Getting an Iranian visa extension in Yazd

This post is specifically about getting an Iran visa extension in Yazd. The procedure might differ from those in other cities, so if trying to extend your Iranian visa elsewhere, be sure to research the requirements for your specific location ahead of time.

Getting your visa extension in Yazd is relatively simple and straightforward. Anecdotal evidence suggests that it can be done in one day, though our process took two days.

(We’re pretty sure that this is because the officer on duty was dealing with someone else as we arrived, and didn’t feel like working too hard that day.)

How to get an Iran visa extension in Yazd

How to get to the Passport and Aliens office in Yazd

Visa extensions are issued by the Passport and Aliens office. The office can be found on Kashani Street, north of Abouzar Square.

The easiest way of getting there is by taking a taxi to Abouzar Square, a big roundabout and bus stop. A taxi from the city center should cost around 60,000 IRR, but taxi drivers might quote up to 100,000 IRR if you’re taking a taxi lurking around the tourist area. If you want to know more about how to deal with this, read our guide on taxis in Iran.

Once at the square, the office is a two-minute walk away. The entrance is a small door halfway down a long expanse of yellow brick wall. There aren’t any signs with English writing.

The yellow brick wall along Kashani street, where the Passport and Alien Affairs office is located.

The entrance to the Passport and Alien Affairs office… and a creeper man for fun.

When you enter the compound, your name and nationality is registered, and you have to hand over your phone and other electronics. You’ll get a number in exchange, use it to get your phone back when you leave.

When you enter the building, immediately go to your right. In a corner on your left-hand side there is a door leading to an office. Just look kind of lost, say you want a visa extension, and someone will usher you in.

Applying for a visa extension in Yazd

Iranian bureaucracy normally doesn’t want to extend your visa unless you only have two days left on your visa. If they ask why you’re extending it so far ahead of time (if you are), tell them that you’re heading to the desert for a week or so, and won’t have enough time to do it afterward. They should agree, and ignore the two-day rule.

They also asked what hotel we were currently staying at in Yazd. If you don’t have one, just pick an existing one. You also need to put it on the application form. We didn’t know the address or phone number of our guesthouse (yay for being prepared), so we just put the name, and there were no problems.

To extend your visa, you need the following:

• Two recent passport photos–women, don’t forget to bring photos with your hijab on!
• Two filled in application forms, which you’ll get at the office
• Your passport
• A photocopy of your passport’s information page, and a photocopy of your current Iranian visa including the entry stamp
• Proof of payment of 345,000 IRR from the Bank Melli in Abouzar Square

The officer on duty will give you a piece of paper with these requirements, along with two application forms.

Requirements for extending your visa

Go to Bank Melli (not to be confused with Bank Mellat), which is at the other side of the roundabout at Abouzar Square. Give the man at the first desk the piece of paper, and everything will work itself out after that. The bank has loads of pens and places to sit, so this is also a good place to fill in your application form.

Looking for inspiration after your visa extension? Check out our off the beaten track Iran itinerary!

Abouzar square and roundabout as viewed when coming from the office. The Bank Melli is the building with the baaaarely visible grey and yellow sign underneath the white billboard.

When you get your proof of payment, go back to the office, give all the required documents to the clerk, and he will tell you when you can pick up your passport. It shouldn’t take more than a day. For us, the entire process took about an hour, and we were told to pick up our visa the next day at 13:00.

Picking up the visa extension

When we picked up our visas the next day, we were asked to pay a 10,000 IRR administration fee for the two applications. It’s not clear if this is a hard requirement, as we’ve heard of people who didn’t have to pay the admin fee. If you’re asked, just pay it–it’s not the end of the world.

Our visa extensions were valid for one month from the expiration date of our previous visa. Meaning two whole months for traveling in Iran, woop woop!

Have you recently gotten your visa extended in Yazd or any other city in Iran? Let us know how it went in the comments! It’s good to keep things up-to-date!