Practical guide
Money in Iran
Last verified: 2026-06-29
Foreign Visa and Mastercard cards do not work in Iran because of sanctions. Bring enough USD or EUR cash and exchange at official shops, or load a prepaid tourist debit card (Mah Card / Iran Tourist Card) to pay like a local. Hotels usually can't take an international card or a safe online prepayment, so most travelers reserve without prepaying and settle in cash on arrival, or let an agency book.
Key things to know
- Foreign Visa/Mastercard are useless - bring USD or EUR cash
- Prepaid tourist debit card (Mah Card / Tourist Card) = a cashless local option
- Paying hotels from abroad is risky - watch for transfer scams; pay cash on arrival or let an agency book
- Confirm rial vs toman on every price (toman = rial ÷ 10)
- Budget extra cash - there is no ATM fallback for foreign cards
- We can pre-arrange a loaded tourist card and book your stays for you
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