Plan around possible communications shutdowns
The UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office says Iranian authorities have previously blocked, slowed or shut down mobile, internet and landline services, either locally or across the country, without warning. It specifically advises travellers against relying on mobile data, non-Iranian apps or international calls for personal safety. Save addresses and maps offline, agree meeting places with companions, and give someone outside Iran an itinerary before departure. A second SIM or a roaming plan may help with an ordinary coverage problem, but it cannot be assumed to work through a wider service shutdown.
Compare MCI's passport-registered tourist SIM
Hamrah Aval, also called MCI, publishes a dedicated tourist SIM for inbound visitors. Its page says the phone must be unlocked and the purchaser must present a passport for registration. It lists a maximum of three active tourist SIMs per person. Take the actual passport to the sales point; a photograph may be useful as a backup but is not the identification MCI specifies. Ask staff to confirm the number, data allowance and activation while still at the counter, because resolving registration problems after leaving the outlet may be harder.
At the time of checking, MCI listed three bundles with a maximum validity of 30 days: 3 GB with 30 minutes and 30 texts for 990,000 rials; 10 GB with 100 minutes and 100 texts for 1,990,000 rials; and 15 GB with 150 minutes and 150 texts for 2,490,000 rials. These are operator-published prices, not a guarantee of what every outlet will charge. Compare the allowance with the length of your stay and confirm whether the included calls and texts meet your needs before payment. The published tourist product is a SIM with a local number; do not assume that it is issued as an eSIM.
Sort out the purchase route and payment before arrival
A UN Tourism visitor information note prepared for a Tehran event in 2025 identifies Hamrah Aval and Irancell tourist SIMs at Tehran airports and authorised retail outlets, and says a passport is needed. It also described an Irancell booth at the airport. Treat that as a dated pointer rather than proof that a particular counter will be staffed for your flight; ask the airport or operator before relying on it. MCI's current tourist page gives the stronger confirmation of passport registration for its own product. If landing elsewhere, plan how to reach an authorised shop without data.
Payment is unusually important here. The FCDO says non-Iranian debit and cash cards do not work in Iran and urges visitors to work out how to obtain sufficient rials legally before travel. A UN Tourism note also says foreign Visa and Mastercard payments are unavailable. Thus, an online checkout or app that appears to accept cards should not be your only way to pay for a local SIM or top-up. Confirm the seller's accepted payment method, the price in rials and whether the pack is active before leaving the desk. Avoid assuming an international card will fund later renewals.
Check eSIM eligibility separately from tourist SIM eligibility
MCI has an eSIM service page, but it describes pre-registration and later final registration rather than a guaranteed instant tourist sale. The operator says foreign applicants need a FIDA unified code as well as an accepted identity document, which can include a passport. It says that, after final registration, MCI supplies a QR code and the phone needs an internet connection to download the eSIM profile. A visitor should therefore ask MCI in advance whether their passport status permits the required FIDA step and whether a tourist line can actually be issued electronically. Do not arrive counting on an immediate QR code.
If using an existing travel eSIM for data, install its profile over reliable Wi-Fi before departure and retain the installation instructions offline. Check that the handset is unlocked, supports eSIM and allows the intended combination of lines; the local MCI tourist SIM itself requires an unlocked handset. A dual-SIM phone can keep a home number present for incoming messages while using the chosen data line, but check your home provider's roaming charges and switch data roaming deliberately. The cited pages do not describe a handset registration rule for visitors, so confirm any applicable device rule directly with the operator or the customs authority.
Monitor the allowance and avoid unwanted renewals
MCI's tourist page publishes short codes for checking and extending the line. It gives *300*0# for balance, *300*1# for data and a recharge code using a purchased PIN. The operator says credit may also be obtained through its official representatives and authorised agents. Ask the seller to show the balance and next top-up route on your own phone before leaving. Keep the operator name and mobile number written down so a shop can identify the line even when an app is unreachable.
Irancell separately offers prepaid and postpaid mobile-data packages through its own purchase page, with validity filters ranging from one day to several months. Its guidance says package details can be checked in the MyIrancell app or by a USSD code, and warns that some packages bought in the app or by USSD renew automatically. It says packages bought on the website do not auto-renew. This is useful if an Irancell line is available to you, but the public package page does not by itself establish the visitor registration steps or a current tourist tariff. Confirm both with Irancell before buying.
