We'll be direct: this is a difficult period for anyone travelling on an Iranian passport, and a flight reservation solves very little of it. Several European missions in Tehran are working at reduced capacity, the United States has suspended visa issuance to Iranian nationals, and aviation regulators advise airlines to avoid Iranian airspace. What we can do is set out what official pages actually say right now, so you can see which applications are realistic, and explain how a reservation fits the ones that are. We have kept to the facts as published and left out anything we couldn't confirm.
Key facts for Iranian passport holders
| Question | What official sources say (October 2026) |
|---|---|
| German Schengen visas in Iran | Embassy in restricted operation; appointments for those on the waiting list as of 18 January 2026 and urgent humanitarian cases; new registration via TLScontact since 15 July 2026.[1] |
| Dutch Schengen visas in Iran | Only for applicants who received a letter from the embassy via VFS; reopening date not known.[2] |
| United States | Visa issuance to Iranian nationals fully suspended from 1 January 2026, with limited exceptions.[6] |
| United Kingdom, Canada | Visitor visa needed for both.[7][9] |
| Türkiye | Visa-free for ordinary passport holders up to 90 days.[11] |
| Airspace | EASA recommends that operators not fly in the Tehran flight information region at any level.[4] |
Can Iranians apply for a Schengen visa from Iran right now?
In limited ways, and it depends on the country. We checked the two missions whose current pages were clearest.
Germany. The German Embassy in Tehran says its visa section and legal and consular department are operating in restricted mode because of significant staffing and technical constraints. Short-stay applications from Iranian citizens living lawfully in Iran are still taken only through the embassy in Tehran. Appointments are offered, in limited numbers, to people already on the waiting list as of 18 January 2026 and to urgent humanitarian or medical cases. Since 15 July 2026 new registrations for Schengen visas are possible through TLScontact, though the embassy cannot say when new appointments will be given or when normal service will return. It also asks applicants not to travel to neighbouring countries to apply there.[1]
Netherlands. Netherlands Worldwide says you can currently apply for a Dutch Schengen visa in Iran only if you have received a letter from the embassy through VFS Global, and that it is not known when VFS will reopen for new applications.[2]
Other Schengen countries have their own arrangements, and we have not tried to summarise every one. Before you spend anything on documents, open the website of the embassy that would handle your trip and read its current notice. If it is not accepting applications, no flight booking will change that.
If you live outside Iran
Residence decides where you apply, not nationality alone. Netherlands Worldwide directs applicants who live somewhere other than Iran, Afghanistan or Iraq to its page for the country where they live.[2] If you hold a residence permit in Türkiye, the UAE or elsewhere, check the Schengen mission there. Expect to show that permit, and keep in mind that a consulate abroad will look at how settled your residence is.
For the flight part, the itinerary then starts from the city where you live. Say you work in Dubai on a residence visa and want to visit Vienna in spring: your reservation would run Dubai–Vienna–Dubai, matching the address on your application form. A routing that starts in Tehran would contradict your own file.
When an application can go ahead
The ordinary EU rules then apply. Applications open six months before travel and close 15 days before it, according to the European Commission. Expect a decision in about 15 days, or as long as 45 if more checks are needed, and an adult fee of €90.[3] Annex II of the Visa Code allows a reservation to serve as proof of the intended trip.[3] With waiting lists measured in months, the timing matters more than usual: don't order a reservation when you register on a waiting list. Order it when you have a confirmed appointment date, a day or two before you attend. Each hold expires within two weeks at the latest, on a timetable the airline chooses.
Our Germany visa guide and Netherlands visa guide explain each country's checklist in more detail.
How do airspace advisories affect your itinerary?
EASA's conflict zone bulletin on Iran, issued in July 2026, recommends that the operators it covers do not operate within the Tehran flight information region at any altitude.[4] EASA's list of active bulletins also includes advisories for the wider Persian Gulf region and neighbouring states.[5] The bulletin notes that Iranian authorities have imposed temporary closures and restrictions at various points, and that conditions are unpredictable.
