SIM cards and Phone registration of Iran. In this day and age almost everyone travels with a SIM card of some sort. Some travellers may avoid it in Europe with the abundance of free wifi in the street, accommodations and stores but in Iran it’s very difficult to find free wifi anywhere and when you do find it in your accommodation, its normally average at best. But don’t worry, Iran offers some of the cheapest SIM cards and data packs in the world.
In saying this, Iran like Turkey, Indonesia, Thailand and more require people to register their phone with the government after a period of time. Let’s talk about it all.
Getting a SIM card in Iran is typically a simple process and most of the time can be done at the airport if you fly in Tehran. But what if you don’t fly into Tehran or even if the store in Tehran Airport is closed, what now?
There are 3 major SIM card providers in Iran.
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Hamrahe Aval
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Irancell (Stores have “MTN” Typically written on them)
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RighTel
Personally, I recommend Irancell. This is the SIM provider you’ll find most Iranians use, they have many locations that are easy to find for recharging your data and they even have an App in English.
What is required for obtaining a SIM card?
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Passport
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Unlocked Phone
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Sometimes Visa (Best to bring it just in case)
How much does it cost?
As of November 2023, a SIM card with Irancell costs 2,500,000 Rial or $5USD and about 500,000 Rial or $1USD for 20GB of Data.
Something to keep in mind though, Since you’ll be using a VPN in Iran a lot and many hotels have poor wifi connections, you will use your data a little faster than you would outside Iran. For example, in Australi,I i typically use about 10-15GB in a month but in Iran it’s nothing for me to use 20GB in 3 days sometimes.
Phone Registration in Iran
In Iran phones must be registered with the government. Tourists get 30 days of free use of their phones when they come to Iran. This time starts from the moment you first put a SIM card in your phone.
Sometimes you can get longer than 30 days. Last time I got about 40 days until I lost connection.
To avoid this you should register your phone with the government but warning. This isn’t cheap. For my iPhone 13 Pro, it was going to cost $200USD, 100,000,000 Rial.
If you choose to register your phone this can be done at the airport in Tehran on arrival. When you arrive there will be an “Import tax” desk and they will do it for you.
If you don’t do this step you can wait until the final text like in the screenshot telling you your phone is unregistered. You can follow the link and register your phone here. Be aware that the site is often glitchy and doesn’t work well, it’s only in Persian language and alphabet and you will need an Iranian bank card to make the final payment.
Phone registration alternative
To avoid having to spend this money though. What I have done is I went and bought a second phone in Iran due to all phones that are purchased in Iran come pre-registered. I got myself a $50USD smartphone and I just use it as a portable hotspot when I’m In Iran.
Locations i can recommend
Baharestan Metro Station, Tehran
Inside the metro station from the entrace closest to the square there is a Irancell and Hamrahe Aval store. Irancell can be used for both Simcards and recharge but Hamrahe Aval typically only offers recharge in this location.
Charsou Mall, Tehran
This is the best place to go to in Tehran for a SIM card in my opinion. The mall is mostly only for phone sales and services. Irancell and Hamrahe Aval both have major stores located side by side in the first level under ground in the Mall. Here you can get SIM cards, Recharge and purchase portable modems.
Green Mobile / Mobile Sabz (موبایل سبز), Isfahan
This store in my go to in Isfahan. They are good for getting SIM cards, Phones and recharges. Their pricing is fair and they try a lot to help tourists. If you have any issues, the street they are located in “Ferdosi Street” Is the phone street of Isfahan and you will find 50+ phone stores here.