Updated November 2026. Iranians who live abroad can import one car under a special government scheme. The scheme has been extended into the Iranian year 1405, which runs until 20 March 2027. This guide covers who qualifies, which cars are allowed, what the duties look like, how the process works and what changed in 2026. Rules in Iran change often and usually without much notice, so confirm the details with the Iranian consulate and a licensed customs broker before you buy or ship a car.
The scheme in brief
- Who: Iranian citizens aged 18 or over whose residence abroad began before 21 Khordad 1404 (11 June 2025) and is confirmed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
- What: one new or used passenger car, no more than five years old, per eligible person.
- How it is paid for: with your own money held abroad. The car is registered as a “no-currency-transfer” import, so no foreign currency leaves Iran.
- Deadline: reported as extended to the end of Esfand 1405 (about 20 March 2027).
Who is eligible
According to the executive guidelines summarised by Dubai Rahnama in October 2025, the scheme is open to:
- Iranian nationals living outside Iran, as defined in Article 1002 of the Civil Code, who are at least 18 years old.
- People whose residence abroad began by the date of the cabinet resolution of 21 Khordad 1404 (11 June 2025), with the residence confirmed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and at least one day of residence abroad in 1404.
- Permanent officials of Iranian military and government agencies posted abroad, as determined by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Each eligible person may import one car. Our November 2025 guide said applicants needed at least 18 days of residence abroad in 1404. The later official summary sets the minimum at one day, so we have used that figure here.
Which cars are allowed
- Age: new, or used and no more than five years old (Dubai Rahnama, executive guidelines).
- Brands and models: the Ministry of Industry, Mine and Trade publishes the list of permitted brands and models.
- Not allowed: right-hand-drive cars and American brands. A July 2026 guide by Irfan Investment Group also says used cars must have engines of no more than 2,500cc, meet Euro 5 emissions or better, and carry GCC, E-Mark or equivalent type approval.
Our 2025 guide also listed a 100,000 km mileage limit for used cars and a ban on diesel cars. We could not confirm either rule for 1405, so check both with your broker.
Duties and costs
Import duty depends on fuel type and engine size. It is charged on top of VAT, registration fees and port charges. The last full schedule we were able to confirm is the one for 1404 (2025–26), reported at the time by Fararu and Khodro Bank and set out in our November 2025 tariff breakdown:
| Vehicle type | Duty (1404 schedule) |
|---|---|
| Electric | 4% |
| Hybrid | 15% |
| Petrol, up to 1,500cc | 20% |
| Petrol, 1,500–2,000cc | 40% |
| Petrol, 2,000–2,500cc | 155% |
| Petrol, 2,500–3,000cc | 180% |
| Petrol, over 3,000cc | 190% |
A July 2026 dealer guide repeats the 4% electric and 15% hybrid rates. It says Iran was still applying the 1404 framework while it waited for new executive rules. The Irfan Investment Group guide reports that an amendment in Ordibehesht or Khordad 1405 raised duties and levies on hybrid and electric cars under the expatriate quota to 100%. We could not confirm this in an official text. Duties on electric and hybrid cars had already been a political issue: the government’s 1404 budget bill proposed raising the duty on them from 15% to 100%, IranWire reported in March 2025. Get the current rate for your exact car in writing from a customs broker before you buy.
For an idea of what imported cars sell for once they are in Iran, see our weekly imported car price tracker and the domestic car price tracker. Our Dubai car price tracker is useful for comparing prices before purchase, and the third-party insurance tracker covers one of the first costs you will pay after clearance.
Currency rules
The car must be bought with foreign currency you already hold abroad. Orders are registered as no-currency-transfer imports under clause 9 of Article 38 of the Export and Import Regulations Law. For cars bought after the resolution date, the money must come from the buyer’s own foreign currency account, or from someone else’s account after coordination with the Central Bank (Dubai Rahnama). Keep bank statements that show where the money came from.
