Updated November 2026 We have rewritten this guide to the Hamta app and Iran’s phone registry; the 30-day grace period for visitors still applies, but we have removed old download links we could not confirm.
Hamta is the official system for registering mobile phones in Iran, and its app is one of the ways to check and manage a phone’s registration. If you bring a handset from abroad and put an Iranian SIM card in it, the phone has to be on the Hamta registry for that SIM to keep working beyond a short grace period. Here is what the app does, who needs it, and the simpler options for short-term visitors.
Visiting for a few weeks? You may not need to register
A travel eSIM connects your phone to Iran’s networks without an Iranian SIM card, so short-stay visitors can skip the registration process altogether.
Airalo eSIM for Iran →Saily eSIM →
Compare eSIMs for Iran. An eSIM uses Iran’s own networks, so it goes down in shutdowns like any SIM. Affiliate links. Disclosure.
Why phones need registering in Iran
Since late 2017, Iran has run a national mobile registry linking each handset’s IMEI, its unique 15-digit identity number, to a central database. The aim is to stop smuggled phones being used on Iranian networks. A phone that is not on the registry can use an Iranian SIM for a limited time only; after that, the networks block it from making calls and using mobile data, although Wi-Fi still works.
You can find your phone’s IMEI by dialling *#06# or looking in its settings.
What the Hamta app does
The Hamta service is available in three forms: a USSD code you dial from the phone, the Hamta website, and a mobile app. The app is mainly useful for checking whether a handset’s IMEI is on the registry, which is worth doing before you buy a phone in Iran, new or second-hand, and for keeping track of phones registered to your Iranian number.
Setting up the app is straightforward: you enter your Iranian mobile number, then type in the verification code sent to you by text message. The app and website are in Persian only, so ask an Iranian friend or colleague to help with the first steps. The Android app has been distributed through Iranian app stores such as Cafe Bazaar rather than Google Play, and iPhone users often find the website or USSD code easier than hunting for an iOS version.
Visitors and the 30-day rule
If you are a tourist, business traveller or newly arrived expat, you do not need to register your phone straight away. A foreign phone can be used with an Iranian SIM for up to 30 days from the first time it connects to an Iranian network. For most short trips, that is all you need.
For a longer stay, register the phone through Hamta before the grace period ends. Registration of a passenger phone involves declaring it and paying any duty due, which requires an Iranian bank card, and you can normally register only one imported phone per person each year. For the full step-by-step process, read our guide to Iran’s mobile phone registry scheme.
Practical tips
- If you keep using your home SIM on roaming, you do not need to register the phone at all, although roaming in Iran can be expensive and some foreign operators do not offer it.
- If your phone is blocked unexpectedly, check its status with Hamta first, then visit an operator’s service centre or a phone shop that handles registrations for help.
- When buying a phone locally, insist on checking the IMEI with Hamta before you pay. An unregistered handset may stop working with Iranian SIMs.
- For more on SIM cards, eSIMs and using your own handset, see Can I use my phone in Iran? and our guide to buying a mobile phone in Iran.
