1] It also warns about agents who promise onward transit through Iran to third countries. If someone offers you a job abroad that routes through Tehran without a visa, treat that as a warning sign, not a shortcut. Our transit visa guide explains how to check transit rules for any hub, and onward rules for layovers covers airline checks on connecting trips.
Israeli stamps and other passport issues
GOV.UK warns that if your passport has stamps from Israel, or from other countries' border crossings with Israel, you may be refused entry to Iran.[6] That includes Jordanian or Egyptian stamps from land crossings with Israel. If you have travelled that way, ask the Iranian embassy before applying. Our guides for Israel and Jordan describe those crossings.
The portal also reminds applicants that the visa sticker shows its own validity, and that if you do not travel within it you cannot enter and must apply again.[2] Check that window against your planned dates.
What your Iran application should show
- Your name in English letters exactly as in the passport, without accents.
- A passport valid six months beyond travel, or the form will not let you submit.[2]
- A photo and passport scan that meet the portal's stated image rules.
- Travel dates inside the visa validity you are asking for.
- A clear purpose that matches the visa type you chose.
- The right collection mission, near where you live.
Check-in and arrival
An airline flying you to Iran will check your visa or entry eligibility before you board. With a visa now needed by every Indian ordinary passport holder, you should hold it, or a confirmed authorisation, before you reach the airport. Airlines also cancel and reroute when airspace closes. The FCDO warns about cancellations and periodic closures across the region.[5] On travel day carry your paid return or onward booking, not the reservation used for the application.
The Indian embassy asks everyone arriving in Iran to register their details with it and to monitor its website and social media for updates.[4] If you do go, do that on the first day.
If you must travel: embassy contacts
The 24 June 2026 advisory asks Indian nationals who live in Iran, or who have to travel for unavoidable reasons, to stay highly cautious, follow local developments through credible sources and obey local authorities' instructions.[4] It lists these contacts for the Embassy of India in Tehran:
- Emergency mobile numbers: +98 912 810 9115, +98 912 810 9109, +98 912 810 9102 and +98 993 217 9359.
- Email: cons.tehran@mea.gov.in
Save them on your phone and on paper before you leave home. Give your family a copy of your itinerary, your visa and your hotel details, and register with the embassy as soon as you arrive.
Mistakes to avoid
- Relying on the old visa waiver. It has been suspended for ordinary Indian passports since 22 November 2025.
- Trusting an agent who promises visa-free entry or transit to a third country.
- Missing the 3-day email verification step.
- Picking a collection mission far from where you live.
- Buying a non-refundable fare before the visa and the security picture are clear.
- Calling a reservation a ticket anywhere on the form.
When to book a reservation
If you decide to include one, order it at the last moment before submission. Airline holds run up to two weeks, the carrier choosing the cut-off. With processing of around 10 business days, it may lapse before the decision; that is normal, and you can book a new one on the same dates if an interview needs it. Our page on when to book covers this.
Getting a reservation and the price
What we provide is a held seat record with a working PNR for your chosen dates, retrievable on the carrier's site using the code and last name. No fare changes hands, so treat it purely as proof of intended dates. Pick a routing that some scheduled carrier genuinely sells on the day you order.
One price per traveller covers either direction or both; the breakdown sits on our pricing page. UPI, debit or credit cards and netbanking are accepted, hotel proof is optional, orders can be followed on the tracking page, and the self-check guide shows how to confirm the PNR loads.
Iran visa flight questions
Is Iran still visa-free for Indians?
No. The MEA says Iran suspended the visa waiver for ordinary Indian passport holders from 22 November 2025. Since then Indian nationals need a visa to enter Iran or to transit through it. Apply through the foreign ministry's e-visa portal and ignore anyone who claims otherwise.
Do I need a flight ticket for an Iran e-visa?
No paid ticket is listed. The portal asks for a "travel itinerary, if you have already made travel arrangements". If you want to show dates, a verifiable reservation does that honestly. Buy real flights only after the visa is issued and you have checked the current travel advice.
How long does the Iran e-visa take?
The portal tells applicants to allow 10 business days for the application to pass the required process, and says some applicants will be interviewed. You must also verify your email within three days of submitting, or the application expires.
Can an Indian living in the UAE enter Iran without a visa?
No. The 15-day tourism waiver listed for UAE ordinary passports applies to UAE citizens, not residents. An Indian passport holder needs an Iranian visa regardless of where they live. Apply on the e-visa portal and choose a collection mission in your country of residence.
Will Iran refuse me if I have been to Israel?
GOV.UK warns that stamps from Israel, or from other countries' border crossings with Israel, may lead to refusal of entry to Iran. If your passport has such stamps, contact the Iranian embassy before applying.
Will the reservation still be live when Iran decides?
At most two weeks, with the airline fixing the actual span. Given roughly ten working days of processing, expiry before the outcome is quite likely and perfectly normal. Reorder on identical dates should an interviewer ask.
Should I travel to Iran now?
That is your decision, but read the official advice first. India's embassy advises avoiding all non-essential travel, and the UK advises against all travel. Both warn of disruption. If you must go, register with the Indian embassy on arrival.
Related guides: dummy tickets for Iranian passport holders, Turkey, Lebanon, e-visa applications, requirements by country, flight reservation for visa, onward ticket and the Schengen guide. Our home page explains the service.
Get your Iran flight reservation
Tehran dates held under a PNR you can verify. ₹699 / $9 per traveller.
Be straight with officials: reserve only the Iran journey you seriously intend. Visa and admission remain Iranian decisions, unaffected by any booking.
Sources
Official pages cited were rechecked in October 2026.
- Ministry of External Affairs, India, Advisory on suspension of visa waiver facility extended to Indian nationals traveling to Iran (17 November 2025).
- Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Iran, Iran e-visa portal: important tips and excluded citizenship.
- Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Iran, How to complete the application.
- Embassy of India, Tehran, Advisory, 24 June 2026 (PDF).
- GOV.UK, Iran travel advice (updated 13 August 2026).
- GOV.UK, Iran entry requirements.
Related: flight reservation for visa · dummy ticket price · requirements by country · how to verify a PNR.