Credit: IOM / Nathalie Kasparek 2017 Country Fact Sheet Islamic Republic of Iran 2019 Disclaimer IOM has carried out the gathering of information with great care. IOM provides information at its best knowledge and in all conscience. Nevertheless, IOM cannot assume to be held accountable for the correctness of the information provided. Furthermore, IOM shall not be liable for any conclusions made or any results, which are drawn from the information provided by IOM. Funded by:
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Credit: IOM / Nathalie Kasparek 2017
Country Fact Sheet
Islamic Republic of Iran
2019
DisclaimerIOM has carried out the gathering of information with great care. IOM provides information atits best knowledge and in all conscience. Nevertheless, IOM cannot assume to be heldaccountable for the correctness of the information provided. Furthermore, IOM shall not beliable for any conclusions made or any results, which are drawn from the information providedby IOM.
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I. CHECKLIST FOR A VOLUNTARY RETURN1. Before the return2. After the return
II. HEALTH CARE1. General information2. Medical treatment and medication
III. LABOUR MARKET AND EMPLOYMENT1. General information2. Ways/ assistance to find employment3. Unemployment assistance4. Further education and trainings
IV. HOUSING1. General information2. Ways/assistance to find accommodation3. Social grants for housing
V. SOCIAL WELFARE1. General information2. Pension system3. Vulnerable groups
VI. EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM1. General information2. Cost, loans and stipends3. Approval and verification of foreign diplomas
VII. CONCRETE SUPPORT FOR RETURNEES1. Reintegration assistance programs2. Financial and administrative support3. Support to start income generating activities
VIII. CONTACT INFORMATION AND USEFUL LINKS1. International, Non-Governmental and Humanitarian Organizations2. Relevant local authorities 3. Services assisting with the search for jobs, housing, etc. 4. Medical facilities5. Other contacts
2For further information please visit the information portal on
voluntary return and reintegration Returning from Germany:
The returnee should✓ Request documents from the German
authorities, which might be needed later on,that show the returnee´s citizenship statusin Germany, as well as attended vocationaltraining
✓ Have a valid travel document/laissez-passer
✓ Rail system: Train connections are mainlyfrom Tehran to other major cities, as well asto Turkey, Pakistan and the Republic ofAzerbaijan. Further information regardingIranian Railways, as well as timetables andbooking, can be found on the homepage ofIran Railways: http://www.rai.ir/
✓ Flights: Imam Khomeini InternationalAirport (IKIA) also known as Tehran-IKIAor IKIA, is the main international airport ofIran, located 30 kilometers (19 miles)southwest of the city of Tehran, and isdesigned to replace Mehrabad InternationalAirport, which is in the west of the city,now inside the city boundaries. Mostinternational flights are taking place from/toIKIA. Mehrabad airport is designated fordomestic flights. There are taxies and busesavailable 24/7 between the two airports
✓ Check vaccinations (especially for children).These vaccines include measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine, diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis vaccine, varicella (chickenpox)vaccine, polio vaccine, and the yearly flushot. However, no special vaccination isneeded to (re)-enter the country. Alltravelers with children should know how totreat minor ailments and when to seekmedical treatment
✓ Hotels and guest houses are available inevery city in Iran, from IRR 1,000,000 toIRR 20,000,0000 per night depending onthe place and the quality of services. Thereturnee can ask a taxi to take them to ahotel according to their budgetFurther information at:
• http://www.irantravelingcenter.com/iran-hotels/ in English or
• https://www.iranhotelonline.com/ inFarsi
I. Checklist for a Voluntary Return
After the Return
The returnee should✓ Answer all the questions and share the
respected documents in case they might bequestioned by immigration police at theairport about the reason of the trip and thestatus of their citizenship.If the returnee has lost the local ID andother documents, they can refer togovernment offices (Police+10) which areavailable in all cities to register for a newone or refer to:
• http://epolice.ir/news.php
• http://www.epishkhan.ir/
which are the Government’s electronicservices.
