Overview

Iran has long paved road system linking most of its towns and all of its cities. In 2016 the country had 221,000 km (137,323) of roads, of which 73% were paved. Based on the same report, 45.9% of Iran’s main roads have good condition, 51% have medium quality and 0.82% are in excellent condition.  North and east side of Iran, due to the population concentration have a more well covered road paths. On the central and east side of the Iran, due to the central deserts and population dispersion, the road systems are less developed.

Iran Road Maintenance & Transportation Organization, under the supervision of Ministry of Roads and Urban development of Iran is responsible for construction, maintenance and development of Iran roads and also to develop the rules and regulations related to the road transportations either for domestic movements or international transits. This organisation is also issues the work licenses for Iranian road transporters and movement licenses for international transporters. This organisation is also responsible for implementing the international road conventions such as TIR Carnet and CMR.

For more information on government contact details, please see the following link: 4.1 Government Contact List.

Distance Matrix

Road Security

The road condition and security are at good level. The roads are maintained and supervised by the Ministry of Road and Transportation. There are speed control cameras set up on roads especially on the highways. The traffic police officers patrolling 24/7. There are security check points on the roads between most cities and villages.

Weighbridges and Axle Load Limits

The movement of vehicles whose dimensions and weights, without load, or after loading the cargo, exceed at least one of the following dimensions or weights, are subject to the provisions of the heavy load traffic instruction, and for their movement, a pass must be issued. Such vehicles are referred as traffic vehicles and their consignments will be considered as traffic consignments, and companies that have the necessary licenses for undertaking the transportation of such consignments are called traffic transport companies.

1. Width: 60/2 meters (two meters sixty centimeters)
2. Height: 50/4 meters (four and a half meters)
3. Length:
   1. Two-axle truck 10 meters (ten meters)
   2. Truck with a towbar of 12 meters (twelve meters)
   3. Axle trailer with more than 16/50 meters (sixteen and a half meters)
4. Weight: 40 tons

Note: In some country’s roads, due to existing obstacles, the height restrictions might be less than 4.50 meters, in such cases the movement of vehicles with a height of less than 4.50 meters in the above axes are also subject to the provisions of this instruction.

Note: The maximum amount of cargo back protrusion from the centre of the last axis of the vehicle, in trucks, is 3 meters, and in trailers, 5 meters, the maximum amount of cargo side protrusion from the centre of the first axis of the vehicle is 1.50 meters. Under any circumstances, vehicles with a side protrusion or back protrusion of more than the above values are not allowed to travel on the roads of the country.

International transporters, which move traffic cargo, if they do not have a heavy traffic transport license, are obliged to transport the cargo in the territory of Iran in cooperation with a local traffic transport company that has the necessary license. In this case, an internal bill of lading is not required.

Traffic companies are required to check the transit route and existing weight and height restrictions, as well as the latest changes made to this instruction, and the weight and height restrictions, which are available on the website, before issuing a transit permit for the movement of traffic cargo. The transportation organization and terminals of the country will be updated, or through the general administrations, and the transportation organizations of the provincial terminals will be announced.

Permitted hours for traffic vehicles are from half an hour after sunrise to half an hour before sunset. Therefore, traffic transport companies should adjust the travel schedule of vehicles, with the exact time of departure, in different parts of the country, as well as in different months of the year, so that they stop at the right times and at specific stops. In the direction specified for movement.

Traffic companies can operate in cities where traffic is restricted during the day, or in villages where the movement of vehicles is dangerous due to crossing bridges, or the like, during the night, between 12 noon and midnight. 5 in the morning, cross the area.

Iran has a total area of 1,648,195 km² including 30 provinces. All provinces, capital and main cities, villages and urban areas are connected via roads. Iran roads are also connected to international roads via different borders at north, west and east of country. In total there are 83,485 km including main roads, highways, freeways and access roads. Besides, there are about 140,000 km inner-town and suburb roads.  

All freeways and highways are asphalted and surfaces are in good condition. Road marking and guard rails are under maintenance and supervision of Ministry of Roads & Construction. Other main roads are also asphalted, marking and guardrails are in good conditions as well as routine maintenances of surface and accessories. All roads are under control of Traffic Police and security wise are under control of Security Police Force. Around 28,000 km of inner-town and suburb roads are not asphalted but the surface condition is good and all are accessible for small trucks and vehicles.  

In all highways, main roads and freeways the rules of speed control is under supervision of traffic police and all highways and freeways are equipped with speed-cameras. All trucks, transit trailers are equipped to GPS so that it is possible for traffic police to control location and speed of transit trucks.  

Bridges 

Ghotour Bridge is a railway bridge in Khoy County, West Azarbaijan Province, Iran, over the Ghotour River. It is an arch bridge, was completed in 1970, and has a length of 442.9 m (1453 ft.) with the largest span being 223.1 m (732 ft.) The Veresk Bridge (Varisk) is located in Veresk District of Savad Kooh County, in Mazandaran province. The bridge stands at 110 m (360 ft) tall and its arch measures 66 m (217 ft) long. The bridge is serving the Trans-Iranian Railway network in Northern Iran. Band-e Kaisar, Felezi Bridge, Ghari Bridge, Joui Bridge, Khaju Bridge, Khodaafarin Bridges, Pol Sangi, Qarah Soo Bridge, Shahrestan bridge, Si-o-se Pol, Urmia Lake Bridge, Vahid Bridge.

International Corridors Leading to the Country 

Russia, Iran and India signed an agreement laying out a vision for a North-South Transport Corridor. The corridor stretches from ports in India across the Arabian Sea to the southern Iranian port of Bandar Abbas, where goods then transit Iran and the Caspian Sea to ports in Russia’s sector of the Caspian. From there, the route stretches along the Volga River via Moscow to northern Europe. 

Officially opened in 2000 by Russian, Iranian and Indian representatives, the transport corridor (ITC) South - North connects the European community countries via Russia - Iran - India to the South and Southeast Asia states and the Middle East. ITC is a combined railway - waterway route passing through: port Mumbai (India) - Arabian sea port Bandar-Abbas (Iran), further through the Iranian soil to the Caspian port of Enzeli (Iran) – across the Caspian sea to port Olya (Astrakhan, Russia) – by Volga-Baltic system of the rivers and channels to river ports of Moscow and seaport in Saint Petersburg (Baltic sea) or port Murmansk (Kola Gulf), and further to the Western Europe. 

Customs Clearance

For more information on customs in Iran, please see the following link: 1.3 Iran Customs Information.