To renew an Iranian passport from abroad using Form 101, you register your application on the Mikhak consular portal, fill out Form 101 with your personal and family information, and submit it together with your original documents to the Iranian consular office or Interests Section that serves your country of residence.1Islamic Republic of Iran Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Passport Renewal The specific requirements shift depending on your age, gender, and military service status, so it pays to sort out those pieces before you start.
When You Can Apply
Iranian passports are issued for either five or ten years. You can file for renewal once the passport has expired or once all the visa pages have been used up.1Islamic Republic of Iran Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Passport Renewal Start early. Processing after the consular office receives your package generally runs several weeks, and an expired passport leaves you stuck for travel in the meantime.
Documents to Submit With Form 101
Form 101 itself captures your personal and family details. Around it, you assemble the supporting documents the consular office uses to verify who you are:
- Your current or expired passport, original plus photocopies. For a five-year passport, offices typically require copies of the first six pages; for a ten-year passport, copies of every page.1Islamic Republic of Iran Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Passport Renewal
- Your birth certificate (Shenasnameh), original plus photocopies of every page. Newer adult versions are brown booklets with a printed photo for anyone over 15; minors under 15 receive a dark green version without a photo. If you are over 15 and still hold the older handwritten Shenasnameh with no photo page, you may need to update it before applying.2U.S. Department of State. Iran, Islamic Republic of Reciprocity and Civil Documents
- Your national ID card (Kart-e Melli), the smart card the office uses to confirm your citizenship record.
- Two recent color passport photos, 3×4 cm, against a plain white background. Women must wear a headscarf in the photo in line with the regulations of the Islamic Republic.1Islamic Republic of Iran Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Passport Renewal
- Proof of legal residency in your host country, typically the original and a copy of your residency permit.
Consular offices adjust their exact checklists from time to time, so confirm the current list with the specific office handling your file before you mail anything.
Military Service Documents for Men
Iranian men who have not completed mandatory military service cannot obtain a passport.3Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada. Iran: Military Service, Including Recruitment Age, Length of Service To renew, you need to include one of two documents:
- A Certificate of Completion showing you finished your service, or
- An Exemption Card showing you were exempted for medical, educational, or other qualifying reasons.
For men living abroad who have not fulfilled the obligation, a separate route exists. Those who left Iran before a certain date and have lived abroad continuously may qualify for an exemption by paying a fee to the Conscription Organization, though the specific terms have shifted over the years.3Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada. Iran: Military Service, Including Recruitment Age, Length of Service If your military status is unresolved, sort it out before you start the passport application. Applicants routinely spend months going back and forth with the Conscription Organization, and the passport office will not move forward without a Completion Certificate or Exemption Card in the file.
Consent Requirements for Minors and Married Women
Children under 18 cannot have an application submitted on their own behalf. Article 18 of Iran’s Passport Law requires the written permission of the child’s father or legally appointed guardian before a passport will be issued to a minor.4Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada. Iran: Exit and Entry Procedures at Airports and Land Borders for Women A mother cannot submit the application on her own, even where she has day-to-day custody. If the father is deceased or unable to consent, the written permission of a court-appointed legal guardian takes his place.
Under the same Article 18, married women need written consent from their husband to obtain or renew a passport.4Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada. Iran: Exit and Entry Procedures at Airports and Land Borders for Women The consent is not a one-time step; fresh permission is needed for each renewal or replacement. In urgent cases where the husband’s consent cannot be obtained, a local prosecutor may grant permission within three days of the application. Widowed or divorced applicants should bring the death certificate or divorce decree so the office can record that the spousal-consent requirement no longer applies.
Filing Through Mikhak and Sending Your Package
The renewal starts online through Mikhak, Iran’s integrated consular services portal, at mikhak.mfa.gov.ir. You register the application there, upload digital copies of your documents, and receive a tracking code once the system accepts the submission. The portal is primarily in Farsi, so plan for help with the interface if you do not read Farsi comfortably.
Once you have the tracking code, send your physical documents to the consular office that serves you. For Iranian citizens in the United States, that is the Interests Section of the Islamic Republic of Iran in Washington, D.C., which operates under the Pakistani Embassy because the two countries do not maintain direct diplomatic relations. Some offices accept mailed submissions; others require a scheduled in-person visit. Include the Mikhak tracking code in your package so the office can match the paper file to your online registration.
Fees and Processing Time
Consular fees vary by service type, applicant age, and the office handling the request, and the schedules change. Confirm the current amount and accepted payment methods (money order, cashier’s check, or otherwise) directly with the office before you mail anything.
Once the office has a complete package and your payment, processing typically runs several weeks, though timelines are not guaranteed. The usual causes of delay are incomplete submissions, discrepancies between documents, and unresolved military service status for male applicants. Keep copies of everything you send and hold on to the Mikhak tracking code so you have a way to follow up if the file stalls.