Visa policy of Iran

Visitors to Iran must obtain a visa from one of the Iranian diplomatic missions unless they come from one of the visa exempt countries or countries eligible for a "visa on arrival". All visitors must hold a passport valid for at least six months.
Iranian authorities are exploring a potential visa waiver program under which visa limitations for 60 countries will be lifted as part of Iran's program to attract more tourists.
Dual citizens of both Iran and another country count as citizens of Iran when visiting, and must have an Iranian passport. This includes all whose mother and father and husband or children born abroad are Iranian.
Iran no longer affixes visas to passports nor stamps them on entry as a response to the US sanctions on persons who have visited Iran after 2011. In November 2018, the head of Iran's Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts, and Tourism Organization (ICHTO), announced that the country will no longer stamp or put stickers to passports of foreign tourists in a bid to ease their concerns about traveling to other countries after leaving Iran. In June 2019 the President of Iran ordered the Interior Ministry to implement the decision on not stamping passports of foreigners. In 2011 it became compulsory to have travel insurance to get a visa to Iran.
Travel restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has halted permits for all Tourist, Business, and Medical Visas. All foreigners are not allowed to enter Iran on all border checkpoints.
Visa policy map.
In the visa policy map below you can see the visa requirements for different countries around the world.
Visa-free.
Citizens of the following 16 jurisdictions can visit Iran without a visa:
1 – 90 days within 180 days.<br>
2 – only for arriving by air directly from Damascus.
Iran free trade zones.
Holders of normal passports traveling as tourists can enter following "Iran trade zones" without a visa with a maximum stay of two weeks (extendable), as by December 2017:
Kish and Qeshm Islands.
All tourists, may stay on Kish Island or Qeshm Island for 14 days or less without obtaining any visa. Americans, Canadians, and Britons are only required to have a certified escort guide waiting for them upon their arrival. The guide has to have the hotel-reservation letters of the passenger with him/her and let the immigration office of the airport know about the arrival of the American/Canadian/British passenger 48 hours before the arrival.
Diplomatic and service category passports.
Holders of passports issued by the following countries are allowed to enter Iran without a visa.
D — diplomatic passports<br>
O — official passports<br>
S — service passports<br>
Sp — special passports
Iran visa for American , British and Canadian.
American , British and Canadian passport holders can also visit Iran 
with an Iran tourism visa. The visa procedure for these nationalities takes around eight weeks. They also have to plan and book their trip with a certified local travel agency in Iran. Before the visa can be issued, the agency has to submit the applicant’s day-by-day itinerary to the foreign ministry for approval.
American and Canadian spouses of Iranian Citizens can easily obtain family visas of up to 90 days to visit and stay in the country without the need for an agency.
Visa application and requirements.
Iran’s tourist visa is issued for up to 30 days and can have up to two additional 30-day extensions, for a total of 90 days. To get a visa prior to arrival, a Visa Authorization Code must be applied for through the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affair’s e-visa website or an Iranian travel agency. The amount of the visa fee is dependent upon one's nationality. The visa fee must be paid prior to pick-up or when applying for a VOA. Local Iranian travel agencies offer better support, trackability and convenience for an additional fee.
Upon receiving a Visa Authorization Code, the visa may be collected at one of Iran’s worldwide embassies and consulates prior to arrival or upon arrival at one of Iran’s international airports. Most nationalities, except American, British and Canadian passport holders, can also obtain their tourist visa upon their arrival in the form of a Visa-On-Arrival (VOA) at the airport without a prior application. Although this method is convenient for last-minute travelers, it does have a higher risk of rejection and tends to be more time-consuming.
Visa on arrival.
Holders of normal passports travelling as tourists can obtain a visa on arrival for a maximum stay of 30 days (extendable), at the following airports, as of January 2018:
Note: to obtain a visa on arrival, passengers must already have made an application, at least two days before arrival, at the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affair's E-Visa website and present the submission notification at the airport's visa desk on arrival.
Iran plans to increase the length of stay from one month to three months. Visas on arrival will be available at Shahid Sadooghi Airport in the near future.
Visa on arrival is not applicable to nationals of the following countries who must obtain a visa in advance:
Passport holders of these countries are required to apply for an Iranian visa at an Iranian embassy or consulate prior to their arrival in Iran.
Marine travelers entering Iran via Shahid Rajaee Port in the southern Hormozgan Province can also receive a visa on arrival.
Electronic visa.
E-visas have been available since 22 November 2018.
Mandatory guides.
Canadian and US citizens are required to be escorted by a government-approved guide at all times. Independent travel for these citizens has been banned due to the closure of Iranian foreign missions in these countries.
Israel.
Admission and transit are refused for nationals of Israel, even if not leaving the aircraft and proceeding by the same flight.
Admission is refused to holders of passports or travel documents containing an Israeli visa or stamp (less than 365 days) or any data showing that the visitor has been to Israel or has indication of any connection with the state of Israel.
Are free trade zones and special economic zones different?
Special economic zones are older than free trade zones. In 1989, in the first five-year development plan of the country and in Note 20 of this law, in order to support the production, customs and the Ports and Shipping Organization of the Islamic Republic of Iran, special and protected areas along the country's customs border for Establish storage of raw materials, parts and products that are imported safely and without currency transfer.