Iran eSIM
Iran has no traveller eSIM service in use, and we do not list a plan for it. Visitors who go normally buy a prepaid SIM from a domestic operator at an airport counter or a shop in town, registered against their passport. The other thing to prepare for is money: foreign credit and debit cards do not work there, so everything runs on cash or a topped-up local card. What follows is travel context only, not guidance on buying a plan that does not exist here.
Plans listed
0
Hálózat
MCI (Hamrah-e Aval), Irancell, RighTel
Technológia
4G
Local currency
IRR
How much data you actually need
Whatever you end up using depends on the local SIM available at the time. In practice it goes on city maps and messaging, because the desert crossings and mountain roads between cities have little service anyway.
When you land
The main gateway is Imam Khomeini International in Tehran (IKA), while Mehrabad (THR) handles mostly domestic flights. Mashhad (MHD), Shiraz (SYZ), Isfahan (IFN) and Tabriz (TBZ) also take international services. Overland there is Bazargan for Turkey, Astara for Azerbaijan and Mirjaveh for Pakistan, and the procedure at each of those crossings differs considerably.
Where coverage changes
The network clusters in the big cities and along the highways linking Tehran, Isfahan, Shiraz, Yazd and Mashhad. What has effectively nothing is the Dasht-e Kavir and Dasht-e Lut deserts through the middle of the country, the steep Zagros and Alborz ranges, and the long roads near the eastern borders where you can drive for hours without passing a town.
Cities travellers ask about
- Tehran — Capital below the Alborz, with a multi-line metro and heavy traffic.
- Isfahan — Naqsh-e Jahan square, the old bridges and a vast covered bazaar.
- Shiraz — City of gardens and poets, and the base for Persepolis outside town.
- Yazd — Mud-brick desert city of narrow lanes and wind towers.
- Mashhad — Pilgrimage city in the north-east, busy with visitors all year.
Apps to install before you fly
- An offline map app such as OsmAnd, downloaded before you travel
- Snapp or Tap30, the ride-hailing apps people in the cities actually use
- Neshan, the local map app with better street and shop detail
Networks in Iran
| Operator | Technológia |
|---|---|
| MCI (Hamrah-e Aval) | 4G |
| Irancell | 4G |
| RighTel | 4G |
These are the networks operating in the country. A given plan may reach only some of them — check the network named on the plan itself.
GYIK
Can I buy an eSIM for Iran from you?+
No — we do not list a plan for Iran, because traveller roaming there is not normally available. This page exists as travel context, not as a product page. If you would like us to tell you should that change, message us on LINE at https://lin.ee/skDPoNx (@esimonline) or email esimonline.asia@gmail.com and we will keep the request on file.
So how do visitors get online in Iran?+
Most buy a prepaid SIM from a domestic operator, registered against a passport at an airport counter or a shop in town, then add data bundles as they go. The other option is hotel Wi-Fi, whose speed varies enormously from place to place. It is worth knowing that many international services are unreachable from domestic networks and that access can be restricted further at times, so download maps, documents and tickets to the device before you travel.
Do foreign cards work, and how do people pay?+
They do not work: foreign credit and debit cards are not connected to the Iranian banking system. People who travel there bring cash to exchange, or use a prepaid tourist card arranged through a local operator. The knock-on effect is that booking apps and ride-hailing tied to a foreign card fail too, so budget and book accommodation before you go rather than assuming you can pay on the spot as you would elsewhere.
When does a Iran eSIM start counting days?+
Most plans here start when the phone first connects to a network at the destination, so you can install in advance at home and switch it on after landing. Each plan page states its own rule.
Do I have to remove my home SIM?+
No. The eSIM is a second line, so you keep your home number for SMS OTP. Turn off roaming data on the home line and set the eSIM as the data line.
More on Iran
Utoljára frissítve: 2026. szeptember 11.