Tips for Money Exchange in Iran: Your Comprehensive Guide

Visitors to Iran should plan how to pay for transport, accommodation and daily expenses before departure. International cards are generally not accepted on the domestic payment network, and exchange rates can change quickly. This guide explains cash, the rial and toman, licensed exchange offices and possible local payment-card options.

Check the latest payment rules with your bank and travel provider before relying on any particular method. The information below is general travel guidance, not a live exchange-rate quotation.

Rials and Tomans: Understanding Prices

Iran’s currency is the rial (IRR). In everyday conversation, prices are commonly expressed in tomans: traditionally, one toman means ten current rials. For example, 100,000 current rials equals 10,000 tomans. Always ask which unit a quoted price uses before paying.

As Reuters reported in October 2025, parliament approved a gradual plan to remove four zeros from the rial. That dated report does not establish that a currency change has taken effect for your transaction. Keep the reform separate from the everyday toman convention, and identify the unit actually printed or quoted before calculating a payment.

Internationally issued Visa and Mastercard cards generally do not work at Iranian ATMs or point-of-sale terminals because Iran’s banking network is not integrated with those global systems. Do not assume that an overseas card, digital wallet or international transfer will work; confirm a lawful payment plan before travelling.

Which Foreign Currency Should You Bring?

Plan a realistic cash reserve for expenses that cannot be prepaid, without carrying more than is safe or permitted. Check your home country’s rules on carrying and declaring currency, along with any applicable sanctions and entry requirements.

Euros (EUR) and US dollars (USD) are more commonly accepted than British pounds, according to the UK Foreign Office’s money guidance. For other currencies, obtain a quote for the exact currency and note denominations you plan to carry before departure.

Compare the total amount of rials offered after fees, not just the advertised rate. Do not assume that every office accepts every denomination or that a published online quote is a guaranteed cash rate.

Clean, undamaged banknotes are easier to exchange. Bring a practical mix of denominations, keep an emergency reserve separate from daily cash and retain exchange receipts.

Iranian Banknotes and Cash Denominations

The Central Bank of Iran’s current cash catalogue, consulted on 5 November 2026, lists banknotes up to 100,000 rials and Iran-cheques of 500,000, 1,000,000, 2,000,000, 5,000,000 and 10,000,000 rials. This is a denomination list, not a claim that every exchange office has every note available.

When checking a price, confirm whether it is in current rials or tomans. The written unit may not match the way a seller says the amount aloud. Repeat the total back before handing over cash.

What Is an Iran-Cheque?

Iran-cheques, sometimes called chek-pul, are high-denomination instruments issued by the central bank that circulate much like banknotes. They are not the same as a personal traveller’s cheque drawn on an overseas bank.

Read the full rial value rather than judging a note by its colour or a shortened numeral. Using the everyday ten-rials-to-one-toman convention, a 500,000-rial Iran-cheque is 50,000 tomans; a 1,000,000-rial Iran-cheque is 100,000 tomans. These are unit conversions, not foreign exchange rates. The central bank’s catalogue links to the security features of both banknotes and Iran-cheques.

For most international visitors, exchanging an accepted foreign currency after arrival is more practical than trying to obtain Iranian cash abroad. Availability abroad varies and cannot be guaranteed.

Iran Tourist Card

Click and explore

Official and Market Exchange Rates

Iran has multiple exchange-rate mechanisms, including official reference rates and rates quoted for retail currency exchange. A central-bank figure is not necessarily the amount a visitor will receive for a cash transaction. Consult the Central Bank of Iran’s published rates for official information.

For an indication of market movements, some travellers consult Bonbast and compare it with quotations from licensed exchange offices. Third-party rates may be delayed or differ from what a shop will actually pay.

Airport exchange facilities may be convenient for a small amount needed on arrival, but opening hours, availability, rates and fees vary. Compare the quoted net amount before exchanging a larger sum.

In major cities, ask your hotel or a trusted local contact to identify a currently operating, licensed exchange office. Avoid assuming that a location recommended in an older guide still has the same services.

Tehran: Ferdowsi Square and nearby streets have historically been associated with currency exchange, but verify individual office locations and opening hours.

Shiraz: exchange services have operated around central commercial districts, including areas near Karim Khan. Confirm current addresses before travelling across the city.

Isfahan: check licensed offices in central business districts; street-level availability changes and should not be treated as permanent.

Yazd: ask your accommodation to identify a reputable licensed exchange provider and verify opening hours in advance.

IRAN 4G SIM Card

Click and explore

Do not exchange money with unlicensed street brokers. Ask for a clear rate, check the currency and amount in front of the cashier, and obtain a receipt. Counterfeit notes and fraud are risks in informal transactions.

Carry cash discreetly, avoid displaying large amounts in public and divide your reserve between secure places. Use accommodation safes where appropriate and keep emergency contact information accessible.

Where to Exchange Currency in Iran

Smaller towns and rural destinations may have fewer exchange services. Arrange enough local currency before leaving a major city, while respecting cash-carrying and declaration rules.

Business hours differ by city, provider, public holiday and market conditions. Fridays and official holidays can affect availability; never assume all exchange offices close on Thursdays or operate only in the morning. Check directly before visiting.

How to Compare Exchange Rates

An online currency converter may show a reference rate that differs substantially from a retail cash quote. Look for the date, currency unit, rate category and source of any number you see.

The amount you receive depends on the provider’s buy rate, fees, the currency and denomination offered, and local market conditions. Avoid comparing a bank’s official reference rate with a street-market quote as though they were the same product.

Ask two licensed providers how many rials you will receive for the same foreign-currency amount after all fees. For example, if one office quotes 10,000,000 rials before a 200,000-rial fee, the net amount is 9,800,000 rials. Another offer of 9,900,000 rials with no fee pays more. These invented figures illustrate the comparison; they are not today’s rates.

Tourist Cards and Alternatives to Cash

A local tourist card can be an alternative to holding all your spending money in cash, but it needs to be arranged as a separate product. OrientTrips’ terms, updated on 12 October 2026, make tourist-card services subject to availability, identity verification, activation or delivery arrangements and local provider terms.

Before paying, obtain the issuing bank’s name, required identity documents, delivery location, activation time, funding currency, conversion rate and all fees in writing. Also establish how to block a lost card and recover any remaining balance. Keep a cash reserve for the period before activation and for payments the card cannot cover.

Distinguish the card purchase or service charge from the money loaded onto the card. OrientTrips’ refund policy says issued, activated, delivered or used tourist-card products are generally non-refundable. That product-cancellation rule does not explain how an unused stored balance will be returned: request the balance-redemption procedure, fees, exchange rate and payment destination separately.

Use the tourist-card product page to start an enquiry, then obtain a written quote for your travel dates. Do not calculate a budget from an incomplete online fee table or assume that a general description of an Iranian bank proves that a particular branch will issue a card to a foreign visitor.

For more practical planning, see the related guides below.

Practical Cash Tips

• Carry some small notes: small shops and street vendors often cannot change large ones.
• Avoid street money changers. Rates can be poor and counterfeit notes are a risk; use a licensed office or bank.
• A money belt helps keep large amounts of cash organised and out of sight.
• Rials are hard to exchange outside Iran. Spend what is left on souvenirs or meals before you fly, or change larger amounts back at a licensed office before departure.

• Planning a budget for travel in Iran