Paying for treatment in Iran when your cards won't work

Bank cards issued outside Iran don't work there. The UK government's travel advice says non-Iranian debit and cash cards "will not work in Iran", and that getting cash is extremely difficult. So a treatment trip needs a payment plan before you leave: how the hospital wants to be paid, in which currency, and how you'll cover accommodation and daily costs. This guide sets out what official sources say and the questions to settle in advance.

What works and what doesn't

One more official detail: if you get a visa on arrival, Iran's Foreign Ministry says the fee is paid in euros at bank terminals in the airport. See the Iran medical visa guide for whether that route applies to you.

Paying the hospital

The medical part is usually the largest payment, so settle it first. Ask the hospital's international patient department, in writing:

• Currency. Which currency do they accept from international patients, and at what exchange rate?
• How. Cash on arrival, a bank transfer, or another method? If a transfer, from which countries and banks has it worked before?
• When. Is a deposit needed before you travel? What is due on admission, and what after?
• What it covers. Get an itemized quote: surgeon, anaesthesia, facility, tests, medication and follow-up visits.
• Refunds. What happens to a deposit if the doctor changes the date, or the operation doesn't go ahead?
• Receipts. Ask for an official, itemized receipt for everything you pay. You may need it for your insurer, or if a complication needs treatment after you're home.

Prepaid "tourist cards"

Some commercial services in Iran advertise prepaid cards for visitors, loaded with foreign currency and spent in rials. We haven't verified any of these products against an official source, so we don't recommend one. If you are considering a card, ask who issues it, what fees apply, and how you get unused money back before you leave.

Your own country's rules and your bank

Many countries apply sanctions to Iran. In the United States, for example, the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) administers a comprehensive Iran sanctions programme. Whether a payment you plan is allowed, and whether your bank will process it, depends on your nationality, where you live and your bank. Ask your bank before you rely on a transfer. If you are unsure whether a payment is lawful for you, get legal advice. We can't advise on that.

Budget for the whole trip, not just the operation

Payments in Iran usually go beyond the hospital bill:

• accommodation for your recovery stay;
• local transport and an interpreter, if they aren't in a quote you have already paid;
• the visa fee, if you get a visa on arrival;
• meals, medication and daily costs;
• a contingency in case your surgeon asks you to stay longer.

On insurance: ask your insurer in writing what your policy covers for treatment in Iran, and for a problem after it. Our Iran guide for international patients covers staying in touch while you are there.

How Sahleva's quotes help

Every Sahleva case gets three separate quotes: medical, coordination and travel. Each shows its currency, line items, terms and how long it is valid. That tells you what you owe, to whom, and for what, before you decide how to carry or transfer the money. The rhinoplasty cost guide shows how the three parts fit together, and the hair transplant cost guide and liposuction and tummy tuck cost guide do the same for those procedures, as do the cost guides for an eyebrow transplant, a facelift, chin liposuction, a lip lift, breast augmentation and a breast lift. Dental implants usually mean two trips, so our dental implant cost guide also covers paying for each trip. What we coordinate lists what a coordination quote covers, and how it works shows when the quotes arrive in your case.