For your file, that means two practical things. First, the routing on any reservation should be one that actually operates when you apply; services from Iran can be suspended at short notice. Second, if you are applying from a third country where you live lawfully, the itinerary should start there, not in Tehran. We won't suggest particular hubs, because what operates changes week to week. Check the airline's own website for the route before you order.
What is the current position on US visas?
Under Presidential Proclamation 10998, effective 1 January 2026, the State Department fully suspended visa issuance to nationals of 19 countries, including Iran, with some categorical exceptions. It also says visas issued before that date are not revoked under the proclamation.[6] In plain terms, a new US tourist visa is not available to most Iranian nationals at the moment, and there is no reason to prepare a flight reservation for one. If you think an exception applies to you, read the State Department's notice in full or take qualified advice.
What about the UK and Canada?
United Kingdom. Under the UK's rules, Iran is a visa national country, so visiting requires a visa first.[7] We could not confirm the current opening arrangements for a UK visa application centre in Tehran on an official page in October 2026, so use GOV.UK's centre finder before booking an appointment. Whatever centre you use, UK guidance on visitor documents says flight bookings should stay out unless you're in transit.[8] Our UK visa guide explains why.
Canada. IRCC lists Iran among countries whose citizens need a visitor visa.[9] Applications are made online, and IRCC's supporting-documents guidance suggests including your travel itinerary, which can include flight details.[10] Check IRCC's instructions for where to give biometrics from your country. See our Canada visa flight guide.
What should you check before leaving Iran?
Iranian rules on departure, such as the exit duty paid by travellers and the permissions needed by men subject to military service, are set by Iranian authorities. We could not open current official pages for these in October 2026, so we won't quote amounts or conditions here. Check them with the official tax portal and the passport police before you travel, and do it before you apply for a visa rather than after.
A flight reservation has no role in any of these checks. It is evidence for a foreign visa officer, nothing more.
Where can Iranians travel without a visa?
Türkiye is the clearest option on an official page: the Turkish Foreign Ministry says Iranian ordinary passport holders are exempt from visas for trips of up to 90 days.[11] No visa means no consulate file, but check-in staff may still ask how you will leave on a one-way trip, and the Turkish border may ask about your plans. If your return is uncertain, an onward reservation shows a plan. If it is fixed, simply buy it. Our Turkey guide and proof of onward travel guide go into detail.
If you later travel from Türkiye to the Schengen area on a visa, the EU notes that border officers can still ask about accommodation and a return journey.[12]
Iranian passport: where things stand
| Destination | Current position | Flight evidence | Reservation useful? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Germany (Schengen) | Restricted; waiting lists[1] | Per checklist; Visa Code accepts reservations[3] | Only once you have an appointment |
| Netherlands (Schengen) | Only with an embassy letter via VFS[2] | Per checklist | Only if invited to apply |
| United States | Visa issuance suspended, limited exceptions[6] | n/a | No |
| United Kingdom | Visitor visa[7] | GOV.UK says not to send bookings[8] | No |
| Canada | Visitor visa[9] | Itinerary suggested[10] | Yes |
| Türkiye | Visa-free up to 90 days[11] | None in advance | For one-way trips |
Reservation, refundable fare or paid ticket?
With so much uncertainty, we'd lean even harder than usual towards not paying for flights before a decision. A held reservation costs little and lapses on its own. A refundable fare protects you but ties up money, possibly for months. A non-refundable ticket bought before the visa is the riskiest choice of all right now. Our page on reservations versus refundable tickets sets out the trade-offs.
Steps for a Schengen or Canadian file
- Read the mission's current notice and confirm it accepts your type of application.
- Wait for a confirmed appointment or submission date before ordering anything.
- Check the route operates on the airline's website for your dates.
- Use the Latin spelling from your passport for every name, exactly.
- Order it one or two days ahead of the appointment or upload.
- Open it on the airline's Manage booking page and save a screenshot.
- Buy the real ticket after approval, and recheck the route before you pay.
To show the timing: say you are on the German embassy's waiting list and receive an appointment for 4 December, for a family visit to Hamburg from 10 to 24 January. You'd order the reservation on 2 or 3 December, check it the same evening, and buy the actual fare only once the visa is issued. That is an example, not a customer case.
