Iran and the United States have had no diplomatic relations since 1980, so there is no Iranian embassy or consulate here. Consular services are provided by the Iranian Interests Section, which operates inside the Embassy of Pakistan in Washington under the Algiers Accords of 1981. One office, for the whole country — and for Canada as well.
Quick facts
Nothing can be filed without a Mikhak reference number. Mikhak is the foreign ministry’s compulsory online portal for Iranians abroad: you register with your national identity number and your current address abroad, and you receive a reference number that must appear on the forms. Applications without one are rejected.
What you need
| Item | Requirement | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Mikhak reference | Compulsory | Obtained online before anything else |
| Current or expired passport | Original plus a copy of the photo page | Both if you have two |
| Birth certificate | Original | Must carry a photo for anyone over 15 |
| National identity card | Original and copy | Where you hold one |
| Men of conscription age | Service completion or exemption card | Without it the file stops |
| Return postage | Prepaid envelope with tracking | Your documents travel |
The photo requirement on the birth certificate catches people out: for anyone over fifteen, a birth certificate without a photograph is not accepted, and having one added is done in Iran.
How to apply
- Register on the Mikhak portal with your Iranian national identity number and your U.S. address.
- Select the passport service and complete the online forms.
- Note the reference number, which must appear on the paperwork.
- Gather the originals, the photographs to Iranian specification and proof of your lawful status here.
- For men of conscription age, resolve the military documentation first.
- Send the package to the Interests Section with a prepaid tracked return envelope, or attend in person.
Required documents
- Mikhak reference number.
- Current or expired Iranian passport, original and photocopy of the photo page.
- Original birth certificate, with photo if you are over 15.
- National identity card, original and copy.
- Two recent photographs on a white background.
- Proof of lawful status in the United States, including a U.S. passport for dual nationals.
Where to apply
At the Iranian Interests Section in Washington, the only Iranian consular office in the United States.
Additional notes
It serves Canada too
There is no Iranian mission in Canada either, so Iranians there file through the same Washington office. Expect the workload to show in the timetables.
Send everything tracked
Original birth certificates and passports travel by post. Use a tracked service in both directions and keep copies and scans of everything first.
Beware of intermediaries
Because there is one office and no local counter, a whole industry of agents has grown around these procedures. The Mikhak portal is the official channel and no agent has privileged access to it.
Before you renew, read the citizenship page
If you also hold U.S. citizenship, there are consequences worth understanding before you obtain or renew an Iranian passport.