Middle East and North Africa

• Travel Summary
• Safety and security
• Local laws and customs
• Entry requirements

• Health
• Natural disasters
• General
 

Travel Summary

• We advise against all travel to within 100km of the entire Iran/Afghanistan border, and to within 10km of the entire Iran/Iraq border.  The Pakistan border area is also insecure, and we advise against all travel east of the line running from Bam to Jask.  This includes all travel to Bam.  See the Terrorism & Security, and Local Travel, sections of this advice for further details.

• There are confirmed human cases of the H1N1 swine flu virus in Iran, and there have been a small number of deaths.  See the Health section of this advice for information on Swine Flu in Iran, and check the FCO Swine Flu page for further information.

• Large scale demonstrations followed the Iranian Presidential elections on 12 June 2009.  The number of people killed in clashes is officially put at 20, but it is probably higher.  You should avoid demonstrations, large public gatherings and areas where security forces are deployed.  A 23-year-old French national is currently on trial after having attended a post-election political demonstration.

• The regime has claimed that foreign powers are behind the demonstrations and unrest.  The UK has been singled out for particularly strong criticism.  In recent years, there have been several violent attacks on, and violent demonstrations outside, the British Embassy compounds in Tehran.

• You should maintain a high level of security awareness, particularly in public places.  If you intend to travel to Iran you should monitor political developments closely and check this advice regularly.

• There is a general threat from terrorism.  Explosions have killed a number of people in recent years.  Terrorist attacks could be indiscriminate, including against expatriate and foreign travellers, and you should remain vigilant.  On 18 October, a suicide bomber carried out an attack in Pishin in the southern Iranian province of Sistan-Baluchestan.  Some Iranian sources have claimed that foreign powers, including the UK (incorrectly), are in some way involved in the attack.  Please see the Terrorism & Security section of this advice for further details.
  

• We believe there remains a threat to foreigners from kidnapping by Baluchi separatists throughout Iran.  See the Safety and Security section of this advice for further details.

• A series of incidents in recent years have demonstrated that there is a risk to travellers of arbitrary arrest and detention by the Iranian authorities.  The Iranian authorities do not always inform the relevant Embassy of the arrest of a foreign national promptly, or even at all. 
  

• Credit cards and bankcards cannot generally be used in Iran and travellers’ cheques can be very difficult to exchange.  See the General (Money) section of this advice for more details.

• The application process for an Iranian visa can be protracted and unpredictable.  Travellers are therefore advised not to purchase flight tickets or pay for hotels and other travel arrangements before they have secured a visa.

• The main type of incident for which British nationals required consular assistance in Iran in 2008 was for replacing lost or stolen passports.  You should carry some form of identification with you at all time.  Some dual UK/Iranian nationals have also faced problems leaving Iran due to insufficient/incorrect documentation.  See the Entry/Exit Requirements (Dual Nationality) section of this advice for more details.

• We recommend that you obtain comprehensive travel and medical insurance before travelling.  You should check any exclusions, and that your policy covers you for all the activities you want to undertake.   See the General (Insurance) section of this advice and Travel insurance for more details.