Check the route, not just the city
MCI provides a location-based 5G map and says its footprint is still expanding. That is a reason to inspect Tehran, Isfahan, Shiraz or any other actual stop individually, not to describe the whole country as having 5G. A handset may fall back to another mobile technology away from a covered point. For intercity travel or a drive towards a border area, download the route and essential addresses before leaving a working connection. The FCDO's warning about localised shutdowns is separate from an ordinary weak-signal gap, and neither is solved merely by choosing a larger data bundle.
A UN Tourism note for Tehran participants listed Wi-Fi at its specified airport, hotel and conference venue, and identified Snapp and Tap30 as local ride-hailing apps. Those details are useful for a Tehran arrival but should not be extended to every airport, hotel or city. Obtain the correct terminal and hotel Wi-Fi information directly from those venues, and set up any needed transport app while connected. The FCDO warns that non-Iranian apps can become inaccessible during restrictions, so save your destination in Persian as well as English and retain a way to show it without mobile data.
Keep emergency numbers outside your phone apps
The FCDO lists 110 for police, 115 for ambulance and 125 for fire services in Iran. Save them as contacts, but also write them on paper with your accommodation and local contact details. The MCI tourist bundles above include a voice allowance.
Networks our Iran plans use
These are the operators named on our plans for Iran, taken from the plan data, so the list follows the catalogue.
- 2degrees5G
- 35G
- A15G
- A1 MK4G
- A1 Slovenija, d.d5G
- A1 Srbija4G
- Advance Wireless Network Company Limited5G
- Afghan Wireless Communication Company (AWCC)4G
- Africell5G
- Airtel5G
- Airtel Networks Nigeria Ltd. (Zain/Celtel)4G
- Airtel Rwanda Limited4G
- Airtel Tanzania Ltd. (former: Zain/Celtel)5G
- Airtel Tchad S.A. (former: Zain)4G
- Airtel Uganda Ltd.4G
- AIS5G
- Alands Mobiltelefon4G
- Algerie Telecom Mobile (ATM)4G
- ALOU (CV MOVEL)4G
- Altice Dominicana5G
- Altice Dominicana, S.A.4G
- AT&T Mexico5G
- Atlantique Telecom Togo4G
- AVEA5G
- Bakcell5G
- Bakcell Ltd5G
- Be Aliv4G
- Be Aliv Limited4G
- beeline4G
- Beeline4G
- Belize Telemedia4G
- Bell5G
- Bell Mobility Inc.5G
- BH Mobile4G
- Bouygues Telecom5G
- Cable & Wireless5G
- Cable & Wireless Panama5G
- CamGSM (Cellcard)4G
- Celcom Axiata Berhad5G
- CelcomDigi5G
- Cellcard4G
- Cellcom Israel5G
- Cellcom Israel Ltd.5G
- Cellfie Mobile5G
- Celtel Niger (Airtel)4G
- China Mobile5G
- China Telecom4G
- China Unicom5G
- Chunghwa5G
- Chunghwa Telecom Mobile5G
- Claro5G
- Claro (CTI)4G
- Claro (Puerto Rico Telephone Company Inc.)4G
- Claro Argentina4G
- Claro CR4G
- CLARO GSM4G
- CLARO URUGUAY4G
- Colombia Movil S.A. (Tigo)4G
- Comcel (Comunicaciones Celulares S.A.)4G
