Japan to Iran visa requirements

Japanese ordinary passport holders need a visa for Iran. The recommended route is the Iran eVisa (electronic visa) applied for online before travel at the official MFA portal; Japan is also eligible for visa on arrival (VOA) at major international airports as a backup. Iran is not a visa-free destination for Japan, but Japanese nationals are treated favorably compared with US, UK and Canadian citizens (who face stricter pre-approval rules and cannot get VOA). For a short tourist trip, a Japanese ordinary passport holder should apply for the Iran eVisa through the official Ministry of Foreign Affairs portal (evisa.mfa.ir / evisatraveller.mfa.ir). The application is submitted online, a reference number is issued, and after approval the eVisa authorization is used to collect or activate the visa. Japan is also on the list of nationalities permitted to obtain a Visa on Arrival (VOA) at Imam Khomeini International Airport (Tehran) and other major international airports, valid up to 30 days, though the eVisa/pre-arranged route is more reliable and reduces the risk of airport refusal. A key requirement for all tourists is mandatory Iran-valid travel medical insurance with minimum coverage of EUR 30,000 for the full stay (commonly bought at the airport or embassy if not already held). Passports must be valid at least six months beyond the intended stay and proof of onward/return travel is expected. Note that as of late 2025 Iran's visa process returned to its more flexible pre-2025 format, allowing independent travel for most nationalities including Japan. Travelers should also be aware of significant government travel advisories warning against travel to Iran due to security and detention risks; these are political/security warnings, not visa rules, but materially affect a real traveler's decision.