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Tehran Imam Khomeini International Airport

Tehran, IR

Airportist Score

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Security

Fastest

Cheapest

Lounges

On time

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IKAOIIEModerate

Tehran Imam Khomeini International Airport

Tehran, Iran · Middle East

Tehran's international airport is a 2005 arc plus a 2019 Salaam hall with a live but infrequent metro: paid CIP is the only lounge that changes the day, Uber does not exist, and European metal is still a maybe after the 2026 closure.

Airportist Score

6.4/ 10

Mixed

Ease of use6.6
Comfort & amenities6.4
Food & retail6.2
Ground access7.2
Reliability5.4
Lounges6.6

How the score works

An editorial 0–10 score. The overall is exactly the weighted sum of six traveler categories — not a Google rating and not a poll.

25%Ease of use — Wayfinding, security wait, and layout.
20%Comfort & amenities — Seating, Wi-Fi, cleanliness, and quiet.
15%Food & retail — Food and retail quality and variety.
15%Ground access — Transit, taxi, and parking to the city.
15%Reliability — Delays, cancellations, and weather resilience.
10%Lounges — Worth-it density and access quality.

Compare IKA with another airport

Arrive
3 h
before departure
Typical security
25 min
editorial average, not live
Fastest to city
45-90 min
Official airport taxi (1833)
Cheapest to city
Tehran Metro Line 1 (airport branch)
$ · 50-90 min
Lounges
2
1 rated worth it
Terminals
2
live: Terminal 1 (2005) + Salaam (2019). Iranshahr T3 not live. No airside walk.

All airports

IKAOIIEModerate

Tehran Imam Khomeini International Airport

Tehran, Iran · Middle East

Airportist Score

6.4/ 10

Mixed

Ease of use6.6
Comfort & amenities6.4
Food & retail6.2
Ground access7.2
Reliability5.4
Lounges6.6

How the score works

An editorial 0–10 score. The overall is exactly the weighted sum of six traveler categories — not a Google rating and not a poll.

25%Ease of use — Wayfinding, security wait, and layout.
20%Comfort & amenities — Seating, Wi-Fi, cleanliness, and quiet.
15%Food & retail — Food and retail quality and variety.
15%Ground access — Transit, taxi, and parking to the city.
15%Reliability — Delays, cancellations, and weather resilience.
10%Lounges — Worth-it density and access quality.

Compare IKA with another airport

Arrive

Security

Fastest

Cheapest

Lounges

On time

Flying from Tehran?

Enter your flight for a door-to-door plan: when to leave, security, lounges and your gate. Free and no account needed. A free account saves it and sends alerts.

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11 photos

IKAGuide

Most important tips

Know before you go

A compact traveler cheat sheet for timing, terminals, food, and disruption checks.

Timing

Arrive 3 hours early — visa can eat the slack

IKAC spokesman: be at the terminals at least 3 hours before departure. Call 096330 or +98 21 5100118 before you leave.

Eligible e-visa / VOA travellers still wait at the arrivals visa windows (Exit / Baggage claim / Transfer signs). UK/US/Canada ordinary passports cannot use VOA. Night banks of departures are common — the metro will already be dead.

Terminals

T1 for most airlines; Salaam is live, Iranshahr is not

Terminal 1 is the 2005 international hall. Salaam (2019) takes Hajj/Umrah and overflow. There is no airside walk. T3 Iranshahr is not open.

Wikipedia leftover 'as of March 2026 all flights suspended' is leftover-stale: Mehr News says IKA resumed 25 April 2026 (Istanbul / Muscat / Medina first). Tasnim 9 September 2026: CEO says foreign flights were operating. Confirm your airline's terminal on the ticket, not a 2024 blog.

Food

Pistachio and saffron, not a food hall

Landside and airside shops sell Iranian sweets, caviar, saffron and leather. Cafés sit in the halls. Duty-free does not sell alcohol.

The photographed 'Iranian Traditional Souvenir / Persian Duty Free' island is the honest sit for a boxed sweet and a bottle. Do not invent leftover McDonald's / Starbucks / 24-hour hours. CIP's buffet is the only real meal if you paid for that hall.

