To help fellow travelers with the Ferry from Dubai to Iran (it departs from Sharjah to be precise and arrives in Bandar Abbas), we collected the ferry information and custom process. Please leave a comment if you have any questions or if you want to add your information. It’s a lot of steps, but that’s mainly because of the custom process in Iran 😉
When you enter the Middle East from Africa, you may also want to read our travel information about the ferry crossing from Sudan to Saudi Arabia.
How to get tickets for Dubai to Iran ferry
We bought our tickets directly from the ferry office Valfajr. Fixed prices which you can book through their office Al Hili Marine Service. Check schedule with them as this can change due to holiday’s.
Location ferry office to get tickets:
AL HILI MARINE SERVICES LLC
GROUND FLOOR, IKHLAS TOWER
AL KHAN AREA, SHARJAH.UAE.
Coordinates: 25.329375, 55.367409
Open in Google Streetview
Tel: 0097165288575
Ferry prices and information
Last update: august 2016
- The ferry from Dubai to Iran sails on Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday from Sharjah (next to Dubai) to Bandar Abbas in iran.
- Tickets can be booked a day before departure
- Ticket for passenger – AED 300 + 35 for immigration fee ($90,-)
- Ticket for car (Toyota LandCruiser) AED 1.935 ($ 510,-) (Including all handling fee and documentation charges in port Sharjah
Practical on board ferry info
You can drive your car on the ferry yourself. During the trip you can go to your car and sleep in it if you like. (Because of the summer temperature we stuck to the aircon deck of the ferry;-)
- Departure time around 9 pm but you have to bring your car around 3 pm and start customs at 12 pm. Long wait at the port so make sure you have enough food, water and a book!
- Ferry from Dubai to Iran takes around 11 hours
- Woman: You need to wear you headscarf on the ferry!
- You get a meal and breakfast on the ferry (included)
- In Iran you can drive your car off the ferry, but you have to park it in the custom section and come back to the ferry. It can take a long time before you are reunited with your car, so take everything you need for the coming 4-6 hours;-)
- You have to hand in your passport before leaving the ferry and will get it back at customs after a nice interview and some paperwork.
Fixer: We didn’t use a fixer in Iran to get our car out of customs. The port can call somebody if you like (ask at immigrations), but for a crazy price of $ 100,- we decided to do the process ourselves. You need to be patient, but the people in Iran are friendly so everybody will try to help and send you to the right office.
Get your car back from customs in Iran
Advice: You need a lot of copies (passport driver, carnet ect). There is a place in between the arrival area and the custom building were you can make copies. If you smile they accept dollar notes
Step 1: Obtain a delivery order for your car
- This building is located 4 km out of port! Coordinates: 27.165667, 56.229665
- Ask around were you can find this building and somebody will bring you. If you need a taxi and already have local money it should be around 25.000 Rial ($ 0,70)
- Ask for Zaku on the second floor. He needs a copy of drivers passport and the shipping bill. He will prepare the papers which are needed for your second desk;-)
- Continue to ground level and go to the left desk. You have to pay the handling fees for the port of Iran. Amount depends on the bill, but should be for a similar car around $ 40,- Pay in Iran Rial
- There is a bank next to this building were you can change money (they will give you the black market rate).
- You will receive the proof of payment from a different desk and with everything stamped you should have a total package existed out of:
- Copy passport
- Copy shipping bill
- Original shipping bill
- Delivery order
- Declaration
- Proof of payment
The next person will make sure you have all the stamps and you are ready to go back to the port to continue the custom process;-)
Step 2: Back in Port: Go to Customs building
- Coordinates: 27.154376, 56.204667
- Building next to Arrival hall. The will ask for:
- 2x copy of passport driver
- 1x copy of Visa and entree stamp
- 2x form (provided by them)
- Delivery order
- Carnet de passage
- Customs will check the car with you and return to custom building to stamp your carnet
- The probably write on the back that you need Iran number plates. Just tell them you will organize this at the police station. Don’t bother about it, all the officials we met told us you don’t need it anymore.
- Don’t pay for a Diesel card. It costs a lot of money and you can get diesel everywhere without the card. They didn’t tell us to get it, but we spoke with people who had to buy it (mostly land borders).
Step 3: Get another stamp
- Coordinates 27.153743, 56.204202
- They need to see the carnet and will make a copy of the carnet with stamp
- Pay 350.000 rial ($10,-) and make sure you get the receipt, you need this for your final step;-)
Step 4: Get a temporary permit to enter the customs area at port
- You need to show this permit at the security gate for entering the restricted custom area were the car is parked.
- You can get this permet at the little office in between the main building and the Custom building. Around coordinates 27.154443, 56.204305
- They keep one passport as a deposit
Step 5: Find your car and go to shed 4
- Find your car inside the customs area. Take your car and go to shed 4 (yes this is the custom building in the port restricted area)
- Coordinates: 27.149113, 56.202818
- They need a copy of your carnet with the stamp and will make a new document to add to your collection of papers;-) If they want to check your car they will do it at this place.
