Iran’s Ministry of Interior has issued new guidelines detailing exemptions from requirements to obtain three codes related to housing, legal services and health insurance for foreign nationals holding Amayesh cards and temporary residence cards.
According to the new directive, certain groups—including people who missed previous registration deadlines, people with disabilities and the elderly, female heads of household, some families covered by Iran’s Social Security system, and foreign nationals living in non-residential units—may be exempt from submitting one or more of the required codes if they provide the specified supporting documents.
As reported by IRAF, the directive states that foreign nationals whose Amayesh or temporary cards expired on September 22, 2025, and who are returning this year to complete the relevant procedures, do not need to obtain a Sana code.
People with disabilities and elderly individuals who are unable to obtain a Sana code may also be exempt, provided the exemption is confirmed by the relevant service office and the provincial Department of Foreign Nationals and Immigrants Affairs.
The directive also addresses female heads of household who have no male child over the age of 18 and are unable to pay health insurance costs. Provincial foreign nationals departments are required to submit the list of eligible individuals to the Ministry of Interior.
Exemptions from Insurance Codes
Under the directive, when a household head is covered by Iran’s Social Security insurance system but other family members are unable to register for health insurance through the system, only the household head’s Social Security insurance code will be required this year. Other members will not need to provide a health insurance code.
Children born during the current year who have not yet been issued a new card are also exempt from providing a health insurance code for this year only.
Exemptions from Housing Tracking Codes
The directive also sets out exceptions for one- or two-person households that share a residential unit with another family. In such cases, one family may obtain the housing tracking code, while the other family may register using the same code in the system.
Foreign nationals living in production, industrial or agricultural units who are unable to obtain a housing tracking code will also be exempt if they provide a certificate from their employer confirming that they reside at the workplace.
The same exemption applies to gardeners, caretakers and security guards living in non-residential units. They may proceed without a housing tracking code by submitting a certificate from the property owner confirming their residence at the location.
Foreign nationals serving as custodians of mosques or religious endowments and living in non-residential units may likewise be exempt from the housing tracking code requirement by providing a certificate from the mosque or endowment’s board of trustees.
Exceptions for Postal Codes, the Death of a Landlord and Informal Property Purchases
In areas—particularly some peripheral districts and villages—where the absence of a postal code prevents tenants from registering their residence through Iran’s Self-Writing rental system, a certificate from the local Islamic council may be submitted instead of a housing tracking code.
If a rental agreement cannot be registered through the Self-Writing system because the landlord has died, submission of the landlord’s death certificate will exempt the applicant from providing a housing tracking code.
For foreign nationals who have purchased a residential unit through an informal sale agreement and subsequently rented it to another foreign national, the latest agreement between the owner and tenant, along with a scanned copy uploaded to the system, will be sufficient to proceed without a housing tracking code.
Temporary Card 4 Holders
Under the final provision of the directive, holders of Temporary Card 4 are exempt from the requirements to provide Sana, insurance and housing registration codes.
Temporary Card 4 will not be delivered by post. Holders must collect the card in person from the relevant foreign nationals’ service office.