✓ Returnees who do not have valid Iraniandocuments are required to register atrespected offices such as Police+10
✓ (Re-)register for the health insurancesystem and the pension insurance system.There are two different types of healthinsurance: either through an employer orprivately. Both belong to the IranianNational Health Insurance TAMINEJTEMAEI www.tamin.ir
✓ Register for social assistance benefits. This isalso done at Tamin Ejtemaei, Iran's onlypublic social welfare institution
✓ Contact services assisting with the searchfor jobs and housing
✓ Real estate companies can be found inalmost every street. Besides, there are alsosome online portals such as http://iranfile.ir/
✓ Job-finding companies can help to findsuitable jobs based on the returnee’squalifications and experiences. They mayalso go through online ads such ashttp://divar.ir which is currently the mostpopular online advertising website
✓ Apply for child care, schools or othereducational institutions
The Government tries to provide free medical treatment and medication for all Iranian nationals. There are two different types of health insurance coverage: either through employment or private, both under Iranian public insurance TAMIN EJTEMAEI www.tamin.ir/
Children’s health insurance is normally covered by their parents’ health insurance.
Insurance through employment: Government employees benefit from free access to public health insurance through their employment. Private companies cover the accidental insurance for their own employees.
Private insurance: Except for governmental employees, all other Iranian citizens have to insure themselves privately if their employers do not insure them. To obtain insurance coverage, it is necessary to provide:
• A copy of the Iranian birth certificate
• A passport-size picture
• A complete medical check-up
SALAMAT insurance: This new private insuranceis provided by the Ministry of Health and coversup to 80-90% of health expenses. Individuals canregister for SALAMAT insurance through itswebsite: http://isc.bimesalamat.ir/isc/
The registration requires a small fee (IRR20.000), which needs to be paid. Per year IRR2.450.000 should be paid by the beneficiary.There are doctors and private centers thataccept public/SALAMAT insurance to cover apart of the expenses. To be covered up to 90%,one needs to refer to government/ publichospitals and centers. TAMIN EJTEMAEIhospitals cover 100% of insured clients.
The following insurance companies do not offerprivate health insurance coverage, however, theydo offer accidental insurance for individuals. Therelated costs vary according to the type ofcoverage, age, etc.:
• Dana: TEHRAN Gandi Ave, St. #15, No. 25, Fax: (0098 21) 88770980, Tel: (0098 21) 88770971-9
Benefits and Costs:All benefits vary according to the provided plan,which the client will be informed about uponregistration. All costs will be covered by theemployer if the returnee begins to work in anIranian organization or business. Otherwise, thecosts will have to be paid by the returneepersonally.
2. Medical treatment and medication
Medical facilities and doctors:
Up to 90% of the rural population has access toPrimary Health Care (PHC) services deliveredin Health Houses and Rural Health centers.Urban coverage, however, is less percentage-wise but is well compensated by private outlets.
In the past three decades, the Islamic Republicof Iran has adopted a policy aimed at betteraddressing the needs of its population, andsubstantial progress has been achieved both inthe social and economic sectors. In rural areas,each village or group of villages contain(s) aHealth House, staffed by the trained “Behvarz”or community health workers. In urban areas,similarly distributed urban health posts andHealth Centers have been established.
The whole network is managed andadministered through District Health Centersunder the Ministry of Health and MedicalEducation. The medical universities (one in eachprovince), play an important role in medicaleducation and in the provision of healthservices.
It is mandatory for all hospitals to acceptemergency cases 24/7 and for less urgentsituations, it depends on the patient’s decisionto refer to a doctor, a clinic, or a districthospital. It would be best to contact eachcenter first to make an appointment.
Availability and costs of medication:The Red Crescent has been determined as thefocal point for the importation of some specificmedicines and provides such medicines forspecial patients through designated pharmacies.In general, all medicaments are available in Iran.Some medications might have a high price dueto sanctions. Medicaments are usually onlydistributed in small quantities, in order to avoidresale on the black market.
Contact details of major pharmacies:
• Helal Ahmar Pharmacy:No.3, Cross section of Talaghani Ave. and Farahani Ave., Tehran, Iran,Tel: (0098 21) 88803871-5
All Iranian citizens, including returnees, are eligible for PHC and for further health care services.
There are two different types of health insurance coverage: either through employment or private,
both under Iranian public insurance TAMIN EJTEMAEI www.tamin.ir/
Children’s health insurance is normally covered by their parents’ health insurance.
Registration procedure :
Health insurance is available to register at the Tamin Ejtemaei website: http://www.tamin.ir/
All benefits vary according to the provided plan, which the client will be informed about upon
registration.