Visa

e-visa grant notice — UK/US/Canada cannot walk up

MFA portal evisa.mfa.ir: apply at least two days before a visa-on-arrival pickup. Passport needs 6 months beyond travel. Israeli ink can refuse entry.

Official MFA visa-waiver list includes Turkey, China, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Armenia, Oman, Iraq, Egypt, Syria, Kazakhstan. A 15-day tourism waiver covers 27 ordinary passports (Gulf states, Japan, Singapore, Brazil, Mexico, Serbia, Croatia, and others named on the portal). UK FCDO: British citizens need a sponsored tour or an in-country sponsor; no VOA. FCDO passport 6 months after arrival.

Live conditions

Right now at IKA

Security waits and operational status from official feeds, where the airport publishes them.

Honest verdict

Who this airport works for

Best for

International arrivals who printed the MFA grant notice
Daytime metro to Tajrish with light bags
Travellers willing to pay CIP to skip Terminal 1

Watch out for

UK/US/Canada cannot visa-on-arrival; Israeli ink can refuse entry
No Priority Pass; leftover 'all flights suspended' Wikipedia copy is leftover-stale after 25 April 2026
EASA still advised EU operators out of FIR Tehran through 30 September 2026

Airportist Score

Why this score

Overall is the published weighted sum of six categories. No holistic fudge on top.

Ease of use · 25%

Wayfinding, security wait, and layout.

6.6

Comfort & amenities · 20%

Seating, Wi-Fi, cleanliness, and quiet.

6.4

Food & retail · 15%

Food and retail quality and variety.

6.2

Ground access · 15%

Transit, taxi, and parking to the city.

7.2

Reliability · 15%

Delays, cancellations, and weather resilience.

5.4

Lounges · 10%

Worth-it density and access quality.

6.6

Key stats

Editorial reference figures, not live readings.

Annual passengers

7,672,152 (2024)

Terminals

2 live: Terminal 1 (2005) + Salaam (2019). Iranshahr T3 not live. No airside walk.

Typical security

25 min

Guide quick facts

From the editorial guide for IKA.

Updated Sep 21, 2026

Live campus: Terminal 1 (reopened 30 April 2005; Paul Andreu arc) plus Salaam Terminal (opened June 2019). No airside walk between them. Iranshahr Terminal 3 is not live. All Tehran international flights sit here; Mehrabad (THR) is domestic.
Calendar 2024 traffic: 7,672,152 passengers (Iran air-transport annual reports via Wikipedia). Operator leftover ~7.5 million / 49,000 flights is Iranian year 1402. Leftover ~9 million for 1403 was a forecast — do not paste it as a year. 2026 closed ~28 Feb–25 Apr.
IATA IKA / ICAO OIIE. Operator Imam Khomeini Airport City Company (IKAC). ~35 km southwest of central Tehran. Elevation 1,007 m / 3,304 ft. Two runways 11L/29R 4,198 × 45 m and 11R/29L 4,092 × 45 m. ILS from August 2009. Time zone Asia/Tehran.
Official spokesman: be at the terminals at least 3 hours before departure. Flight info 096330 or +98 21 5100118. Official site www.ikac.ir. Do not invent a live SSID this pass.
Tehran Metro Line 1 branch to Imam Khomeini Airport station is live (opened 7 August 2017; T1 entrance photographed 31 December 2025). Infrequent and daytime-biased — leftover timetables conflict. Night arrivals take a taxi. Uber is not in Iran; Snapp / Tapsi are.
No Priority Pass listing this pass. Paid CIP Terminal is a separate hall (9,900,000 toman + 10% VAT, Esfand 1404 tariff). T1 Fast Track & Business Lounge is 2,800,000 toman, departures only.

7 official sources

Full guide

Explore the IKA guide

Each section answers one trip question in depth.

Terminal navigation guide

Terminal-change and gate-area notes pulled from the markdown guide.

