Is It Safe to Travel to Iran in 2026?
Iran - Level 4: Do Not Travel
Last updated: · Source: U.S. Department of State
⛔ Do Not Travel
The U.S. State Department advises against all travel to Iran or parts of Iran due to serious safety concerns. Key factors: terrorism, civil_unrest, kidnapping, wrongful_detention, other.
Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also known as Persia, is a country in West Asia. It borders Iraq to the west, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Armenia to the northwest, the Caspian Sea to the north, Turkmenistan to the northeast, Afghanistan to the east, Pakistan to the southeast, and the Gulf of Oman and the Persian Gulf to the south.
Is It Safe to Travel to Iran in 2026?
Iran is currently rated Level 4 — Do Not Travel by the U.S. Department of State. Do not travel to Iran for any reason due to serious risks including terrorism, unrest, and wrongful detention. U.S. citizens in Iran should leave immediately as there is no U.S. Embassy in the country.
Key concerns cited in the advisory:
- terrorism
- civil_unrest
- kidnapping
- wrongful_detention
- other
The overall security situation has been worsening recently. Contributing factors: Do not travel to Iran for any reason due to serious risks, U.S. citizens in Iran should leave immediately, U.S. government employees may not travel to Iran under any circumstances.
Traveler Impact
Solo travelers face extreme risks of wrongful detention and arbitrary enforcement of local laws, with no U.S. Embassy available for assistance.
Business travelers are at significant risk of wrongful detention and kidnapping, with limited consular support and a volatile political environment.
Families with children face severe risks including potential kidnapping and lack of adequate healthcare services, making travel extremely dangerous.
Remote workers would encounter significant risks of arbitrary detention and lack of reliable infrastructure, further complicated by the absence of U.S. consular support.
Data on this page comes from the U.S. Department of State, the CDC, the World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators, and Freedom House. All sources are updated regularly and cross-referenced to provide a composite safety picture for Iran.
▶Safety and Stability Ratings
Threat Severity (0-10 scale)
Iran has an overall threat severity of 9.9 out of 10. Crime risk is rated 9.0/10, terrorism risk 5.0/10, and kidnapping risk 7.0/10.
Governance Indicators (World Bank, percentile)
Political Stability▶
Measures the likelihood that the government will be destabilized or overthrown by unconstitutional or violent means, including politically-motivated violence and terrorism. Higher percentile means greater stability.
Rule of Law▶
Captures perceptions of the extent to which agents have confidence in and abide by the rules of society, including the quality of contract enforcement, property rights, the police, and the courts, as well as the likelihood of crime and violence.
Control of Corruption▶
Captures perceptions of the extent to which public power is exercised for private gain, including both petty and grand forms of corruption, as well as capture of the state by elites and private interests.
Government Effectiveness▶
Captures perceptions of the quality of public services, the quality of the civil service and the degree of its independence from political pressures, the quality of policy formulation and implementation, and the credibility of the government's commitment to such policies.
Regulatory Quality▶
Captures perceptions of the ability of the government to formulate and implement sound policies and regulations that permit and promote private sector development.
Voice & Accountability▶
Captures perceptions of the extent to which a country's citizens are able to participate in selecting their government, as well as freedom of expression, freedom of association, and a free media.
Data from World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators (2023).
Freedom Status: Not Free — scored 11/100 by Freedom House (2024). View full freedom profile →
▶Entry Requirements and Health
Entry Information
Visa
Check embassy for details
Currency
Iranian Rial (IRR)
Language
Persian
Notable restrictions:
- drug possession illegal including medical marijuana
- e-cigarettes prohibited
Vaccinations
Recommended:
⚠ Malaria Risk: moderate
Recommended medications: Atovaquone-proguanil, doxycycline, mefloquine, tafenoquine
Active health notices:
- watchGlobal Measles: Measles cases are rising in many countries around the world. All international travelers should be fully vaccinated against measles with the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine, according to CDC's measles vaccination recommendations for international travel.
Vaccination data sourced from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Consult a travel health professional before your trip.
Common Questions About Traveling to Iran
▶What is the current travel advisory level for Iran?
▶Is it safe to travel to Iran right now?
▶Do I need a visa to visit Iran?
▶What vaccines do I need for Iran?
▶Is Iran safe for solo travelers?
▶How bad is crime in Iran?
More Iran Data
Not Free — 11/100 on the Freedom House index.
Governance indicators including rule of law, corruption control, and regulatory quality.
View all 195 countries color-coded by advisory level.
Read the full advisory on travel.state.gov.
Access this data programmatically. Free tier available.
On-demand country risk PDFs from 6 government sources.