Nope.
No major changes since yesterday.
Governments, one trip
What they're telling their own citizens about Iran
The real score
The breakdown
See it from your perspective
Nope.
The general Sketch Score, unweighted for any specific traveler.
Don't fall for it
Scams to know
Fake Police
Men in unmarked cars use fake IDs to demand passports or luggage searches. Ignore these requests and head to the nearest police station if you feel unsafe.
Don't do this
Laws that jail tourists
Restricted Photography
Photography of military, government, jails, harbors, telecommunications, or airports is strictly prohibited. Transgressions can lead to detention and espionage charges.
Espionage Accusations
Foreigners, particularly Iranian-Americans, face risks of detention and accusations of espionage. Avoid politically-oriented conversations to minimize this risk.
Illegal Substances
Alcohol and drugs are illegal. Consuming or obtaining them carries dire consequences if caught.
Public Smoking Bans
Smoking qalyan and cigarettes is banned in public places. Use only recommended qahvekhane locations to avoid legal issues.
Dress Code
Female travelers must obey local laws regarding dress to avoid problems.
Staying healthy
What to watch out for, health-wise
Active notices
- • Global Measles
Vaccines
Required: Yellow Fever
Recommended: Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, Malaria, Measles, Rabies, Typhoid
Source: CDC Travelers' Health →Getting in
What you'll need at the border
Most visitors to Iran must obtain an electronic visa (e-Visa) prior to their arrival in Iran, unless they are a citizen of one of the visa-exempt countries or countries that are ineligible for an e-Visa, in which case they must obtain a visa in advance from one of the Iranian diplomatic missions around the world.
Passport validity required: 6 months beyond entry.
Source: Wikipedia →Real, not invented
Terrorism
Terrorists are likely to try to carry out attacks in Iran. Terrorist attacks could be indiscriminate, including in places frequented by foreign nationals. Stay aware of your surroundings, keep up to date with local media reports and follow the advice of local authorities. Examples of recent attacks include: in January 2024, at least 84 people were killed and more than 200 wounded in suicide bombing attacks in Kerman, southern Iran, carried out by Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP) in 2023, one person was killed and 8 wounded in a terrorist attack at the Shah Cheragh mausoleum, a Shia holy site in Shiraz southern Iran in 2022, 15 people were killed in a shooting attack at the Shah Cheragh mausoleum, Shiraz, in an attack claimed by ISKP Baluchistan separatist groups have targeted government buildings and infrastructure in the Sistan-Baluchistan region of Iran resulting in casualties.
Source: UK FCDO →From people who've been there
Local know-how
Staying safe
- •Iran is still a relatively low-crime country, although thefts and muggings occur. Keep your wits about you, and take the usual precautions against pickpockets in crowded bazaars and buses.
- •Although its strict Islamic moral code is well known, Iranian laws are not as strict as those of Saudi Arabia.
- •Perceptions of outsiders: The chances of a Westerner facing anti-Western sentiment as a traveller are slim.
- •Some Iranian-Americans have been detained and accused of espionage, as were three American hikers in 2009 who allegedly strayed across into Iran from Iraqi Kurdistan.
- •Photography: There are a lot of military and other sensitive facilities in Iran.
- •Women: Female travellers should not encounter any major problems when visiting Iran, as long as they obey the local laws – including those on dressing.
Staying healthy
- •Iran has state-of-the-art medical facilities in all its major cities.
- •Apart from being up to date with your usual travel vaccinations (tetanus, polio, etc.) no special preparation is needed for travel to Iran.
- •Tap water is safe to drink in most of the country (and especially the cities), although you may find the chalkiness and taste off-putting in some areas (mainly Qom, Yazd, Hormozgan and Boushehr provinces).
Adapted from Wikivoyage, CC BY-SA — edited by travelers, not us.
Pack this, know this
The little things that trip people up
Plug & voltage
C / F · 220V
Driving side
right
Emergency
police: 110 / ambulance: 115 / fire: 125
Tipping
Tipping is generally not expected, but locals will generally round up the bill in taxis and add around 10% in restaurants. Porters and bellboys will expect 20,000 rials. A discreet gift of a few thousand tomāns may help grease the wheels of Iranian society and serve to thank an extraordinarily helpful local.
Cash vs. Card
The rial, denoted by the symbol "﷼", "IR" or "R" (ISO code: IRR) is the currency of Iran. Wikivoyage articles will use rials to denote the currency. In Iran, prices may be shown in toman (تومان), where 1 toman = 10 rials.
Zoom in
One Iran city on SKETCH.WORLD
Real, resident-submitted Numbeo crime data at the city level — the same national picture above, with crime swapped for what people who actually live there report.
Show the receipts (9 sources)
- us-state — observed 2026-09-09
- uk-fcdo — observed 2026-09-09
- ca-gac — observed 2026-09-09
- worldbank-political — observed 2026-09-09
- worldbank-policeTrust — observed 2026-09-09
- cdc-health — observed 2026-09-09
- wikivoyage — observed 2026-09-09
- reddit — observed 2026-09-09
- lgbtq-legal-wikipedia — observed 2026-09-09