I often come across people who want to visit Iran but feel that it isn’t possible or feel intimidated by the complex logistics. This blog post will hopefully answer some of these questions.

Eligibility: Citizens of most nations are given visas to Iran on arrival, other passports require visas in advance, and Israelis are not allowed to enter Iran (this possibly includes individuals who have visited recently as well). You can check this Wikipedia article, however, the most accurate information can be provided by your local Iranian embassy.

A note for people with Iranian heritage: If you have an Iranian father, you are eligible for an Iranian citizenship, which means you are an Iranian national and are entitled to an Iranian passport. There is a slight complication for men in this case, as men have a mandatory military service. Read more here, again, consult your local Iranian embassy or consulate for further assistance on this matter.

Safety: Americans often ask me, “You’re going to Iran? Is that safe?” The answer is yes, Iran is safe, perhaps safer than some places in America. Iran’s per capita murder rate is almost half of America’s and Tehran as a whole is much safer than many American cities, especially my hometown Detroit.

Here are some comparative statistics on crimes generally, the and here are the murder rates. The crime to be aware of is petty thievery which occurs in any major city. Keep your money well guarded and be aware of tourist scams.

Laws: Iran is a conservative Muslim country. This is important to keep in mind in the duration of your trip. Although many Iranians, especially those living in major cities, are secular, the larger society is still far more conservative than the west, and small cities and towns are more conservative.

Alcoholic drinks and drugs are illegal in Iran, and they are subject to strict punishments. Women are required to dress according to the Islamic dress code, although this is not strictly enforced on tourists. Women are required to cover their head, wear longer sleeves. Shorts and tight clothing are prohibited for both men and women.

My father always says, “There is no law in Iran, the only law is whatever the guy you are dealing with says.” Iran is the land of exceptions, but occasionally you will run into a sakht-gir (hard-ass) who will strictly enforce the law. As a foreigner, you will mostly get passes.

Most importantly: freedom of speech, as understood in the west, does not exist in Iran. Politics and religion can be dangerous topics. Please tread carefully when discussing these topics in public.

Photography: Some Iranians will object to appearing in a photograph, even if they are in a public space. The conception of privacy is more strict, and this applies more so to Iranian women. Foreigners will have more leeway, especially women. Embassies, military bases, and many other types of government buildings do not allow photography, and they will be specifically marked as such.

Ta‘arof: Like other Middle Easterners, Iranians hospitality can be overbearing to westerners. This etiquette is known as ta‘arof in Persian.

Iranians often insist others enter doorways first, offer to pay for shared meals or taxi rides, or even offer to give away things which are complimented. Iranians will often say things like “I am your servant (nokaretam)” “I would die for you (qorbanet, fadat shavam).” When speaking, they will refer to themselves as slave (bandeh) and insist that they are at your service (dar khedmatam).

As a tourist in Iran, you will be at the receiving end of this ta‘arof, taxi drivers and bazaaris will refuse to accept your money. Random Iranians will offer you free things. You can play your part in the ta‘arof by refusing to accept free things and insisting on paying. Refrain from complimenting people’s possessions, they will insist on giving them away to you.

Gender Interactions: Iranian, like most Muslim countries, is largely gender segregated. You may find that these barriers collapse in certain private spaces, however it could be difficult for a tourist to sense these nuances.

Men should not stare at, make conversation with, or shake their hands with women unless the woman prompts these types of interactions. In public transport, avoid sitting directly next to members of the opposite gender, and this is especially true for people who are dressed more conservatively.

Personal Space: Iranians have a vastly different conception of personal space. It is common for members of the same sex to embrace each other physically, kiss (on the cheeks) and hold hands. This is entirely in a platonic and non-sexual context, as public displays of sexuality are not socially acceptable in Iran. I often find that western men are most taken aback by this experience, especially if they are not expecting it.

Time: Time in Iran is more of a suggestion than an agreement. It is common or even expected to change the time and location of agreements, even up until when they are about to happen. Arriving late to agreements, is common and expected.

If someone makes an agreement with you, it is best to keep up with them to confirm that the agreement is still in place. Iranians often make suggestions, with an understanding that they may or may not happen. “Lets go to the bazaar the day after tomorrow.” To a westerner, this would imply a serious agreement, to an Iranian, this is more of a suggestion of a possibility, subject to the mood and business of the day after tomorrow on the day of.

Things do not run to strict schedules in Iran. It’s common to hear things like, “Visit us tonight” or “Come over for lunch” or “Come after maghrib (prayers)” without a specific indication of what time to arrive.

Stores in small towns usually don’t post work hours and close around the hottest parts of the day. The timing of mid-day closures varies from store to store and is longest during summer months.

This is good reading to better understand Middle Eastern culture.

Money and Markets: Because of international sanctions, it may not be possible for you to bank in Iran. Contact your bank to be sure about this. If you cannot access your bank, bring plenty of cash for your whole trip. United States Dollars and Euro are often the most readily accepted currencies. All cities have currency exchanges, and their rates are centrally determined and posted on boards to ensure fair transactions. Avoid changing your money at the airport.

The main unit of currency is the Rial, although it appears more on price tags than in daily speech. Most people use the unit Toman, with every Toman being equal to 10 Rials. This is to simplify the exchange of money. Your bill may say 500,000 Rials, but it is actually 50,000 Toman. However, Iranians don’t actually say fifty-thousand Toman, however, they further shorten that to fifty toman. You might go to a corner store, purchase 10,000 Rials worth of ice cream, but the owner will tell you “1 Toman.”

