Iran business visa (A entry visa): invitation, application and interview

The MFA describes the A visa as the visa for foreigners invited by ministries, government organisations or private and public sector bodies for purposes such as negotiations, signing contracts or setting up purchased machinery. It lists the following applicants: faculty members and researchers on educational and cultural programmes, crews of carriers transporting goods and passengers, officials, political and economic delegations, art and sports teams, staff of international organisations and specialists, internationally recognised merchants and experts, United Nations employees, and relatives of foreigners who live in Iran.

The online form also offers a separate "Trading" option. Paid employment is not covered: a foreign worker needs the F temporary work visa, and reporters need the H media visa.

The core document is a valid invitation from the Iranian side. In practice the host company or body obtains the approval in Iran and passes on an authorization (reference) code, which you enter in your application; the Iranian embassy in London, for example, tells business applicants that they get this code through their host company. Besides that, you need the online application and must be ready for an interview at the consulate.

There is no single published business-visa fee; each mission charges by nationality. Ask the mission you select in the form. Some missions handle ordinary applications through registered agencies but accept applicants holding an MFA approval directly.

File the application on the e-visa portal in English letters, upload a photo and passport scan, and choose the mission where you will collect the visa. Verify your email within three days. The MFA works with about 10 business days for the review; you are informed of each status change by email. Some missions then require you to submit the passport in person: London asks for the completed form, two recent photos and a passport valid for at least six months once the confirmation email has arrived.

The MFA lists frequent errors: the wrong visa type, the wrong nationality, an incomplete home address, a photo that does not meet the standard and the wrong collecting mission. A passport with less than six months of validity cannot be used at all, and dual nationals must apply with the passport they will travel on.