Required documents:
• A copy of the Iranian birth certificate,
• A passport-size photo,
• A complete medical check-up
Other additional documents might be requested later on.
The Chancellor of the university functions asthe executive director of provincial healthservices and is also in charge of all districthealth centers and hospitals.
Although there were shortages in importingsome special medicine groups during the recentsanctions against Iran, there is no serious lack ofmedicines, specialists, or equipment in the publichealth system of Iran. Pharmaceutical productsare vastly imported under the supervision ofthe Ministry of Health. Private sector is alsoavailable especially in bigger cities offeringvarious ranges of prices for those who want tobenefit from private hospitals and healthservices.
While almost all health services are available inpublic hospitals at a very low price and could becovered by health insurance, sometimes due tothe long queues, lengthy waiting, duration ofadmission, overcrowded public centers, andbetter services at private health centers, peopleprefer to pay more and refer to the privatehealth facilities.
Procedure of admission:There are hospitals and clinics available in everydistrict of all cities in Iran.
According to the statistical center of Iran, thelabor force (Autumn 2018) was 23,922,028(aged 10 and over). A review of the economicparticipation rate (activity rate) reveals that40.5% of the population of working age (10years and over) are economically active; i.e. theycount either as employed or officiallyunemployed. The economic participation ratestands lower for women compared to men andis lower in urban areas than in rural areas.A review of the unemployment rate amongpopulation aged 10 and over showed that 11.7percent of the economically active population isunemployed. This rate stands higher for womencompared to men and rural areas in contrast tourban areas. A review of employment in majoreconomic sectors indicates that the servicessector holds the biggest share of employmentwith 49.9% of the total, followed bymanufacturing sector with 32.9% and agriculturesector with 17.2%.
For more details in regard to currentdevelopments of major labor force indicators,please refer to the below table.
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III. Labour Market and Employment (1/2)
Average income:
• Construction workers: The average salary isapprox. 15,168,822 IRR per month
• Taxi drivers: average salary is between800,000 and 1,500,000 IRR per day
• Computer Specialists: average salary ofapprox. 50,000,000 IRR per month
The annual job creation by governmentalorganizations and private companies does notmatch with the number of people entering thejob market. Therefore the competition is veryhigh, especially considering that 70% of theIranian population is younger than 35 years. TheMinistry of Labor is pursuing a comprehensiveplan, to be approved by Majlis (parliament),according to which, lots of jobs can be createdfor the jobless through specific cooperatives.
More information can be found here:https://www.amar.org.ir/Portals/0/News/1397/2_niroeyekar3-97.pdf
Benefits and Costs:The minimum monthly fare to be paid as socialwelfare (including health insurance/ pension/unemployment assistance fare) would be IRR3,672,170 out of which IRR 2,885,330 would bepaid by the employer and the rest by theemployee. Those who have paid the fare at leastfor six months in a row, are eligible for 55% ofthe declared monthly wage.
4. Further education and training
There are many private vocational trainingcenters in Iran. Due to the high rate ofunemployment, the Government is trying topromote these centers. A list of schools andother institutions related to education/ trainingis available in all municipalities.More information about vocational training isavailable on the following websites:
• http://www.mohme.gov.ir,
• http://www.irantvto.com
Unemployment Assistance: Access for Returnees
Eligibility and requirements:Those who have paid a specific monthly amount to an insurance company or their employer has paidits share for at least six months.
Registration procedure:
All Iranian citizens including returnees can register for the social security at the Tamin Ejtemaei,
http://www.tamin.ir/ or any other private insurance companies.
Required documents:
• A copy of the Iranian birth certificate
• A passport-size photo
• The last contract
• Letter from employer
Other additional documents might be requested later on.
2.Ways/ assistance to find employment
To access the labor market, it is necessary tohold a birth certificate and to get specialpermission from a relevant labor union. Thisrule applies to all Iranian citizens. Holding a validcertificate or university degree increases thechance to find employment in line with thespecialty. The best tools for finding employmentin Iran are newspaper ads and internet surfing,e.g. online ads such as http://divar.ir.
There are many placement agencies in big citiesthat can help to find suitable jobs based on thereturnee’s qualifications and experiences.
3. Unemployment assistance
General information on public and/or privateunemployment assistance:There is no unemployment assistance providedby the state, unless you or your employer havepaid a specific amount to an insurance companyper month for this reason during the workingperiod (at least 6 months).
