When you visit a foreign land
First ask what’s forbidden.
Confucius (551- 479 BC)
The Islamic
Republic of Iran (short: Iran) is a country, which was known until 1934 under
the name "Persia". In the multi-cultural country live many tribes and
followers of various religions and sects: Lurs, Kurds, Turks, Arabs, Armenians,
Muslims, Zoroastrians, Jews, Christians u.v.a. But they are and will remain
Persians.
Often the Persians are lumped together with the Arabs. But there are major
differences in history, mentality, culture and self-image. Although the overall
cultural picture is influenced by the Arabic-Islamic culture, the Persian
always wants to keep in mind that even in everyday life the honor of the
Iranians and the pride in their own history are of particular importance. In
Iran, the national feeling, the pride of a 2500-year-old civilization has even
taken the place of religious enthusiasm, according to the article FAZ from 10.
4. 2005; As many as 80 percent of adolescents said, they are proud to be Iranians.
If you talk to Iranians for a little longer, you will always be told the
glorious past and the greatness of ancient Persian culture that existed long
before Islam.
Behavioral
patterns:
There are some behaviors that should be respected in Iran so as not
to make mistakes, but often you can rely on your intuition. The ability to read
between the lines and behave adequately in situation will be very useful to
you. Pay particular attention to gestures, facial expressions, speech style and
atmosphere. Your instinct will also be required in Iran, because clear answers
such as "yes" and especially "no" are rare. So listen
carefully to what the Iranians say and as a precaution, check once or twice.
Greetings:
Due to the traditionally friendly German-Iranian relations, German
tourists in Iran are received with great respect.
Among men, a short handshake, accompanied by a "Salam" (hello) is the
usual greeting. Often the greeting can follow the question "Haletun
chetore?" - "How are you?".
Since, according to the rules of Islam, it is forbidden for men to touch foreign
women (women from outside of their family), it can happen that the Iranians
hold back when German women shake hands with them, and this must not be
resented. In any case, it is not against shaking hands to reach out to the
Iranians. But if one of the proud and self-confident Iranian women shake hands
with you, you can accept them and also press briefly. However, prolonged body
contact is absolutely taboo in public. Be open and attentive in your dealings,
and you will quickly discover what is common in one situation or another.
Ta´arof:
The culture standard
"Ta'arof" is one of the weirdest communication patterns in Iran.
Ta'arof is a phenomenon whose true meaning is mostly hidden from foreign
visitors because they do not know the social context.
"Ta'arof" is an Iranian conversation style in which one makes polite
but not serious offers. But it also belongs to this pattern of behavior, that
you behave submissively in conversation or behavior. In general, Ta’arof is a
typically Persian courtesy, a social etiquette. It’s normal that Tarof is used
in situations where one does not want to be rude and offend the other. Some
examples can give this topic information:
Example 1:
You bought a traditional plate at
100 euros in a souvenir shop, then the seller at the cash register surprisingly
does not want to accept any money, saying with a serious expression: "That
should be a present from me, you do not need to pay.” This can only be
understood as a courtesy gesture. You also have to express your thanks, but you
have to pay the price.
Example 2:
You forgot your sunglasses at the
hotel and ask the driver to get you the glasses while admiring the exhibits in
the museum. After the driver has done this favor, you want to show your
gratitude by offering him some money. He rejects it with the words: "I
only fulfilled my duty."
Example 3:
As you sip your
tea in peace in a garden in front of the royal palace in Isfahan, a young lady
approaches you and greets you with a friendly face, telling you that she was
very pleased to be visiting her city. They come into conversation and you make
a friendly compliment that the gold ring stands her very well. She immediately
takes off the ring and offers it to you with the words: "I would like to
give this to you." You must not accept him under any circumstances. You
just have to be friendly and say thankfully, "That the ring is better to
her than you."
Misunderstanding on Tao’rof:
As
expected, Ta'arof leads to many misunderstandings in everyday life. Often it is
difficult even for Iranians to recognize when a particular behavior is truly
clear or if it is just Ta'arof. In case of doubt, you are asked to be honest.