From Terminals & Navigation

Terminal 1 is the live international arc (first landing 8 May 2004, IRGC closure that day, civil reopen 30 April 2005). Departures and arrivals share the hall. Wikipedia leftover 'one terminal' pages are leftover-stale once Salaam opened.
Salaam Terminal (T2) opened June 2019 for Hajj/Umrah and now also takes overflow scheduled flights (Nowruz counts used both halls). There is no airside walk from T1. Confirm the hall on the boarding pass.
Iranshahr (T3) is not live. Leftover 20 million capacity is a plan, not a year.
CIP is a separate building beside T1 / opposite the tower, not a mezzanine lounge. Do not walk T1 looking for it.
Wayfinding is bilingual Persian/English. Follow Exit / Baggage claim / Transfer / Visa on arrivals; Terminal 1 / Subway on the landside connector.
Do not invent leftover T3-as-open / leftover metro-as-absent / leftover Priority Pass.

Ground transport guide

City-transfer, rideshare, train, and parking guidance from the markdown guide.

From Ground Transport & Parking

Official taxi desk at arrivals (1833). Prepaid, then the car. Typical 45–90 minutes into central Tehran depending on the Tehran–Qom / Saveh traffic. Leftover USD/rial blog fares leftover-conflict — pay the posted desk, not a tout at the curb.
Snapp and Tapsi are the local rideshare. Uber does not operate in Iran. Registration wants an Iranian number; foreign cards will not pay the wallet. Follow the app pin, not the official taxi lane.
Metro Line 1 branch: Imam Khomeini Airport station, on-site, T1 doors marked Terminal 1 / Imam Khomeini Airport Subway (photographed 31 December 2025). Change at Shahed–Bagher Shahr for Tajrish. Opened 7 August 2017; Parand extension 30 November 2023. Infrequent. Dead for most night banks.
Buses from Mehrabad Terminal 4, Azadi Square, Beihaghi (Argentina) and South Terminal are the cheap leftover. Schedules are limited; not the default with luggage.
Parking: IKAC lists a two-storey short-stay (~1,800) plus lots 2–5 (operator leftover ~13,000). Call +98 21 51007199. Do not invent leftover SEO prices this pass.
Hotels on the bridge: Rexan (ex-Novotel) and Remis (ex-Ibis). Accor left; the buildings remain.

Ride to Tehran

Pickup at IKA. Where the app supports it, dropoff is set to Tehran city center for a live price.

To city center

Tehran

~37 km

Typical fare

See app

Live quotes open in the ride app

Fixed-price transfers

GetTransfer quotes Kiwitaxi quotes

Compare prepaid private transfers to Tehran — useful overnight, with luggage, or when you want a locked-in fare before you land.

Cheapest

Tehran Metro Line 1 (airport branch)

On-site Imam Khomeini Airport station, T1 doors. Change at Shahed–Bagher Shahr for Tajrish. Live since 7 August 2017.

Time to city

50-90 min

Cost

Tip: Follow Terminal 1 / Imam Khomeini Airport Subway. Infrequent; leftover last-train hours leftover-conflict. Night arrivals skip it.

FastestBest for luggage

Official airport taxi (1833)

Prepaid desk at arrivals, then the car. Typical 45–90 min to central Tehran on the Tehran–Qom / Saveh roads.

Time to city

45-90 min

Cost

Tip: Pay the desk, not a curb tout. Snapp is cheaper once you have an Iranian number; Uber does not exist here.

Airport bus (Mehrabad / Azadi / Beihaghi / South Terminal)

Cheapest road option from Mehrabad T4, Azadi Square, Beihaghi and South Terminal. Limited timetable.

Time to city

60-120 min

Cost

Tip: Fine with no bags in daylight. Do not build a tight connection on leftover blog hours.

IKAC short-stay and lots 2–5

Two-storey short-stay (~1,800) plus remote lots. Operator leftover total ~13,000. Prices unpublished this pass.

Time to city

On site

Cost

Tip: Call +98 21 51007199. Do not invent leftover SEO caps.

Check your lounge access at IKA

Worth it

CIP Terminal

Separate CIP hall beside Terminal 1Landside/airside CIP building opposite the tower — not inside T1

A separate three-floor CIP hall, not a Priority Pass room. Operator tariff 9,900,000 toman + 10% VAT. CIP.aero will not take Lufthansa, Austrian, Zagros, or Mahan to Guangzhou / Najaf / Baghdad on departure.

