Destination
Iran eSIM
Iran draws visitors to Isfahan mosques, Shiraz gardens, Yazd desert architecture and Tehran museum days. Mobile data helps with rial cash guidance, domestic flight changes and Persian-only menu translation on arrival. That is what NXTL is for. One eSIM for Iran and 180+ other destinations, billed per gigabyte as you go, with leftover balance that never expires. Connect through MCI when listed, keep your usual number for calls and bank texts, and skip buying plastic SIMs in Tehran or Isfahan.
Live pricing
Network rates in Iran
Rates are per gigabyte of usage from your balance — not the eSIM purchase price. By default the cheapest network tier is enabled, so your eSIM steers to the lowest available rates; you can still pick a network manually in the app if you prefer. Full pricing page
| Network | Technology | Rate per GB |
|---|---|---|
| MCI Lowest rate | 5G LTE | $9.05/GB |
By default, NXTL steers your eSIM to the cheapest available network tier. You can still pick a network manually in the app if you prefer.
Trip cost calculator
What will data cost you in Iran?
Your estimate
Pay-as-you-go: there is no daily allowance or data cap. You use what you need from your balance. Estimates use the selected network’s current per-GB rate; by default NXTL steers to the cheapest available network tier.
Data use
How much data do travellers actually use?
Light
Maps, messaging and email on the go
Moderate
Social apps, browsing and music streaming
Heavy
Video calls, HD streaming and hotspot use
Costs use the cheapest network tier, which is enabled by default on NXTL eSIMs and steers you to the lowest available rates. Actual usage varies by traveller.
Why NXTL here
What NXTL changes in Iran
5G where verified
A 5G badge appears only on networks we can reliably match to technology data — never a guess.
Keeps working across borders
The same eSIM and the same balance continue in neighbouring destinations — nothing to re-buy at the border.
Balance never expires
Whatever you don’t use stays in your account for the next trip. No validity clock.
5% back in Tokens
NXTL Rewards returns 5% of usage as Tokens you can redeem into spendable balance.
Connectivity guide
Staying connected in Iran
MCI, Irancell and Rightel cover cities and main highways on 4G; Lut Desert crossings, Alborz remote valleys and Caspian forest backroads can fade. Tehran metro has limited underground data. Check the network list above for Iran before you fly; it shows what is available right now, including options such as MCI.
There is no complicated Iran-only product to learn. NXTL is one global eSIM: the same profile you might use elsewhere works here on MCI when listed. Land, turn data on, and go — rates for Iran are shown live on this page because they can change.
Tourist SIMs are sold at Imam Khomeini airport with passport registration; activation includes a local number and data bundle. International cards do not roam into Iran, so a local or travel eSIM plan is required. That still makes sense if you will live in Tehran for months and need local calls. For a holiday or short work trip, most people only need data — and NXTL gives you that without the desk stop: install at home, keep your usual number for calls and bank texts, pay only for the gigabytes you use.
If Iran is one stop on a longer route, NXTL is built for that. Use data around Tehran and Isfahan, then keep the same balance wherever NXTL has coverage next. You are not locked into a single-country tourist pack.
Many global apps are restricted, so connectivity planning includes which messaging tools work before you leave the airport Wi-Fi. NXTL is built for that kind of Iran trip: data when you need it, without buying a new pack for every change of plan.
Local SIMs and roaming
Tourist SIMs are sold at Imam Khomeini airport with passport registration; activation includes a local number and data bundle. International cards do not roam into Iran, so a local or travel eSIM plan is required. Most holiday and business trips to Iran do not need a local number. NXTL covers the data side cleanly so you can spend time on the trip, not on SIM paperwork in Tehran.
Your options
Other ways to get data in Iran
An honest look at the alternatives — each has cases where it makes sense.
Roaming with your home plan
Zero setup, but daily roaming passes and out-of-bundle rates add up quickly on longer trips. Fine for a weekend; expensive for weeks.
Airport SIM counters
Available on arrival, but often with queues, ID registration and tourist pricing. An eSIM installed before you fly skips all of it.
Local prepaid SIM
Can be economical for month-long stays if you find a store and handle registration. For shorter trips, the time cost usually outweighs the saving.
Fixed-validity eSIM bundles
Simple upfront pricing, but unused gigabytes expire with the validity clock. NXTL is pay-as-you-go: your balance stays yours.
Multi-country travel
One balance continues across borders
Leaving Iran? The same eSIM and the same balance keep working at each destination’s own rate — no new SIM, no new bundle, no expiry.
Nearby destinations
Setup
Installed in minutes, ready before you land
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Buy the Global eSIM
Checkout takes a minute and the QR code arrives instantly by email.
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Install on Wi-Fi
Scan the QR code at home or at the airport — before the flight is easiest.
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Land connected
Enable the eSIM for data on arrival. Usage is billed per GB from your balance.
FAQ
Iran data questions, answered
Yes, where Iran is in NXTL coverage. Your phone connects to local networks listed on this page — often MCI — including everyday use in places like Tehran.
Rates for Iran are shown live on this page and on the pricing page because they change over time. NXTL is pay-as-you-go: you only pay for the data you use.
NXTL’s travel eSIM does not give you a local Iran phone number, so you skip the shop ID process that local prepaid SIMs usually need. Keep your usual number for calls and bank texts.
Install on Wi-Fi before you fly. Enable data after you land — for example at Imam Khomeini (IKA) — so you are not relying on airport Wi-Fi.
No. Credit left after Iran stays in your NXTL account with no expiry date, ready for later trips where NXTL has coverage.
Yes. The same NXTL eSIM and balance keep working in other covered countries, so Iran does not have to be a disposable tourist SIM.
A local SIM can be right for a long stay with lots of local calls. For most visits to Iran, NXTL is simpler: install before you travel, pay as you go, skip the desk, and keep leftover credit for the next country.
Ready for Iran?
Global eSIM $11.99 · includes $10.00 credit · balance never expires