Do you mean something serious, just answer: Ta'arof nemikonam (I do not Tao’arof).
Even in this case, you can never be sure, but with this statement they
underline their true motivations. If someone is unfamiliar with this etiquette
- and this applies to most foreigners - it is advisable to reject unwanted
invitations on several occasions politely, but firmly. This behavior is readily
accepted, even if Iranians often make one last attempt. After all, you can
never be sure.
Hospitality:
"The
guest is loved by God.” is said in Persia. This means that the guest is treated
as a gift from God. Iranians are known for their exemplary hospitality. If you
travel in Iran today, it is not uncommon for locals to spontaneously address
and invite you. These invitations are meant to be honest in most cases, but you
should think about Ta'aruf. The guest is always treated courteously, and the
Iranian host is constantly trying hard to tell him almost every wish. The guest
is thus honored and respected, and integrated into the social network of the
host.
Generosity:
Hospitality as a cultural standard includes liberality
and generosity. In Iranian society, these virtues are highly valued. However,
they include the right to reciprocity. This means that the overly selfless
expenses should be compensated in a next opportunity to always stay within the
frame of decency. In an economic sense it is said that one can not rely
endlessly on the generosity that is otherwise constant without reciprocating.
Dress Code:
In Iran, women must
observe the Iranian-Islamic dress code. The chador, the predominantly black
full-body cloak, today determines the image of the woman in smaller cities. In
larger cities, on the other hand, a long-sleeved coat is mostly worn that
reaches below the knees. The headgear is usually a headscarf or scarf in
different colors according to your own choice. The typical women's clothing in
the public also includes a dark-colored long pants that reaches to the ankles.
As a rule it is said for women: hair, arms, neckline and legs should not be
shown too freely.
For the men, things are not that strict. They can dress themselves according to
European discipline, but shorts are frowned upon, especially in holy places,
such as mausoleums and mosques, shorts should be avoided. In business relationships
and encounters, it is advisable to wear a suit because it shows respect.
Proper clothing in mosques and religious
places:
In Islamic
worship, women still have to dress long, the arms and legs must be covered, as
well as the head, sometimes women have to put on a chador before entering
certain mausoleums, which is usually provided by the mosque administration.
Gentlemen also have to dress respectfully and should not appear in beach
outfit. At the entrance, the shoes are removed. Most mosques are covered with
rugs. Since Muslims pray directly on the ground, one pays attention to the
purity and cleanliness.
Visa
German,
Austrian and Swiss nationals require a passport valid for at least 6 months
beyond the return date to enter Iran, and a visa to be obtained on arrival at
the airport or at the Iranian consulate in their home country. To apply for a
visa at the Iranian embassy or consulate visa, you need a visa reference
number, which is sent to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Republic
of Iran.
Please check the validity of your passport. This must be valid for at least six
months on the day of application and contain two free pages.
1.
Visa
reference number:
Once you book a
service with us, you will be considered a PITO customer and as an accredited
tour operator we will take care of procuring a reference number as a free
service to our valued customers, which is to be applied for at the Ministry of
Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Republic.
2.
Grand
Notice:
If the
application for the visa is granted, we will forward you a VISA Grand Notice
from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
You can then with all the necessary documents including VISA Grand Notice visit
the relevant Iran representatives (embassy or consulate) and get your entry
visa.
Note: VISA Grand
Notice or Reference Number means that your application for an entry visa is
granted, but is not considered a VISA itself.
3.
Processing
period:
The
processing time is usually 10-15 working days. However, since the visa has a
validity period of 3 months from the collection date, you should not apply for
a visa more than 3 months before your arrival. 2 months prior to entry would be
the ideal time, as the journey will be finalized no later than 35 days prior to
entry.
4.