Access: Day pass · Business class ticket

Hours: Sold as 24/7; confirm when you book

Amenities: Buffet and tea · Wi-Fi · Shops · Prayer room · Private immigration / security · Apron transfer to the aircraft · Suites / showers as sold

Best for: Skipping T1 queues · Arrivals visa help as sold

Full access guide

Add a photo

Depends

Fast Track & Business Lounge

Terminal 1T1 departures — reception at the second door from the right

Inside Terminal 1, departures only, and explicitly not the CIP hall. Check-in and bags stay at the airline desk. No Priority Pass listing this pass.

Access: Day pass

Hours: Flight-led; T1 departures only

Amenities: Fast-track security and immigration · Lounge seating · Soft drinks as sold · Wi-Fi

Best for: T1 departures that CIP will not take · A cheaper skip of the T1 queues

Full access guide

Add a photo

Lounge & amenity notes

Lounge, food, and quiet-spot picks pulled from the markdown guide.

From Lounges, Food & Amenities

CIP Terminal: paid skip of T1, buffet, shops, prayer room, private immigration, apron transfer. 9,900,000 toman + 10% VAT (Esfand 1404). Worth it if you will actually use the building; not Priority Pass.
Fast Track & Business Lounge: T1 departures only, 2,800,000 toman, second door from the right. Bags still go to the airline. Depends — cheaper than CIP, thinner than CIP.
No Priority Pass, LoungeKey or DragonPass listing found this pass. Leftover aggregator pages that paste 'Priority Pass' onto IKA are leftover-wrong.
Food is Iranian sweets, saffron, pistachio, caviar and a few cafés — not a Gulf food court. No alcohol in duty-free.
Free Wi-Fi is advertised; leftover 'code at check-in' is leftover-unverified as a live SSID. Do not invent a network name.
Prayer rooms, Bank Sepah exchange, and SIM stalls sit landside. Charging points exist; do not count on a quiet work hall outside CIP.
Accessibility: CIP sells a wheelchair add-on (2,970,000 toman). Airline wheelchairs still need the 48-hour request.

Editorial guide tricks

The markdown guide's highest-signal tactics before the data-backed tips below.

From Best Airport Tricks & Hacks

Print the MFA grant notice and a hotel voucher before you leave. The arrivals visa windows are not a kiosk, and the queue does not care that your phone has no data.
Change a small float at Bank Sepah / the EXCHANGE booths in T1 (euros preferred for many MFA fees). Foreign Visa/Mastercard will not fund Snapp.
If you hold a ticket CIP will actually take, book the CIP hall (9,900,000 toman + VAT) and never enter T1. If you are on Lufthansa, Austrian, Zagros, or Mahan to Guangzhou / Najaf / Baghdad, CIP.aero will refuse the departure — buy T1 Fast Track instead.
Night arrival: skip leftover metro timetables. Pay the official taxi desk (1833) or a pre-booked car. Snapp pickup is real but needs an Iranian SIM and the posted app pin, not the taxi rank.
Daytime with light bags: follow the Terminal 1 signs to Imam Khomeini Airport Subway / Line 1. Change at Shahed–Bagher Shahr for Tajrish. Trains are infrequent (leftover every 70–120 minutes). Confirm the last train on the board — leftover 13:20 vs 19:20 hours leftover-conflict.
Rexan and Remis (the ex-Accor Novotel / Ibis) sit on the pedestrian bridge. Use them for a 3–6 hour room if you refuse a 02:00 taxi into town.
Do not plan a European metal. EASA CZIB-2026-04-R1 told EU operators not to enter FIR Tehran through 30 September 2026. Tasnim 9 September 2026: regional foreign flights were operating; leftover Turkish / Lufthansa schedules are not a guarantee.
Keep THR and IKA straight. Domestic connections are a road or metro hop to Mehrabad, not an airside walk.

SecurityTraveler Tips & Hacks

Print the MFA grant notice

evisa.mfa.ir at least two days out even if you collect the sticker at IKA.

UK/US/Canada ordinary cannot VOA. Everyone else's airline may still demand the PDF at the origin gate. Israeli ink can refuse entry. Passport 6 months.

