It goes without saying that one should not bring anything illegal to Iran. Obviously you don’t want to bring any weapons or drugs. Bringing alcohol is forbidden. Also don’t bring any political material which could be considered sensitive. It’s not that hard, use your good judgement.
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⯈ Can I bring my dog to Iran?
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There is no issue bringing cameras, action cameras, microphones, or filming gear into Iran. Photography and videography are generally allowed, and in larger cities you’ll even find skilled technicians who can repair or service your equipment at very reasonable prices.
The main limitation is clear: never film or photograph anything that might look like a police, military, or other official installation. When driving through sensitive areas, always switch off or remove any action camera. Even unintentional footage of such sites can cause trouble.
As everywhere, respect local customs and ask permission before photographing people, especially women and children. Certain religious sites restrict camera equipment. At shrines such as Imam Reza (Mashhad), Shah Cheragh (Shiraz), and Fatima Masumeh (Qom), only mobile-phone photography is permitted. Outside of these exceptions, you are generally free to use your gear throughout the country.
Though this doesn’t usually cause any issues, you may want to stay clean of having photos or videos on your phone from drinking alcohol or any other forbidden activities.
Bringing a GPS device to Iran is generally not a problem. Standard receivers—such as phones, car navigation units, and cycling computers—are widely used and fully allowed. Devices that combine GPS with two-way communication (such as SOS or satellite messaging tools like the Garmin InReach) are also not explicitly banned in Iran, even though they are prohibited in some countries, such as India.
However, as with drones, carrying advanced two-way satellite devices can raise unnecessary questions if you happen to be checked by authorities. For this reason, we recommend not bringing two-way satellite messengers to Iran. If you truly need one, keep it switched off and stored securely to avoid drawing attention.
Although bringing a drone into Iran is not formally illegal, flying it is strictly prohibited. For this reason, we strongly recommend not bringing a drone to Iran at all—and certainly not attempting to use one. Even carrying a drone can attract unwanted attention at checkpoints or border crossings.
If you are considering hiding a drone in your luggage simply to transport it onward, keep in mind that nearly all countries in the region also restrict or ban recreational drone flights. In practice, traveling with a drone through this part of the world is rarely worth the risk.