Mistakes worth avoiding
- Ordering a reservation when you join a waiting list. It will have lapsed long before your appointment.
- Travelling to a neighbouring country to apply when the embassy has asked applicants not to.
- A routing that isn't operating on the dates shown.
- Name spellings that differ between the passport, the booking and other documents.
- Attaching flights to a UK visitor application.
- Paying a seller whose document won't open on the airline's site. Our provider checklist helps.
Unsure how to look a booking up? Our pre-submission check and the PNR verification guide explain it.
Ordering and payment
Use the booking page, enter the route, and type every traveller's name the way the passport prints it. It's $9 a passenger for a single journey or a return, and multi-city trips are charged by the pair of legs. Within about ten minutes of paying you should receive a PDF naming the airline and PNR; follow the order through tracking.
Card payments run through Razorpay. Some cards can't be used for this kind of purchase because of the issuing bank or the restrictions it is under, and we can't advise on payment routes affected by sanctions. If payment fails, speak to your bank. Related reading: the overview of visa reservations, how we price, flight reservation basics, requirements listed by country and hotel proof for visas.
Once your appointment is confirmed
Reservation under your passport name, PNR checkable online. $9 per traveller; usually ten minutes to your inbox.
Frequently asked questions
Is the German embassy in Tehran accepting Schengen visa applications?
In a restricted way. Its notice says appointments go to people on the waiting list as of 18 January 2026 and to urgent humanitarian or medical cases, and that new registrations through TLScontact opened on 15 July 2026 without a date for new appointments. It asks applicants not to travel to neighbouring countries to apply.
Can Iranians get a US tourist visa now?
For most Iranian nationals, no. Presidential Proclamation 10998 fully suspended visa issuance to nationals of Iran and several other countries from 1 January 2026, with limited categorical exceptions. Visas issued before that date are not revoked under the proclamation. A flight reservation has no use for a US application in these circumstances.
When should I order a reservation if I'm on a waiting list?
Only after you receive a confirmed appointment, ideally one or two days before it. Since the airline sets the hold and it never runs past two weeks, one made at registration would expire long before anyone reads it.
Can my reservation depart from Tehran?
Only if the route is actually operating on your dates. EASA recommends the operators it covers avoid the Tehran flight information region, and Iranian authorities have imposed temporary closures. Check the airline's website first. If you live lawfully in another country, start the itinerary there.
Do Iranians need a visa for Türkiye?
Not for trips of up to 90 days, according to the Turkish Foreign Ministry. Airlines sometimes query one-way passengers about their exit plan, and an onward reservation can answer that. With fixed dates, a paid return is simpler.
Should I include a reservation with a UK visa application?
No. Iranians do need a UK visitor visa, but GOV.UK says flights aren't evidence it wants from visitors, apart from those in transit. Check GOV.UK's centre finder for where you can apply.
Can I pay with an Iranian bank card?
Cards are processed by Razorpay; acceptance depends on the issuing bank and any restrictions covering it. We can't advise on ways around sanctions. If your payment is declined, talk to your bank.
Sources
Last checked: October 2026.
- German Embassy Tehran, Eingeschränkter Betrieb der Botschaft (restricted operation notice).
- Netherlands Worldwide, Applying for a Schengen visa in Iran.
- European Commission, Applying for a Schengen visa; EUR-Lex, Visa Code, Annex II.
- EASA, Conflict Zone Information Bulletin: Airspace of Iran.
- EASA, Active conflict zone information bulletins.
- U.S. Department of State, Suspension of visa issuance to foreign nationals to protect the security of the United States.
- GOV.UK, Immigration Rules Appendix Visitor: Visa national list.
- GOV.UK, Guide to supporting documents: visiting the UK; Find a visa application centre.
- Government of Canada (IRCC), Entry requirements by country or territory.
- Government of Canada (IRCC), Supporting documents for visitor visa applicants.
- Republic of Türkiye, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Visa information for foreigners.
- European Union, Your Europe, Travel documents for non-EU nationals.
Related: home · visiting Iran (foreign visitors) · Afghan travellers · Russian travellers · Ukrainian travellers · Mexican travellers.