- Compa?ia Dominicana de Telefonos S.A. (Claro)4G
- Crnogorski Telekom A.D.4G
- CSL5G
- CTE S.A. de C.V. (Claro)4G
- CTM5G
- CTM - Companhia de Telecomunica?oes de Macau S.A.R.L.5G
- Digicel4G
- Digicel (BVI) Limited4G
- Digicel (Fiji) Ltd4G
- Digicel Antilles Francaises Guyane (French West In4G
- Digicel Aruba4G
- Digicel Curacao4G
- Digicel Guyana4G
- Digicel Jamaica5G
- Digicel S.A. de C.V.4G
- DNA4G
- Drei5G
- DST Communications5G
- DST Communications Sdn Bhd4G
- Du5G
- Econet4G
- EE5G
- Entel Peru5G
- epic5G
- Epic5G
- ERONET4G
- Ethio Telecom5G
- Ethio Telecom (ET)5G
- Far EasTone Ltd.5G
- Faroese Telecom5G
- FE Velcom4G
- FLOW (LLA)4G
- Free Caraibe4G
- Free Mobile5G
- Gabon Telecom4G
- Geocell Ltd5G
- Gibtelecom5G
- Gibtelecom Ltd.5G
- Glo Mobile4G
- Globe Telecom5G
- GrameenPhone4G
- GrameenPhone Ltd.4G
- Hi3G5G
- Hi3G Access AB (3)5G
- Hi3G Denmark Aps5G
- Hong Kong Telecommunications (HKT) Limited5G
- Hot Mobile5G
- Hutchison 3G UK Ltd.5G
- Hutchison Drei Austria GmbH5G
- Hutchison Telecom4G
- Hutchison Telecom Sri Lanka4G
- ICE Norge AS5G
- ILIAD5G
- ILIAD Italia S.p.A.5G
- Integra Technologies Group4G
- IPKO5G
- IPKO Telecommunications LLC5G
- Irancell4G
- JT5G
- JT (Jersey) Ltd5G
- K-Telecom CJSC5G
- Kar-Tel LLP4G
- Kcell5G
- KDDI5G
- KPN5G
- KT5G
- Kuwait Telecom Company5G
- KYIVSTAR4G
- LGUplus5G
- Liberty5G
- LIBERTY4G
- lifecell4G
- LLC lifecell4G
- LTC (Laos Telecommunications)5G
- m:tel4G
- Mascom Wireless Botswana (Pty) Limited4G
- Maxis5G
- MCI(TCI)4G
- Medi Telecom S.A.4G
- MegaFon5G
- MEO5G
- MEO - Servi?os de Comunica??es e Multim?dia SA5G
- Meteor5G
- Meteor Mobile Telecommunications Ltd.5G
- MIC 2 (touch)4G
- MobiCom4G
- MobiCom Corporation4G
- Mobily5G
- Mobily (Etihad Etisalat Company)5G
- Mobitel5G
- Mobitel LLC5G
- Moldcell4G
- Monaco Telecom5G
- Monaco Telecom S.A.M.5G
- Movistar4G
- MOVISTAR5G
- Movistar Chile4G
- Movistar Mexico4G
- MTEL5G
- MTEL d.o.o5G
- MTML4G
- MTN4G
- MTN Ltd5G
- MTS4G
- my.t cellplus5G
- Ncell4G
- NetCom5G
- NOS5G
- Nova5G
- Nuuday5G
- O25G
- O2 Czech Republic5G
- O2 Germany5G
- O2 Slovakia, s.r.o.4G
- Omantel5G
- One Albania5G
- One NZ5G
- one.Vip DOO Skopje4G
- Ooredoo5G
- Optus5G
- Orange5G
- ORANGE (PTK Centertel Sp. z.o.o.)5G
- Orange Bissau4G
- Orange Cameroun S.A.4G
- Orange Caraibe4G
- Orange Côte d'Ivoire S.A4G
- Orange Egypt for Telecommunications5G
- Orange France5G
- Orange Guinee4G
- Orange Liberia4G
- Orange Madagascar S.A.4G
- Orange Mali4G
- Orange Moldova4G
- Orange RDC Sarl4G
- Orange Reunion5G
- Orange Romania S.A.5G
- Orange Slovensko a.s.4G
- Orange Tunisie, SA5G
- P4 Play5G
- Pelephone5G
- Pelephone Communications Ltd5G
- Polkomtel5G
- Polkomtel S.A.5G
- PrimeTel4G
- PrimeTel PLC4G
- PrJSC VF Ukraine4G
- Proximus5G
- Proximus PLC5G
- PT Telekomunikasi Selular (Telkomsel)5G
- Reliance Jio India Andhra Pradesh4G
- Reliance Jio India Assam4G
- Reliance Jio India Bihar4G
- Reliance Jio India Delhi4G