Upside

Eligible Gulf / China / Turkey waivers skip the windows entirely — check the MFA list, not a blog.

Watch-out

The arrivals visa corridor is still a physical window under the Exit / Baggage claim signs.

LoungeTraveler Tips & Hacks

Book CIP only if CIP will take the flight

9,900,000 toman + VAT for the separate hall; T1 Fast Track is 2,800,000 toman when CIP refuses.

cip.aero will not take Lufthansa, Austrian, Zagros, or Mahan to Guangzhou / Najaf / Baghdad on departure. There is no Priority Pass room.

Upside

CIP skip of T1 is the only lounge that actually changes the airport.

Watch-out

T1 Business Lounge is snacks and a faster lane, not a Gulf buffet.

TransportTraveler Tips & Hacks

Metro by day, official taxi by night

Line 1 is live at T1. Night banks still need the 1833 desk or Snapp.

Uber is not in Iran. Snapp needs an Iranian number. Leftover metro hours leftover-conflict (13:20 vs 19:20). Confirm the board.

Upside

The T1 subway doors are on the same connector as Terminal 1 — not a shuttle.

Watch-out

Trains are roughly hourly to two-hourly. Miss one and you have lost the slack.

NavigationTraveler Tips & Hacks

IKA is international; THR is domestic

There is no airside walk to Mehrabad and no live T3.

Salaam is the second live hall for Hajj and overflow. Iranshahr is a plan. Wikipedia leftover 'all flights suspended March 2026' is leftover-stale after 25 April 2026.

Upside

One ticket, one hall — once you know which hall.

Watch-out

A domestic connection is a road / metro hop, not a transfer corridor.

Alternatives

Nearby airports

Passenger airports within about 150 km. Scored airports show their Airportist Score so you can weigh a switch.

Compare IKA vs THR

Alternatives

Nearby airports

IKAGuide

Most important tips

Know before you go

A compact traveler cheat sheet for timing, terminals, food, and disruption checks.

Timing

Arrive 3 hours early — visa can eat the slack

IKAC spokesman: be at the terminals at least 3 hours before departure. Call 096330 or +98 21 5100118 before you leave.

Terminals

T1 for most airlines; Salaam is live, Iranshahr is not

Terminal 1 is the 2005 international hall. Salaam (2019) takes Hajj/Umrah and overflow. There is no airside walk. T3 Iranshahr is not open.

Food

Pistachio and saffron, not a food hall

Landside and airside shops sell Iranian sweets, caviar, saffron and leather. Cafés sit in the halls. Duty-free does not sell alcohol.

Visa

e-visa grant notice — UK/US/Canada cannot walk up

MFA portal evisa.mfa.ir: apply at least two days before a visa-on-arrival pickup. Passport needs 6 months beyond travel. Israeli ink can refuse entry.

Live conditions

Right now at IKA

Security waits and operational status from official feeds, where the airport publishes them.

Honest verdict

Who this airport works for

Best for

International arrivals who printed the MFA grant notice
Daytime metro to Tajrish with light bags
Travellers willing to pay CIP to skip Terminal 1

Watch out for

UK/US/Canada cannot visa-on-arrival; Israeli ink can refuse entry
No Priority Pass; leftover 'all flights suspended' Wikipedia copy is leftover-stale after 25 April 2026
EASA still advised EU operators out of FIR Tehran through 30 September 2026

Airportist Score

Why this score

Overall is the published weighted sum of six categories. No holistic fudge on top.

Ease of use · 25%

Wayfinding, security wait, and layout.

6.6

Comfort & amenities · 20%

Seating, Wi-Fi, cleanliness, and quiet.

6.4

Food & retail · 15%

Food and retail quality and variety.

6.2

Ground access · 15%

Transit, taxi, and parking to the city.

7.2

Reliability · 15%

Delays, cancellations, and weather resilience.

5.4

Lounges · 10%

Worth-it density and access quality.

6.6

Key stats

Editorial reference figures, not live readings.

Annual passengers

7,672,152 (2024)

Terminals

2 live: Terminal 1 (2005) + Salaam (2019). Iranshahr T3 not live. No airside walk.

Typical security

25 min

Guide quick facts

From the editorial guide for IKA.

