Iran’s Ministry of Education has announced that foreign children holding valid documents issued by the Ministry of Interior’s Center for Foreign Nationals and Immigrants Affairs can apply for school enrollment alongside Iranian students.
As reported by IRAF, under the announced guidelines, foreign families must first obtain an appointment through the Kanoon Nobat system at kanoonnobat.ir before beginning the enrollment process. They must then obtain the required referral letter from the relevant authority.
Families living in areas designated as permitted for foreign nationals must visit kefalat offices to obtain the referral letter. Those residing in unauthorized or prohibited areas must instead contact the provincial offices of BAFIA.
Once the referral letter has been issued, students can apply for enrollment at the nearest school within their residential area, subject to available capacity.
Students are also required to complete the necessary assessments, including health and school-readiness evaluations. This requirement is particularly important for children entering the first grade of primary school.
If families encounter problems while obtaining an appointment through the Kanoon Nobat system, they are advised to contact the education office in the relevant district.
Enrollment Period for Foreign Students
According to the Ministry of Education, foreign students holding referral letters issued by the Center for Foreign Nationals and Immigrants Affairs can visit schools and apply for enrollment at the same time as Iranian students.
The guidelines state that any voluntary financial contributions collected from foreign students must be the same as those collected from Iranian students.
Schools are not authorized to enroll foreign students on the basis of letters issued by organizations other than the provincial offices of the Bureau for Aliens and Foreign Immigrants Affairs or kefalat offices. A valid referral letter from the designated authorities will serve as the basis for enrollment.
Preschool children must also have a unique identification number to take part in the school-readiness assessment.
Under the guidelines, children of Iranian mothers and holders of special residence permits are exempt from restrictions applying to prohibited areas.
