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Extending your tourist visa in Iran is as easy as a pie! Well, maybe not as easy as a pie, but it wouldn’t be a hassle too. You only need to attend one of the Police Departments of Alien Affairs in Iran, which can be found easily in a number of top tourist cities of the country, hand in the required documents, answer a few questions and that’s it!
In this article prepared by the IranRoute Travel Agency, we have done our best to cover all the essential issues concerning Iran visa extension. However, if you still feel you have questions about extending your visa in Iran, do not hesitate to contact us.
How can I extend my visa in Iran?
Before your current visa expires, take your documents to one of the Police Departments of Alien Affairs in one of the major cities of Iran such as Tehran, Isfahan and Shiraz. It is not advised that you try to extend your visa way ahead of the date that it expires since your request may be declined. We recommend going to your chosen Police Department as early as possible in the morning to avoid getting stuck in long lines and wasting a lot of time. The offices usually close around 2:00 PM, so be careful about the closing time of the offices too.
Once at the office, you usually have to pass through a security checkpoint, leaving with the officers your mobile phones and other electrical gadgets. Also, sticking to the standard dress code is mandatory there. After this brief security check, you would be allowed to enter the building.
Now, you have to go and find the Visa Extension counter. There, show your passport and ask for a visa extension for up to 30 days. Here, you will be given a form to fill in some basic details. Afterward, the officers will send you to the Tourism Affairs counter where you’ll have to answer a few questions. Make sure to give reasonable reasons for extending your visa, or your request would be denied.
You may be asked a number of questions concerning your visa extension, including:
- What is the reason for extending your visa?
- How much longer do you want to stay in Iran?
- Where are you going to stay?
- Are you in Iran for tourism or work?
- What is your job?
Now, it is time to pay the visa extension fee. Use an Iranian debit card or go to a nearby bank to pay the required fee ( If you don’t know the address of the nearest bank, do not be ashamed to ask the officer. And if the bank employees have problems understanding English, simply say Visa Extension and they will take care of it).
Having paid the visa extension fee, go back to the police department. You will be given a file including a list of all the necessary documents. Present all your documents along with your payment receipt.
Note: Visa extension process is the same everywhere in Iran, the amount of time it takes may vary due to the workload of the office where you have applied or extra checks that are run randomly and occasionally.
What are the required documents to extend my tourist visa in Iran?
In order to extend your visa, you should present the following documents to the office:
- Your passport,
- Two photocopies of your passport (See the passport standard guide),
- Two passport-sized photos (women with head-scarf)(See the Photo Standard Guide),
- Your current Iran visa or e-visa,
- Two copies of your completed visa extension form,
- Two copies of your visa extension payment receipt.
How many times and for how long can I extend my visa?
As mentioned earlier, you can apply for a visa extension twice and for a maximum of thirty days each time. So, a 30-day visa plus two additional extensions will give you 90 days. Nevertheless, if you have a visa on arrival, you can extend it only once, giving you a total of 60 days in Iran.
Visa extension Fee in Iran
This step is quite easy and cheap!! The cost of a visa extension is approximately 300,000 Rials which you must pay in cash, or you can pay by an Iran debit card for tourist at Melli Bank In addition, you may be asked to pay an additional fee of around 50000 for making photocopies and buying a folder for your documents.
When do I need to apply for a visa extension in Iran?
You need to apply for 1 to 3 days (not earlier) before your current visa is expired. If you apply too early your visa extension application may be delayed to a later time.
How long does a visa extension take?
A Visa extension can be done in a few minutes or hours. However, in some cases, it may take one or two days. Different reasons are accountable for this but if you present all the documents and provide the right reason for your application, you don’t have to worry.
Can I extend my visa online?
No, unfortunately it is not possible to extend your visa online.
Where can I extend my visa?
You can only extend your visa on arrival in Tehran, well that’s not true! You can extend your visa at Police Offices of Foreign Aliens in major cities as we mention below. The offices are open from Saturday to Wednesday, 7:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m..
Tehran: It is possible to extend your Iranian Visa in Tehran from two immigration offices. One of them is located in Dr. Fatemi Junction, towards Vali-e Asr Avenue and the other is located near Sepah square. It is almost difficult to extend your visa in Tehran and your extension will be partial rather than a full month.
Iran visa extension Tehran office
Yazd: The immigration office is located near Abouzar square, Kashani St. It may take more than a day to issue your extension.
Iran visa extension Yazd office
Mashhad: The immigration office of Mashhad is located on Rahnamaee St. You can also apply for Afghan visa in Mashhad as it is easier to apply there than in the capital.
police office of foreign aliens in Mashhad
Shiraz: The best spot to extend your visa is in Shiraz. Applying for your visa extension is quite easy and quick in this city. The immigration office is located in Moddarres Blvd, near Vali-e Asr Square.
police office of foreign aliens in Shiraz
Isfahan: You can easily extend your Iranian visa in Isfahan from the immigration office near Azadi Sq, on Roudaki St.
police office of foreign aliens in Isfahan
Bandar Abbas: You can extend your visa in Imam Khomeini boulevard in Hormozgan province
police office of foreign aliens in Bandar Abbas
Tabriz: It is not the best place to extend your visa and we do not advise it. There have been many rejections in this city. The address is Saeb Tabriz Street (between Lalehzar Street and Barg-e Lameh Seyidlar Street )
Note: Offices are open from Saturday to Wednesday, from 7:30 AM to 2:00 PM. As they are usually crowded, it is recommended to start the process early in the morning.
Important tips for extending Iran visa
- Dress properly when visiting Police Departments of Alien Affairs.
- Be positive and Smile! This way they might offer you extra help or give you what you need faster,
- Visit the office early in the morning,
- Be ready to answer some related questions to your trip,
- Be mentally prepared for a chaotic visa office full of people,
- Have your travel itinerary at hand,
- Do not to mention that you’re staying or have ever stayed in a residential property in Iran as the authorities are very strict about this.
- Have a list of hotels you have already stayed in ready to make your case more convincing,
- BE careful that the authorities are very sensitive about certain people with specific jobs, such as reporters or journalists (or other sensitive job positions), and this might complicate your visa extension.
To know more about the visa application process in Iran, please read our article “Everything You Need to Know about Iran Visa”.
To Read More about Visa Extension in Iran
Every Thing You Need to Know about Iran Visa