Updated Sep 21, 2026

Live campus: Terminal 1 (reopened 30 April 2005; Paul Andreu arc) plus Salaam Terminal (opened June 2019). No airside walk between them. Iranshahr Terminal 3 is not live. All Tehran international flights sit here; Mehrabad (THR) is domestic.
Calendar 2024 traffic: 7,672,152 passengers (Iran air-transport annual reports via Wikipedia). Operator leftover ~7.5 million / 49,000 flights is Iranian year 1402. Leftover ~9 million for 1403 was a forecast — do not paste it as a year. 2026 closed ~28 Feb–25 Apr.
IATA IKA / ICAO OIIE. Operator Imam Khomeini Airport City Company (IKAC). ~35 km southwest of central Tehran. Elevation 1,007 m / 3,304 ft. Two runways 11L/29R 4,198 × 45 m and 11R/29L 4,092 × 45 m. ILS from August 2009. Time zone Asia/Tehran.
Official spokesman: be at the terminals at least 3 hours before departure. Flight info 096330 or +98 21 5100118. Official site www.ikac.ir. Do not invent a live SSID this pass.
Tehran Metro Line 1 branch to Imam Khomeini Airport station is live (opened 7 August 2017; T1 entrance photographed 31 December 2025). Infrequent and daytime-biased — leftover timetables conflict. Night arrivals take a taxi. Uber is not in Iran; Snapp / Tapsi are.
No Priority Pass listing this pass. Paid CIP Terminal is a separate hall (9,900,000 toman + 10% VAT, Esfand 1404 tariff). T1 Fast Track & Business Lounge is 2,800,000 toman, departures only.

7 official sources

Full guide

Explore the IKA guide

Each section answers one trip question in depth.

Terminal navigation guide

Terminal-change and gate-area notes pulled from the markdown guide.

From Terminals & Navigation

Terminal 1 is the live international arc (first landing 8 May 2004, IRGC closure that day, civil reopen 30 April 2005). Departures and arrivals share the hall. Wikipedia leftover 'one terminal' pages are leftover-stale once Salaam opened.
Salaam Terminal (T2) opened June 2019 for Hajj/Umrah and now also takes overflow scheduled flights (Nowruz counts used both halls). There is no airside walk from T1. Confirm the hall on the boarding pass.
Iranshahr (T3) is not live. Leftover 20 million capacity is a plan, not a year.
CIP is a separate building beside T1 / opposite the tower, not a mezzanine lounge. Do not walk T1 looking for it.
Wayfinding is bilingual Persian/English. Follow Exit / Baggage claim / Transfer / Visa on arrivals; Terminal 1 / Subway on the landside connector.
Do not invent leftover T3-as-open / leftover metro-as-absent / leftover Priority Pass.

Ground transport guide

City-transfer, rideshare, train, and parking guidance from the markdown guide.

From Ground Transport & Parking

Official taxi desk at arrivals (1833). Prepaid, then the car. Typical 45–90 minutes into central Tehran depending on the Tehran–Qom / Saveh traffic. Leftover USD/rial blog fares leftover-conflict — pay the posted desk, not a tout at the curb.
Snapp and Tapsi are the local rideshare. Uber does not operate in Iran. Registration wants an Iranian number; foreign cards will not pay the wallet. Follow the app pin, not the official taxi lane.
Metro Line 1 branch: Imam Khomeini Airport station, on-site, T1 doors marked Terminal 1 / Imam Khomeini Airport Subway (photographed 31 December 2025). Change at Shahed–Bagher Shahr for Tajrish. Opened 7 August 2017; Parand extension 30 November 2023. Infrequent. Dead for most night banks.
Buses from Mehrabad Terminal 4, Azadi Square, Beihaghi (Argentina) and South Terminal are the cheap leftover. Schedules are limited; not the default with luggage.
Parking: IKAC lists a two-storey short-stay (~1,800) plus lots 2–5 (operator leftover ~13,000). Call +98 21 51007199. Do not invent leftover SEO prices this pass.
Hotels on the bridge: Rexan (ex-Novotel) and Remis (ex-Ibis). Accor left; the buildings remain.

