Official travel advisories warn against all travel here. Civil liberties are tightly restricted and political expression can carry risk.
Regional breakdown
The official advisory guidance warns against all travel to the whole of Iran. No region is carved out as lower risk. That includes the capital Tehran, the historic cities of Isfahan and Shiraz, and the pilgrimage city of Mashhad in the northeast. The warning is national, not zonal. Border areas carry extra layers of concern. The provinces of Sistan and Baluchestan in the southeast, Kerman. And the areas near the Afghan and Pakistani frontiers are flagged for armed groups, smuggling routes, and cross-border attacks. The western provinces of Kurdistan and West Azerbaijan, near the Iraqi and Turkish borders, see periodic military activity and unrest. Coastal and island areas are not treated as separate either. The Gulf coast, including Bandar Abbas and the islands of Kish and Qeshm, falls under the same national warning. Airspace over Iran has been closed at points during recent regional tensions, and land crossings with Armenia, Azerbaijan. Turkey and Turkmenistan each carry their own rules and delays. Travellers report long waits and sudden closures.
Recent advisory changes
The official advisory guidance last updated its Iran page on 1 March 2026. It warns against all travel to the country. The core message is that international and dual international-Iranian nationals face a real risk of arrest, questioning, or long detention. Holding a UK passport on its own can trigger problems with the authorities. UK government staff have been pulled out for now, so consular help inside the country is not available. The official advisory guidance also notes that travel insurance is likely to be void for anyone who goes against this advice. The official advisory guidance reissued its Iran advisory on 5 December 2025 at Level 4 – Do Not Travel. It lists terrorism, civil unrest, kidnapping, wrongful detention, and other risks. There is no US embassy in Iran; Switzerland handles US interests from Bern. The department urges travellers already in Iran to leave right away and tells dual nationals they may face exit bans and no consular access. Both governments have held their strongest warning level on Iran through recent regional tensions.
What travellers should know
Detention risk is the headline concern. Both governments describe cases where foreign nationals, especially those with dual citizenship, have been held for months or years without clear charges. Journalists, researchers, aid workers, and anyone with links to Western institutions are flagged for extra scrutiny. Phones, laptops and social media accounts may be checked at the border. Practical planning is harder than in most destinations. UK bank cards and most international payment systems do not work inside Iran because of sanctions. So travellers rely on cash brought in and exchanged locally. Internet access is heavily filtered and has been cut during periods of protest. Women are required to follow dress rules in public, including head covering, and enforcement has tightened at different points. Road travel between cities can be long and tiring, and domestic flights are affected by an ageing fleet and airspace restrictions. Anyone still considering a trip should check the official advisories pages on the day of departure. Register with their embassy where possible, keep a clear record of contacts at home. And plan how they would leave the country quickly if the situation shifted.