Documents to prepare
- A valid Iranian passport and national ID card (kart-e melli)
- Your residence card or permit from your country of residence
- A driving licence from your country of residence (listed by Irfan Investment Group)
- The purchase invoice in your name and the car’s foreign registration papers
- Proof that the purchase money came from your own foreign account
- Export documents from the country you are shipping from, plus a conformity certificate (GCC, E-Mark or type approval)
Step-by-step process
- Register and confirm your residence. Apply through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs system (Mikhak). Your residence abroad is checked and you receive a tracking code.
- Register the order. Submit the import order in the Comprehensive Trade System (Samaneh-ye Jame’-e Tejarat), which checks your eligibility at this stage (Dubai Rahnama). The order must be registered before the car arrives. The system is in Persian, so many applicants use a broker or a Persian-speaking relative.
- Ship the car. Most cars arrive by sea at southern ports. In December 2025 customs designated the Aprin dry port near Eslamshahr, Tehran Province, as an authorised customs point for vehicle imports, according to the Italian Trade Agency’s Tehran office, citing IRICA.
- Clear customs. Pay duties, VAT and fees, and present standards and environmental approvals.
- Get plates. Insure and register the car. Irfan Investment Group reports that plate registration for this scheme began on Kish Island on 22 Azar 1404 (December 2025), and that a scrappage certificate and after-sales arrangements are required. On Iran’s newer number plates, see what the new green and blue plates mean.
What changed in 2026
- The deadline was extended. Under the 1404 rules, order registration closed on 29 Esfand 1404 (20 March 2026) (Dubai Rahnama). Iranian media then reported an extension to the end of 1405, including Taadol newspaper. Irfan Investment Group links the extension to a late-Esfand 1404 cabinet resolution and Article 92 of the 1405 budget regulations.
- Purchase date. The same source says the car must have been bought abroad by 12 Azar 1404 (3 December 2025). Check whether this still applies to you.
- Electric and hybrid duties. As explained above, duties on these cars are reported to have risen in spring 2026. This is not confirmed.
- War and shipping. US and Israeli air attacks began in late February 2026, followed by a ceasefire (Al Jazeera, May 2026). Ships in and around the Strait of Hormuz were still being attacked in October 2026 (Wikipedia summary of Kpler and Al Jazeera reporting). Expect higher shipping and insurance costs and possible delays.
Temporary import (bringing a car in for a visit)
Temporary import is a separate route from the permanent scheme above. In 2023 customs moved to an automatic five-month permit for Iranians resident abroad who had at least three consecutive months’ residence overseas. Foreign visitors could also bring in a car for up to five months, and passenger cars in free zones had a one-month allowance (Tehran Bazaar, July 2023). These are the last figures we could confirm, from 2023. Check with Iranian customs before you travel.
Is it worth it?
Imported cars sell at a large premium in Iran, and the rial has fallen sharply. The open-market rate was around 275,000 tomans to the US dollar on 3 November 2026 (LiT exchange rate tracker). Bringing a car paid for abroad can therefore make sense. Against that, duties on larger engines are very high, the rules change often, and shipping is currently disrupted. Small-engined and electric cars have historically carried the lowest duties.
Frequently asked questions
Can I import more than one car?
No. The scheme allows one car per eligible person.
Can I import a car older than five years?
Not under this scheme. Cars must be new or used and no more than five years old.
I moved abroad after June 2025. Do I qualify?
Under the published conditions, no. Your residence abroad must have begun by 21 Khordad 1404 (11 June 2025).
Can I send money from Iran to pay for the car?
No. The car must be paid for with foreign currency already held abroad, normally from your own account.
Can I import an American-made car?
No. American brands and right-hand-drive cars are excluded.
Can I sell the car after it is registered?
Our 2025 guide reported no restriction on transferring ownership once the car is registered and plated. We have not been able to re-confirm this for 1405.
When does the scheme end?
It is reported to run until the end of Esfand 1405 (about 20 March 2027). It has been extended year by year, but any further extension will depend on the 1406 budget.
Related: Imported car prices this week · Iran Khodro and Saipa prices this week · all Iran price trackers
