Is it safe to visit Iran in 2023?

Iran is a wonderful country for all nations to visit. Whether you're interested in going to cultural and historical places, try local food, shopping, or visiting new people, the country is one of the best places for all of these.

Honestly speaking, the country offers all of these in every corner of it to make for one incredible experience, but maybe you have concern about Iran's safety and ask yourself Is it safe to visit Iran in 2023?

When it comes to safety, Iran is one of the safest places in the world, and people are very friendly and helpful where ever you travel to. 

To assure you about the safety of Iran, here are two recent international reports on the level of safety in Iran.

Read more: Travel guide for solo women travelers in Iran

2019 Travel Risk Map

Iran has been deemed as safe as a majority of European countries when it comes to travel security, according to the 2019 Travel Risk Map, launched by global risk experts International SOS in collaboration with Control Risks. 

In this research factors such as political violence (including terrorism, insurgency, politically motivated unrest, and war), social unrest (including sectarian, communal and ethnic violence), violent and petty crime, the robustness of the transport infrastructure, the state of industrial relations, the effectiveness of the security and emergency services and the country’s susceptibility to natural disasters are taken into consideration.

Read more: How to Travel to Iran without a visa?

Danger Ranking by Safe Around

Safe around has compiled and analyzed data from several public sources to make a safety index that allows ranking the world’s countries by safety (100=perfectly safe; 0=very dangerous). Find more details on the page about the World.

These sources take into consideration all kinds of threats such as mugging, crime, road death toll, the occurrence of terrorist attacks and wars, to build their own ranking of the world’s most dangerous cities.

In this ranking list, Iran stands at the 95th row, which means that the country is a relatively low-crime one. According to this report, there are only three areas that it is advised against all travel:

• The areas east of the line running from Bam to Jusk
• Sistan-Baluchistan Province
• The area within 20km of the entire border of Iraq 

Is it safe to go around cities in Iran at night?

Generally speaking, Iran is one of the safest countries in the world. However, it is always recommended to take normal safety precautions and try to avoid visiting remote neighborhoods late at night. 

It is the general rule in almost all countries, and Iran is not an exception.

Read more: Iran dress code

What are the conditions of traveling to “Prohibited” Regions in Iran?

While traveling in Iran, it is highly recommended no to travel within 100 kilometers of the Afghanistan border, or to Sistan and Baluchestan Province due to the dangerous security situation. See Safety and security. 

In addition, do not travel to areas within 10 kilometers of the border with Iraq because of the volatile security situation. Iranian security forces are active in these areas.

Solo Female Travel to Iran: Is it really safe for women?

For a number of solo female travelers, traveling to Iran is a big concern. While they all want to travel to Iran and explore the rich and fascinating culture of the country, their big concern is safety. 

They may be warned by their family and friends not to travel to Iran as a solo female traveler. However, the good news is that Iran is known for being a welcoming place for solo female travelers, and has become more tourist-friendly over the past few years.

As a result, even solo female travelers can easily and safely explore Iran by themselves.

Read more: Things to know before Travel to Iran

Here are what three famous bloggers think of their travel to Iran as a solo female traveler:

Manouk is a travel writer and adventurer from the Netherlands. Despite being a medical doctor, she still hasn't found a cure for her travel bug! So, she keeps on exploring. 

She loves the great outdoors, learning about different cultures and backpacking in offbeat destinations. She traveled to Iran in 2017, and here is what she has to say to solo female travelers in Iran:

Solo Female Backpacking in Iran: Experiences And Tips For Future Travelers. 

You can also check her Instagram page to see more of her photos of Iran.

Ana comes from southern Spain, but you'll hardly ever find her there. Although she loves her country, she longs for the unknown and has a strong desire to travel the world! 

She now lives in Istanbul where she teaches Spanish and writes about things she loves. Here is more about her experience:

A Guide to Traveling to Iran as a Woman Alone

Kami is a solo female frugal traveler from Poland. She believed “the whole “solo female travel in Iran” thing turned out to be really cool and easy there and I enjoyed every single bit of it! 

Iran is one of the best solo female travel destinations I’ve been to.” To read more about her experience and opinions of traveling to Iran, please read this page: https://www.mywanderlust.pl/solo-female-travel-in-iran/

Government Travel Advice

If you have more concerned about traveling to Iran, depending on your nationality, you can always check the government websites to offer travel advisories and information for travelers of their own country.

• Australian Department of Foreign Affairs & Trade (www.smartraveller.gov.au)
• Canadian Department of Foreign Affairs & International Trade (www.voyage.gc.ca)
• French Ministère des Affaires Étrangères et Européennes (www.diplomatie.gouv.fr/fr/conseils-aux-voyageurs)
• Italian Ministero Degli Affari Esteri (www.viaggiaresicuri.mae.aci.it)
• New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs & Trade (www.safetravel.govt.nz)
• UK Foreign & Commonwealth Office (www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice)
• US Department of State (www.travel.state.gov)

Emergency Numbers in Iran

Emergency services are extensive in Iran, and response times are very good compared to other local regions. 

We hope that you have s safe trip to Iran, however, in case of an emergency, you can always call one of the following numbers according to your problem.

• 110: Local Police Control Center
• 115: Emergency Clinical Services 
• 125: Fire and Rescue Team 
• 112: Iranian Red Crescent Society

Do I need a travel Insurance in Iran?

Since 2011 having travel insurance for traveling to Iran became compulsory in order to get a visa to Iran. 

Here is the link to Imam Khomeini International Airport (IKIA) https://www.ikac.ir/en/Guidance/Travel-guide/Passport-and-visa to check that having travel insurance in Iran is obligatory.

Read more: How to choose the right travel insurance for Iran?

Therefore, if you are planning to get Iran Visa on your arrival at one of the international airports in Iran, you need to purchase travel insurance from the insurance counter or contact us to order one.