Is Alcohol legal in Iran?
- Legal status
- Prohibited — alcohol (ethanol) consumption is a hadd crime under the Islamic Penal Code; Article 265 sets 80 lashes for a Muslim who drinks alcohol. Christians and recognised religious minorities are exempt.
- Consequences if caught
- Drinking or selling alcohol brings flogging (80 lashes — a hudud corporal penalty), fines and imprisonment; a third/fourth conviction can, in law, escalate to the death penalty, but the ordinary penalty is corporal.
- If prescribed or medical
- n/a — a beverage, not a medicine.
- Documentation
- No legal sale; a large black market operates at high risk. Recognised religious minorities may produce limited alcohol for private religious use; travellers may not import it.
Drug laws and enforcement change and vary within a country. This is not legal advice. Always confirm with Iran’s embassy or official drug authority before traveling; penalties can be severe, including imprisonment.
Before you travel
Verify current rules with the destination country’s official drug authority and your own country’s embassy before traveling. Find the destination’s U.S. embassy & official country guidance →
Non-U.S. travelers: check your own government’s travel advisory and embassy.
If you’re detained or arrested abroad
Contact your own country’s embassy or consulate in the destination immediately — not the destination’s authorities. U.S. citizens: contact the nearest U.S. embassy/consulate and the U.S. State Department at +1-202-501-4444 (from abroad). If a U.S. citizen is arrested or detained abroad →