Iran Frequently Asked Question

Iranian working days are from Saturday to Thursday, and Fridays are the National off days. Some companies are off Thursdays, and some work only half a day.

Antiques and large amounts of gold, silver and jewelry. By definition, antiques are objects that are older than 100 years.

Of course, it is. Use common sense as you would at home when carrying cash.

Iranians use their electronic banking system with locally issued cash and credit cards.

Alcoholic beverages, narcotics, guns and ammunition; all horticultural and agricultural goods, including seeds and soil; aerial photo cameras; transmitter-receiver apparatus; pornography; most films, cassettes, CDs and videos; and any fashion magazine. Of course, hunters visiting Iran on hunting tours can get the necessary permits for carrying their guns and ammunition via their travel agents beforehand.

It is called the Iranian Rial (IR). Notes are in denominations of IR 20,000, 10,000, 5000, 2000, 1000, 500, 200 and 100. Coins are in IR 500, 250, 100, 50, 20, 10 and 5 denominations. You may come across the word Toman there. 10 IR = 1 Toman. Everyone is using this word instead of Rials.

Yes, there are several dailies in English. Most of the time, you can find one in the lobby of the major hotels.

IDD service is available. The country code is 98. The outgoing international code is 00. If you need to make a short-distance call in the street, the telephone booths are yellow and marked in English. There are also phone cards for domestic and international calls available.

Yes, you can find fax facilities in most hotels and at main post offices in Iran. And there are a growing number of Internet users in Iran. So, almost all the major hotels provide their guests with Internet facilities, and the others are equipped for the same purpose. Also, many Internet cafes are already open to the public, and many others will be extended due to people’s increasing needs.

1) Narcotics and laxatives

2) Explosives, radioactive and flammable materials or other dangerous materials

3) Items against Islamic moralities

4) Live animals except for honey bees, leeches, silkworms, parasites and bug-busting animals recognized by the institutes

5) Goods forbidden to enter the destination country

6) Items that might cause a danger to the post company’s personnel or might hurt the other postal items or equipment and

7) Private documents corresponded between parties other than the sender or the receiver or any of their family members

Women wear non-transparent, loose garments covering all their bodies except the hands and face. Color is free, but red, orange, pink or similar colors are not worn during national or private sad occasions. Black is not a must. A chador is not a must either, but when visiting a holy mausoleum, and you can experience wearing a chador for a few minutes, do not skip the opportunity to feel the atmosphere. Men put on non-transparent garments, too. They may wear short-sleeve shirts or T-shirts (unlike women), but not shorts in public. The choice of color is the same for men as well. Due to the heat of the Sun and its effect on your skin, I would not recommend wearing short-sleeved shirts. Do not forget to put Sun block cream on your skin if you do. But it is your choice!

The formula to set your time is very simple: GMT + 3.5 (GMT + 4.5 from March 20 to September 21)

Two hundred twenty volts AC, 50Hz. Plugs are of the round two-pin type. If you have a 110-volt appliance to use on your trip, like a shaving machine, dryer, etc., take a 110- to-220 plug with you while taking the course; you can find it in Iran, too, but it is recommended it can be a waste of time in some situations.

The roads are asphalted, and the maintenance is regularly done. There are highways in many routes and separate lanes to and from cities to safeguard transportation. As a matter of fact, contrary to many tourists’ expectations, roads are of excellent quality. Choose to travel overland instead of taking a flight. You can see a lot of landscapes, meet the people in intact rural areas and experience real-life situations in addition to many other opportunities you will not find inside cities. For instance, Iranian guides can take the opportunity to arrange picnic meals for you.

You can buy any soft, non-alcoholic drinks. There are Iranian-made drinks as well as international brands served everywhere. People drink tap water. It is filtrated and refined before being supplied to them, but bottled mineral water is also available for newcomers traveling to Iran.