Step 6: Drive through security checks.
- The first security check is from the custom area (they check if you have all the papers).
- Bring back the temporary permit and receive your passport
- Go to the last security check and hand in your collection of papers with stamps.
Step 7: Welcome to Iran and enjoy this beautiful country with lovely people!
Share your thoughts, comment bellow
If you have any questions about the ferry crossing or about the custom proces, don’t hesitate leave your comment below. Also if you any information to add to this page, or you just want to share your thoughts, please leave a comment bellow!
Get an impression of Iran
If you want to see or read about how we experienced our travel trough Iran, please read our blog posts. The first part is about the southern part of Iran, the second part is about the northern part of Iran including Theran.
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Henrik krabbe
Great description, highly appreciated as I plan to drive from Dubai (through) Iran to Denmark this June 2019 with my two daughters. Thanks.
Wilfred Hinneh
Ferry your doing a very great job,l really enjoy all that your doing.
Please l have a question to ask,please can l get all the information’s on your tickets from Sudan — Saudi Arabia and from Saudi Arabia — Iran
l’m in Ghana planing to take that trip and everything that l can use to contact you please
Thank You
Adil
Hello sir! I want to buy a car in Dubai and drive it myself to azerbaijan. We border on Iran. Tell me it is possible? Thanks
Roel
Hello Adil, I’m not sure. We had no problems with a car from Holland.
Helmut
We bought a Jaguar in UAE in 2011 und drive throu Saudi arabita with it to , Jorden and Syria und from there with a ferry to Italy
Mehrdad Ghassemasad
Hi.
I am Mehrdad, Iranian nationality and lives in Dubai for 21 years, I would like to quairy to ship my own vehicle to Iran for 20 days on march 2020, please I need the information and documents I should provide and please note my car in GMC American car, am I allowed?
Appreciated your priceless helps.
Roel
Hi Mehrdad, please contact AL HILI MARINE SERVICES LLC. We are not a shipping company. We are a travel blog.
Sebastien
Awesome information, thank you very much for all the details. Can you please elaborate on the process of getting a visa? What kind of prior planning were required and what documents were needed to successfully transit from Dubai to Iran via ferry. I’m told that even if I’m eligible for visa on arrival, I won’t be able to obtain the visa at the port. Thanks in adavance!
Roel
Hi Sebastien, thanks! We arranged the Visa in Brussel, Belgium. The process was pretty straightforward. Check the ambassy where you want to apply for the visa for document requirements. I don’t know about the visa on arrival. Cheers
Michael Hegarty
This is a great help for me. I am planning to ride my motorcycle back to the UK from Dubai next year and this sounds like the way to go rather than Saudi – Jordan. Google maps says it is about 30 hours from Dubai to Istanbul but I will have no time constraints as I will be retired by then. How safe did you find Iran and how are the roads. Many thanks.
Ericus Steyn
Do you know if you can enter Iran without a carnet for your car? Through Africa we only get a Tip using our car owners papers.
Roel
Hi, I’m sorry I don’t know. We entered Iran on a carnet.
Faisal Albloshi
Hi ferry I’m Faisal from Oman I want to go Iran with my car and my car is Toyota Corolla 2017 model please if you tell me about car shipping price
Faisal Albaloshi
And please also tell how much time I can’t get my car from the customer of Iran can you tell me about the timing what kind of paper do you need for a Omani Car
aamir
Ticket for car (Toyota LandCruiser) AED 1.935 ($ 510,-) (Including all handling fee and documentation charges in port Sharjah
this one way charges ya round trip charge?
Roel
This is what we paid for a one way trip.
Maurizio
Hallo, I wold like to know if is there a ferry boat from Iran to Dubai, now. Thank you.
Roel
Hi, please contact the shipping agency.
Genia
Could you please inform me, I would like to take my dog and my car to Iran to travel from there by car. Is it possible to bring my dog on the ferry as well? And come back ?
Roel
Hi, I’m sorry I don’t know. Best to contact the ferry company. Good luck.
Zeki Yilmaz
Hi Roel,
Thanks for the priceless tips and deeply detailed explanations. That would really helped me a lot to figure how many days I will have to plan for my trip to hometown (Istanbul) and return via same route.
I’m so clear about not to depend on duration on Google Maps (42-44hrs) from Bandar Abbas to Istanbul 😉 6-9 hour decking/custom, 11 hours sailing, 4-6 hour custom clearance. So we will require more or less continuous 70 hours. This means it will take minimum 6-7 days with stopovers for rest and some discoveries for point of interest 🙂
Do you have any idea regarding camper trailer? Is it easy to clear on customs etc?
I will try contact shipping company for fees of both SUV and Trailer.
Thanks again, and happy travels.
Regards,
Zeki
Roel
Hi Zeki,
Thanks for your comment!
About your question, I’m sorry, our information is from 2016 and therefore outdated. A lot has changed since then. It is better to look for more recent information on this particular question.
Cheers