- Reliance Jio India Gujarat4G
- Reliance Jio India Haryana4G
- Reliance Jio India Himachal Pradesh4G
- Reliance Jio India Karnataka4G
- Reliance Jio India Kerala4G
- Reliance Jio India Kolkata4G
- Reliance Jio India Madhya Pradesh4G
- Reliance Jio India Maharashtra4G
- Reliance Jio India North East4G
- Reliance Jio India Orissa4G
- Reliance Jio India Punjab4G
- Reliance Jio India Rajasthan4G
- Reliance Jio India Tamil Nadu4G
- Reliance Jio India Uttar Pradesh (East)4G
- Reliance Jio India Uttar Pradesh (West)4G
- Reliance Jio Infocomm Limited4G
- Reliance Jio West Bengal4G
- Rogers5G
- Salt5G
- Salt (Liechtenstein) AG4G
- Servei de Telecomunicacions d'Andorra (STA)5G
- SFR5G
- Siminn5G
- Siminn / Iceland Telecom Ltd.5G
- Singapore4G
- SingTel5G
- SingTel Mobile Singapore Pte. Ltd5G
- Singtel Optus Ltd5G
- SK Telecom5G
- Smart4G
- SMART5G
- SMART Communications Inc5G
- SoftBank5G
- SoftBank Corp.5G
- SONATEL4G
- Spacetel - MTN4G
- Spark5G
- Spark New Zealand5G
- StarHub Mobile Pte Ltd.5G
- stc5G
- STC5G
- Sunrise5G
- Sunrise Communications AG5G
- Sure4G
- Swazi MTN4G
- T-Mobile USA5G
- T-Mobile USA Inc.5G
- Taiwan Mobile5G
- Taiwan Mobile Ltd.5G
- Tango5G
- Tango S.A.5G
- Tcell4G
- TELCEL4G
- Telcel Mexico4G
- Telcell N.V.4G
- Telcell St Maarten4G
- TELE Greenland4G
- TELE Greenland A/S4G
- Tele25G
- Tele2 Eesti AS4G
- Tele2 Latvia5G
- Tele2 Sverige AB5G
- Tele2 UAB Lithuania5G
- Telecel4G
- Telecom Liechtenstein5G
- Telecom Liechtenstein AG5G
- Telefonica4G
- Telefonica Celular S.A. (Celtel / Tigo)4G
- Telefonica Ecuador4G
- Telefonica Germany GmbH & Co. OHG5G
- Telefonica Moviles Argentina S.A (Movistar)4G
- Telefonica Moviles Espana5G
- Telefonica Moviles Nicaragua4G
- Telefonica Moviles UY5G
- Telekom5G
- Telekom Romania Mobile Communications4G
- Telekom.me4G
- Telemach5G
- Telemach d.o.o.5G
- Telemach/TM5G
- Telemovil4G
- Telemovil El Salvador4G
- Telenor5G
- Telenor Hungary Ltd. (former: Pannon GSM Telekommunication)4G
- Telenor Norge5G
- Telenor Pakistan4G
- Telia5G
- Telia Eesti AS5G
- Telia FI5G
- Telia Finland5G
- Telia Norge AS5G
- Telkomsel5G
- Telus5G
- Tigo4G
- TIGO4G
- TIGO GUATEMALA5G
- TIGO Paraguay4G
- Tikiphone (Vini)5G
- TIM5G
- TIM Brasil5G
- TIM Italy5G
- True Move H5G
- TrueMove4G
- Turk Telekom5G
- Ucell5G
- Umniah4G
- Unitel4G
- Unitel LLC (Beeline)4G
- US Cellular5G
- UTS NV.4G
- Velcom4G
- Verizon5G
- Verizon Wireless5G
- Viettel5G
- VINAPHONE4G
- Vip mobile d.o.o. (Topnet /Novi Operater)4G
- VIPnet d.o.o.5G
- Viva (STC) Bahrain4G
- Viva Armenia5G
- Vivo5G
- VNPT International4G
- Vodacom4G
- Vodacom Pty Ltd.4G
- Vodafone5G
- VODAFONE5G
- Vodafone Czech Republic a.s.4G
- Vodafone D2 GmbH5G
- Vodafone Ghana4G
- Vodafone Hungary Ltd.5G
- Vodafone Malta Limited5G
- Vodafone Qatar5G
- Vodafone Romania S.A.4G
- WIND Hellas Telecommunications S.A.5G
- Wind Tre5G
- Wind Tre S.p.A.5G
- Yettel5G
- Zain5G
- ZAIN5G
- Zain IRAQ4G
- Zain JO5G