In general, there are sufficient houses andapartments available in Tehran and throughoutthe country. The price of purchasing or renting aresidence depends on the area. Renting aproperty in Iran always requires a deposit andmonthly rent. These also vary according to thelocation, property condition, and size.
The monthly rent for a one-bedroomapartment in the city center (non-expensiveareas) would cost approx. 15,000,000 to20,000,000 IRR (not included utility bills anddown payment).
The amount of 100,000,000 to 200,000,000 IRRnormally is requested from the owner as theapartment down payment. Higher downpayment would decrease the monthly rent andvice versa (all numbers apply to 2018).
Subsidized housing is only available forgovernment employees. Returnees without aplace to stay can stay in hotels until they find asolution. Compared to the countryside, citiesare more expensive regarding accommodationand living costs, even though there are a highervariety and availability of different types ofaccommodation in urban areas.
2. Ways/ assistance to find accommodation
The best way to find properties is to refer tohousing agencies (real estates). These areavailable even in small villages in Iran. Thereturnee can tell the agent their budget and askfor a house based on their financial ability. Manyonline property search engines are alsoavailable, such as http://iranfile.ir/
3. Social grants for housing
A housing loan is available through the MaskanBank for buying houses, but there are manylimitations to receiving a loan with respect tothe country’s current financial situation.Since the loan/social grant rules are beingchanged many times during these years and thepayback interest is very high, people normallyprefer to avoid applying for housing loans.
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Credit: IOM 2017
IV. Housing
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IV. Housing
Housing: Access for Returnees /Vulnerable Groups
There is no shelter for the returnees to Iran to temporary stay in after their return to the countrybut for the returnees under IOM Assisted Voluntary Return and Reintegration (AVRR) project couldbe booked with hotel rooms for a few days upon request from the sending country (for moreinformation you can contact IOM Tehran or IOM offices in the country you are staying).
The government temporary shelters also known as “Warmhouses”, are limited to places toaccommodate extremely vulnerable homeless people and addicts.
Housing/ shelter opportunities forVoTs, victims of domestic violence, single mothers etc. :There are social emergency services providing counselling sessions, protection, and shelter for theextremely vulnerable groups and victims of domestic violence. The social emergency is availablethrough the phone number: 123. More information can be found at:https://www.yasa.co/blog/social-emergency-123-phone-ready-to-receive-reports-of-violence-against-wife/
Free education and health services are availableas social welfare services for all Iraniannationals. Other services might be offered bythe individual’s employer or the private welfarecompany/organization.
Costs:Covered costs and benefits vary according tothe plan. The client would be informed uponregistration about which benefits apply to them.
2. Pension System
The system covers all employed and self-employed persons. Self-employed persons maychoose different levels of coverage. Voluntarycoverage is available for previously insuredpersons up to age 55 with at least 30 days ofcoverage and for drivers of commercial vehicles.Special systems are provided for governmentemployees and armed forces personnel. Foremployees, membership in the social securitysystem is compulsory.Social security ensures protection againstunemployment, diseases, old age andoccupational accidents. In 2003, the governmentbegan to consolidate its welfare organizations toeliminate redundancy and inefficiency.
Funds are contributed by the insured person,the employer and the government in thefollowing proportions:
• Insured person: 7% of earnings. Voluntarilyinsured persons contribute 26% ofearnings; commercial drivers contribute10% of their earnings
In addition to subsidize certain strategicindustries, the government pays the employer'scontributions for up to 5 employees percompany.
Benefits:The benefits will be calculated based on thebeneficiary’s salary, especially the salary of thelast two years, and for private plans, it will bebased on their monthly contributions/plans.
Costs:A major part of the costs will be covered by theemployer if the returnee starts working (beingemployed) in an Iranian organization/business.Otherwise, the costs must be paid personally bythe returnee according to the chosen plan.For employees, 7% of their monthly salary hasto be paid by themselves and for self-businessrunners and private applicants, the wholemonthly contribution has to be paid bythemselves.
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V. Social Welfare (1/2)
SocialWelfare System: Access for Returnees
Eligibility and requirements:
All Iranian nationals, including returnees, are eligible for the TAMIN EJTEMAEI welfare system, which
is the only public welfare/ health insurance in Iran, http://www.tamin.ir/
Registration procedure:
The returnee would register through the above-mentioned website, which leads them to required
documents according to their selected/suggested plan.