Ride to Tehran

Pickup at IKA. Where the app supports it, dropoff is set to Tehran city center for a live price.

To city center

Tehran

~37 km

Typical fare

See app

Live quotes open in the ride app

Fixed-price transfers

GetTransfer quotes Kiwitaxi quotes

Compare prepaid private transfers to Tehran — useful overnight, with luggage, or when you want a locked-in fare before you land.

Cheapest

Tehran Metro Line 1 (airport branch)

On-site Imam Khomeini Airport station, T1 doors. Change at Shahed–Bagher Shahr for Tajrish. Live since 7 August 2017.

Time to city

50-90 min

Cost

Tip: Follow Terminal 1 / Imam Khomeini Airport Subway. Infrequent; leftover last-train hours leftover-conflict. Night arrivals skip it.

FastestBest for luggage

Official airport taxi (1833)

Prepaid desk at arrivals, then the car. Typical 45–90 min to central Tehran on the Tehran–Qom / Saveh roads.

Time to city

45-90 min

Cost

Tip: Pay the desk, not a curb tout. Snapp is cheaper once you have an Iranian number; Uber does not exist here.

Airport bus (Mehrabad / Azadi / Beihaghi / South Terminal)

Cheapest road option from Mehrabad T4, Azadi Square, Beihaghi and South Terminal. Limited timetable.

Time to city

60-120 min

Cost

Tip: Fine with no bags in daylight. Do not build a tight connection on leftover blog hours.

IKAC short-stay and lots 2–5

Two-storey short-stay (~1,800) plus remote lots. Operator leftover total ~13,000. Prices unpublished this pass.

Time to city

On site

Cost

Tip: Call +98 21 51007199. Do not invent leftover SEO caps.

Check your lounge access at IKA

Worth it

CIP Terminal

Separate CIP hall beside Terminal 1Landside/airside CIP building opposite the tower — not inside T1

Access: Day pass · Business class ticket

Hours: Sold as 24/7; confirm when you book

Amenities: Buffet and tea · Wi-Fi · Shops · Prayer room · Private immigration / security · Apron transfer to the aircraft · Suites / showers as sold

Best for: Skipping T1 queues · Arrivals visa help as sold

Full access guide

Add a photo

Depends

Fast Track & Business Lounge

Terminal 1T1 departures — reception at the second door from the right

Inside Terminal 1, departures only, and explicitly not the CIP hall. Check-in and bags stay at the airline desk. No Priority Pass listing this pass.

Access: Day pass

Hours: Flight-led; T1 departures only

Amenities: Fast-track security and immigration · Lounge seating · Soft drinks as sold · Wi-Fi

Best for: T1 departures that CIP will not take · A cheaper skip of the T1 queues

Full access guide

Add a photo

Lounge & amenity notes

Lounge, food, and quiet-spot picks pulled from the markdown guide.

From Lounges, Food & Amenities

CIP Terminal: paid skip of T1, buffet, shops, prayer room, private immigration, apron transfer. 9,900,000 toman + 10% VAT (Esfand 1404). Worth it if you will actually use the building; not Priority Pass.
Fast Track & Business Lounge: T1 departures only, 2,800,000 toman, second door from the right. Bags still go to the airline. Depends — cheaper than CIP, thinner than CIP.
No Priority Pass, LoungeKey or DragonPass listing found this pass. Leftover aggregator pages that paste 'Priority Pass' onto IKA are leftover-wrong.
Food is Iranian sweets, saffron, pistachio, caviar and a few cafés — not a Gulf food court. No alcohol in duty-free.
Free Wi-Fi is advertised; leftover 'code at check-in' is leftover-unverified as a live SSID. Do not invent a network name.
Prayer rooms, Bank Sepah exchange, and SIM stalls sit landside. Charging points exist; do not count on a quiet work hall outside CIP.
Accessibility: CIP sells a wheelchair add-on (2,970,000 toman). Airline wheelchairs still need the 48-hour request.

Editorial guide tricks

The markdown guide's highest-signal tactics before the data-backed tips below.