Visa
on Arrival:
Currently, citizens of more than 70 countries have the opportunity
to catch up on arrival at Iranian international airports (Tehran, Tabriz,
Meshed, Isfahan, etc.). Usually, there is no change to the visa issuance
process, except that you will need an extra VISA on Arrival reference number,
which you will also receive from us after the procedure mentioned above. It
would be worth mentioning that one has to take a relatively longer wait (20-45
minutes) to get a visa on arrival at the visa office of the airports.
5.
Required
documents for Visa:
- Filled Visa form
- Passport
- Certificate of traveling insurance
- Receipt of Visa fee
(For further information visit
embassy of Germany in Iran website)
http://de.berlin.mfa.ir/index.aspx?fkeyid=&siteid=430&pageid=34401
Vaccination
Vaccination certificates are NOT required by
travelers unless they have had a stay in the infection areas identified by WHO
within 6 days of entering the IRAN.
Fly to Iran
There are several options available for flying to Iran. Airlines such as Lufthansa, Emirates, Turkish Airline, Iran Air etc. fly several times a week to the capital city of Iran,Tehran. With Turkish Airline you can also fly to other big cities like Isfahan, Shiraz, Tabriz, Kermanshah etc.
Telephone Area Codes
The country
code for Iran is +98. Germany can be reached with the prefix +49, Switzerland
+41 and Austria +43.
The area codes
of some cities are:
Tehran: 021, Isfahan: 0311, Shiraz: 0711, Yazd: 0351
Customers in Iran can easily use Whatsapp where they have Internet access.
However, in order to make proper phone calls, it is advisable to get an Iranian
prepaid SIM card in order to avoid having to pay roaming costs, but German SIM
cards from O2 and Vodaphone also work perfectly well in the event of an
emergency. (An Iranian prepaid SIM card will allow travelers to buy directly
from the airport at competitive rates).
Internet
In every hotel there’s a free Wi-Fi connection for guests.
Photography and Filimng
Sights or other such travel impressions can be
photographed, but you should pay attention to the photo prohibition signs. In
most museums, photography without a flash or tripod is possible, but in a few
cases (such as the Jewel Museum) it is strictly prohibited.
Photography of public facilities, military sites, airports and ports, security
and government vehicles, police officers and security forces is prohibited, and
can be considered a criminal offense of espionage and assigned correspondingly
long prison sentences. The photography ban also applies to embassy buildings.
When photographing people, restraint is required. However, most people are
happy to be photographed.
Money
The currency is the Iranian Rial. 10 Rials equal
a "Toman". One should ask for price information so if Rial or Toman
is meant. Travelers in Iran must always have enough cash with them.
No foreign credit or debit cards or traveler's checks are accepted on site.
Currency exchange is possible both when entering the airport and in large
banks, which are usually marked with an "Exchange" sign. Larger
cities also have licensed bureaux de change. In the international hotels you
can also exchange. However, the price is often a few cents worse than in
state-owned banks.
Time shift
The time
difference to the Central European time is + 2.5 hours, both in summer and in
winter.
Power
For Iran, you do not need a travel adapter. It is 220 V
power and plug type C ("Euro plug") are used. This socket shape is
also used in Germany.
The outlet looks like this:
Travel times
Thanks to its different climate zones, Iran can be toured throughout the year. So that you can get an idea of which region is best to travel when, here are some tips:
Central Highlands (Tehran, Isfahan, Yazd, Shiraz and Kerman):
March to early June and mid-September to early November. When traveling in the
period from March 20 to April 4, it should be noted that because of the New
Year holiday many locals also travel and the hotels can be overbooked. In the
winter time you have to expect rainfall.
Coastal areas on the Persian Gulf:
November to March
West and Northeast (Kermanshah and Mashhad):
April to June and September to the beginning of November
Northwest, Caspian Region (Takht-e Soleiman, Orumiyeh, Tabriz Ardebil):
May - June and September - October
High valleys of the Zagros Mountains:
End of June to end of September
Deserts (Dasht-e Kavir and Lut):
April, May and end of September to beginning of November.