Italy to Iran visa requirements

Italian passport holders need a visa for Iran. The standard route is an electronic visa authorization (grant code) applied for in advance through Iran's official MFA portal (evisa.mfa.ir), then the visa is issued at an Iranian consulate or, for eligible travelers, at the airport on arrival. It allows up to 30 days, extendable to 90. Iran is not visa-free for Italian citizens and is not part of the Schengen area, so the 90/180 and ETIAS rules do not apply. As of mid-2026, the reliable and officially recommended path is to apply online for an electronic visa authorization (also called a grant code or visa reference number) through the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs portal at evisa.mfa.ir, or via a registered Iranian travel agency. After the authorization is granted, the physical visa is stamped either at an Iranian embassy/consulate (visa fee around EUR 50) or, for nationalities eligible for visa on arrival, at major airports such as Tehran IKA (fee around EUR 75). While Italian travelers have historically been able to use visa-on-arrival, 2025 policy revisions introduced guided-tour conditions for several European nationalities and the situation has shifted multiple times, so applying for the eVisa authorization before departure is the conservative, dependable approach. The tourist visa permits a stay of up to 30 days, extendable twice for a total of up to 90 days, and the authorization is valid roughly 3 months from issue. Mandatory travel medical insurance covering Iran is required, and travelers should be aware of practical issues such as international bank cards not working inside Iran and the separate-document visa option to avoid an Iranian stamp in the passport. Always reconfirm with the official MFA portal or the Iranian consulate in Italy close to travel, as rules have changed frequently.