From Best Airport Tricks & Hacks

Print the MFA grant notice and a hotel voucher before you leave. The arrivals visa windows are not a kiosk, and the queue does not care that your phone has no data.
Change a small float at Bank Sepah / the EXCHANGE booths in T1 (euros preferred for many MFA fees). Foreign Visa/Mastercard will not fund Snapp.
If you hold a ticket CIP will actually take, book the CIP hall (9,900,000 toman + VAT) and never enter T1. If you are on Lufthansa, Austrian, Zagros, or Mahan to Guangzhou / Najaf / Baghdad, CIP.aero will refuse the departure — buy T1 Fast Track instead.
Night arrival: skip leftover metro timetables. Pay the official taxi desk (1833) or a pre-booked car. Snapp pickup is real but needs an Iranian SIM and the posted app pin, not the taxi rank.
Daytime with light bags: follow the Terminal 1 signs to Imam Khomeini Airport Subway / Line 1. Change at Shahed–Bagher Shahr for Tajrish. Trains are infrequent (leftover every 70–120 minutes). Confirm the last train on the board — leftover 13:20 vs 19:20 hours leftover-conflict.
Rexan and Remis (the ex-Accor Novotel / Ibis) sit on the pedestrian bridge. Use them for a 3–6 hour room if you refuse a 02:00 taxi into town.
Do not plan a European metal. EASA CZIB-2026-04-R1 told EU operators not to enter FIR Tehran through 30 September 2026. Tasnim 9 September 2026: regional foreign flights were operating; leftover Turkish / Lufthansa schedules are not a guarantee.
Keep THR and IKA straight. Domestic connections are a road or metro hop to Mehrabad, not an airside walk.

SecurityTraveler Tips & Hacks

Print the MFA grant notice

evisa.mfa.ir at least two days out even if you collect the sticker at IKA.

UK/US/Canada ordinary cannot VOA. Everyone else's airline may still demand the PDF at the origin gate. Israeli ink can refuse entry. Passport 6 months.

Upside

Eligible Gulf / China / Turkey waivers skip the windows entirely — check the MFA list, not a blog.

Watch-out

The arrivals visa corridor is still a physical window under the Exit / Baggage claim signs.

LoungeTraveler Tips & Hacks

Book CIP only if CIP will take the flight

9,900,000 toman + VAT for the separate hall; T1 Fast Track is 2,800,000 toman when CIP refuses.

cip.aero will not take Lufthansa, Austrian, Zagros, or Mahan to Guangzhou / Najaf / Baghdad on departure. There is no Priority Pass room.

Upside

CIP skip of T1 is the only lounge that actually changes the airport.

Watch-out

T1 Business Lounge is snacks and a faster lane, not a Gulf buffet.

TransportTraveler Tips & Hacks

Metro by day, official taxi by night

Line 1 is live at T1. Night banks still need the 1833 desk or Snapp.

Uber is not in Iran. Snapp needs an Iranian number. Leftover metro hours leftover-conflict (13:20 vs 19:20). Confirm the board.

Upside

The T1 subway doors are on the same connector as Terminal 1 — not a shuttle.

Watch-out

Trains are roughly hourly to two-hourly. Miss one and you have lost the slack.

NavigationTraveler Tips & Hacks

IKA is international; THR is domestic

There is no airside walk to Mehrabad and no live T3.

Salaam is the second live hall for Hajj and overflow. Iranshahr is a plan. Wikipedia leftover 'all flights suspended March 2026' is leftover-stale after 25 April 2026.

Upside

One ticket, one hall — once you know which hall.

Watch-out

A domestic connection is a road / metro hop, not a transfer corridor.

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Know before you go

Right now at IKA

Who this airport works for

Why this score

Explore the IKA guide

Map

Getting There

Lounges

Traveler Tips

Amenities

Water

Reviews

Print the MFA grant notice

Book CIP only if CIP will take the flight

Metro by day, official taxi by night

IKA is international; THR is domestic

What travelers say

Nearby airports

Nearby airports

Know before you go

Right now at IKA

Who this airport works for

Why this score

Explore the IKA guide

Map

Getting There

Lounges

Traveler Tips

Amenities

Water

Reviews

Print the MFA grant notice

Book CIP only if CIP will take the flight

Metro by day, official taxi by night

IKA is international; THR is domestic

What travelers say

Nearby airports