Registration documents :
A copy of the Iranian birth certificate, a passport-size photo, and a complete medical check-up are the
basic required documents. Additional documents might be requested by the insurance office
Access to public services is equal for all citizens
but, as mentioned, there are additional supports
for vulnerable groups who are covered by the
communities/organizations.
There are some centers providing services for
people in need under the supervision of the
BEHZISTI organization. Such services for
vulnerable persons are free but since there are
many requests and due to some limitations,
people sometimes prefer to pay for private
centers.
For more info about BEHZISTI please refer to:
http://www.behzisti.ir/Portal/Home/
Access for vulnerable persons:
The best way to find the nearest BEHZISTI
branch to the returnee’s residence is to find it
at their website (find link above).
For the Imam Khomeini Relief Foundation
which is also active in the field use the contact
details below:
• Beside Refah Hyper Market,
Makhsous Road, Azadi Sq., Tehran, Iran
Tel: +98 21 44690839 and +98 21 44690752
They will help with the required documents and
the registration procedure according to the
client’s situation.
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V. Social Welfare (2/2)
Pension System: Access for Returnees
Eligibility and requirements:All Iranian nationals who are employed as well as self-payers.
Registration procedure :Generally, employers are in charge of the employees’ registration. For self-payers TAMIN EJTEMAEIwelfare system, which is the public welfare/pension organization in Iran, should be addressed via:http://www.tamin.ir/
Registration documents :
A copy of the Iranian birth certificate, a passport-size photo, the employment contract and a letter
Education in Iran is highly centralized and isdivided into K-12 education and highereducation. While K-12 education for schoolchildren is supervised by the Ministry ofEducation (http://www.medu.ir/fa/), highereducation is under the supervision of theMinistry of Science, Research and Technology(https://www.msrt.ir/en).
Prior to the university level, all institutions aregender segregated, beginning at the pre-schoollevel. Iran has 107 state universities including 28medical universities, as well as a significantnumber of government research institutes.There are 25 private universities, including theIslamic Azad University, which has branches allover the country.Find a list of higher education institutions anduniversities at: https://www.4icu.org/ir/
Kindergartens and Pre-schools are available atalmost every district of cities. The tuition fee ofthese centers (1 to 4 stars) varies according tothe location, educational and fun space, qualitylevel of services, etc. and starts from 6,000,000to 84,000,000 IRR per year. Children andparents’ Shenasnameh (ID), medical checkupand vaccination certificate is required forapplication. It is suggested to meet the center’smanagers to talk about facilities and fees.
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2. Cost, loans and stipends
As a general rule, primary, secondary and highereducation are free, although private schools anduniversities do exist and are permitted tocharge tuition fees.
The entrance examination, called KONKUR, isbased on the space in the university. As thespace in universities has increased over theyears, the competition is not as high as before,except for universities in bigger cities and moreinteresting majors such as medicine orengineering.
Most universities in Iran have their own financialaid offices to help students fund their studies.Ferdowsi University of Mashhad for example,has an Office of Student Welfare to provideloans and financial aids to students, i.e. tuitionloan, lodging loan, marriage loan, loan for buyingresearch facilities, etc.(http://refahsalamat.um.ac.ir/index.php?lang=fa)
Educational Administrative Affairs (EAA) givessome discounts to students as well, according totheir rank among their peers. You may accesseach university’s EAA information and facilitiesthrough that university’s website.
Access and requirements to stipends and/orloans for covering tuitionStipends and loans are available at studentwelfare offices located in almost everyuniversity. The newest list of available funds,which are accessible based on the students’conditions (marital status, city, study level), isavailable through the link below:
www.swf.ir/pages/downloadcenter/go.php?Id=207
3. Approval and verification of foreigndiplomas
The Office of Graduated Students of theMinistry of Education is responsible for theaccreditation and verification of foreigndiplomas. The list of acceptable universities isalso available at this office’s website:http://grad.saorg.ir/
As mentioned above, IOM Tehran providesreturnees with counselling sessions aboutincome-generating activities and businessestablishments. Through providing informationregarding the current market situation anddemands, required documents, business plandevelopment, etc. it will be made sure that thereturnee is able to establish their own business.