Change (pul-e-khurd) is also an issue at times. Inflation and overall mismanagement of money are to blame. In the west, you can hand almost any cashier a 100 dollar bill and get your change back, this is not the case in Iran. The most common small bill in Iran is 10,000 Rials (1,000 Toman, or 1 Toman), and less common but still circulated is the 5,000 Rials (500 toman) bill. However, many transactions end up in smaller, less round numbers. In the bazaar people round to easy numbers, but merchants who sell goods with prices set by the government cannot do this. Therefore, many times you will receive a small packet of gum or a wafer to take the place of <500 Tomans.

Haggling is only part of bazaar culture. Don’t haggle in restaurants, convenience stores, pharmacies, or for most small purchases. If you do decide to haggle, you should be aware of the strategies. Your main objective is to create the impression that you aren’t necessarily interested in the item, giving the merchant the responsibility to sell it to you, so to speak. Even if you have spent a great deal of time trying to find something, you shouldn’t act excited or tell the vendor this is the case. That will ruin any chance of a deal, as he knows you will buy the item without a discount. When a bazaari quotes a price, as a tourist, you are most likely getting overcharged. Offer to pay 75% of what he quotes, and settle somewhere in a 85%-90% of the full price range. A common way to haggle is to purchase a couple things and ask for a discount, or to ask for a small item for free.

Pickpocketing is one of those petty-thievery safety-issues I mentioned earlier. It is a rarity, but when it does occur, it’s usually in very crowded places like the bazaar or public transportation. Most Iranians have figured out their way of protecting their money. Simply being on alert is enough for me. Women often keep large amounts of money in their bra. Sewing-savvy people fashion pockets on the inside of their clothes.

Tipping in Iran isn’t nearly as common as it is in America. Tipping is more common in fancier sit down restaurants, and even then it isn’t 15% of the bill. Usually a much smaller fraction.

Transport and Traffic: Most taxis in Iran are privately owned vehicles. If you stand on the street to hail a car, don’t be surprised if a normal car stops for you. Once the car pulls up, it will be one of two types. If it already has a passenger, it is a khati (line) car, which runs a specific route and picks people up until all seats are full. This is cheaper but less convenient than a dar-bast (closed door), which is functionally the same as a Western taxi, you pay and the driver takes you the whole way. Unless you specify darbast, your driver will pick and drop off other passengers along the way. Negotiate your rate before entering the darbast car. They have no meters. Khati cars have fixed rates that vary slightly. Marked taxis are often yellow or green but do not have meters. Snapp and Tap30 are two Iranian ride-sharing apps which function very similarly to Uber, I highly recommend them. The fares are standardized, and always cheaper than a darbast.

Traffic is hectic in Iran, and the rules of the road are more loosely observed. Crossing the street is more dangerous than in the West (cars don’t stop to allow pedestrians to cross, they keep going until they are forced to stop by assertive pedestrians). Many times it seems like a car is going to hit you, but they swerve out of the way or stop just in time. As a foreigner, your best bet is to follow natives as they cross.

In Tehran, the metro is a great way to get around. Its tickets are very cheap (<20 cents USD). The newer cars are air conditioned, and best of all you aren’t stuck in Tehran’s traffic jams. The metro is open from about 5:30 am to 10:30 pm, daily, although hours may very.

Internet in Iran: Iranian internet is slow by Western standards, and its not publicly available for free in businesses. If you have an unlocked smartphone, your best bet is to get an Irancell sim card, which offers cheap 4G data on an as-you-go basis (10 gigabytes of data costs about $2.40). You can use your 4G as a wifi hotspot for your laptop computer as well.

Calendar and Holidays: Iran has three calendars. There is the Gregorian calendar for international things like flights, the Islamic calendar for religious affairs, and the Persian calendar for day-to-day use. You should be mindful of the days of the week in Iran:

Shanbeh-Saturday, Yek Shanbeh-Sunday, Do Shanbeh-Monday, Seh Shanbeh-Tuesday, Chahar Shanbeh-Wednesday, Panj Shanbeh-Thursday, Jo‘meh-Friday. (Panj Shanbe and Jo’meh are the Iranian weekend.)

The biggest holiday is Nowruz, which is the Persian New Year. It tends to fall on March 21st (1st of Farvardin on the Persian calendar) and runs until April 3rd (13th of Farvardin). Most business are closed, except for ones that cater to tourism. Tehran tends to be pretty empty during this time, as Tehranis usually travel to different cities. Most other cities in Iran will be busier during this time. It would generally be better to avoid travelling in Iran at this time.

During the Islamic month of Ramadan, most restaurants are closed during the day, and there will be less activity as fasting people tend to rest at home. Although the daytime will be less busy, nights are spent eating at restaurants and picnicking. Ramadan comes ten days sooner every year, so keep track of what time of year it is when you are travelling.

List of Iranian holidays.

Language: Almost all signs are bilingual, especially in places tourists frequent. All street signs are bilingual. Many Iranians speak basic conversational English, so you should be fine getting around. Although English is enough to get by with, knowledge of basic Persian phrases would help create a connection with locals. Here is a nice list.

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That is a semi-comprehensive list of things that I’ve been asked about or noticed tourists struggle with. If you have any other questions, please ask in the comments and I’ll try my best to answer them.