SIM cards and Internet in Iran

It is really easy to stay connected and update while traveling to Iran. While you have access to free Wifi at most hotels, cafes, and restaurants, if you want to keep in touch out of these places, you can buy a budget-friendly Sim card. This post covers everything you need to know to buy a SIM card and stay online everywhere in Iran.

Operators in Iran

Hamrahe-Aval, Irancell and RighTel, and Taliya are 4 major GSM operators in Iran. Hamrahe-Aval (First Operator) is the first and governmental operator covers the whole country except some mountainous and hard to reach desert areas. the operator provides SMS, MMS, GPRS services. Irancell is the second largest one in Iran with a lot of varied services and good coverage all around Iran. The first two operators are the main and the best ones. here we tell you how to buy and use them in detail.

How to buy a SIM card?

You can buy both Hamrahe-Aval or Irancell prepaid SIM cards as your arrival to Imam Khomeini International Airport, if you want to enter through land borders you can buy it from official service centers, available in all cities. The only thing you need is to show your passport and visa to selling agents for registration.

A complete guide for Hamrahe-Aval Simcard

You can buy 2 types of price:

• 5000Toman- Prepaid SIM card has 500T credit, plus 5000T gift credit after the first recharge.
• 10000Toman-prepaid SIM card has 5000T credit, plus 5000T gift credit after the first recharge.

Hamrahe-Aval Simcard

How to recharge?

Credit vouchers are available in the newspaper booth or any local grocery stores. Vouchers vary from 1000T to 20000T plus %9 VAT. Dial *140*#15digit pin number# and press ok to recharge your Hamrahe-Aval SIM card.

You can get the recharge pin from ATM or use mobile apps, but unfortunately, they work only with Iranian bank’s credit cards. If you need a recharge pin but have not accessed to stores, ask a local to send a recharge credit to your number and pay in cash. Prices are the same.

How to get Notrino Internet settings on a cell phone?

You can get the settings in several ways:

1- Send the type and model of your cell phone via SMS to 8008

2- Send the Serial No. of cell phone via SMS to 8008(To receive the Serial No. dial USSD Code *#06#)

3- Visit MCI website, the activation menu for Notrino Internet.

4- Manual settings:

For Android phones, follow these steps:

Settings-> wireless and networks-> mobile networks-> Access Point Names->

Then, in the name field, type mci-Notrino, and in the APN field, type mcinet.

Make sure nothing is written in the proxy field.

For IOS phones, follow these steps:

General ->Cellular ->Cellular Data Network -> -> Settings

Type mcinet in the APN field

Make sure nothing is written in the proxy field.

How to buy and active data packages?      

New prepaid Sim card subscribers receive 800MB welcome internet after the first activation that is valid for 1week. Hamrahe-Aval offers varied data packages include of 1day,1week, 1month, 3month, 6month and 1year long. There are different ways (*1#, *10#, *100#, *1000#, SMS 8080, SMS 10, website, “MY MCI” application and IVR.) to active data packs.

Follow the instruction below to check and active data packages via *1# command code.

1. Dial *1#, choose No.5 or directly dial *1*5#.
2. Choose your desired package.
3. Enter the phone number (you can enter someone else phone number to send a data package for him/her).

After these steps, data package information will send to the number and you can start surfing.

Daily and weekly packages will not be activated automatically after the expiration date and you have to follow the steps again. To cancel the auto-renewal, you should dial *100*8# or send 8 via SMS to 8080. You can easily turn on phone data to connect to the internet if you don’t want to buy a data package, but the prices are much more.

A complete guide for MTN Irancell Simcard

You can buy an Irancell Simcard at the price of 5000Toman postpaid SIM card plus initial credit include 1GB internet, 1000 SMS and 1000min free airtime (between Irancell subscribers).

How to recharge?

Credit vouchers are available everywhere in stores, via apps, ATM and news booth. Fees varied from 1000T to 20000T plus 9% VAT. Dial*141*digit pin# then press ok to top up your SIM. Another way is to dial *555#, three times choose 1 in the menu, enter the pin. credit will be sent via SMS to your phone.

Irancell 4G Simcard

How to buy and active data packages?

New subscribers receive 1GB free welcome internet as they active the SIM card. there are varied data packages includes of daily, weekly, monthly, 3days, 15days, hourly and multifunction options.

If you want to buy a data package, follow the instruction below:

Dial *555#, enter 5, choose the desired package, enter the phone number, pay via your phone credit. activation SMS will send to your phone.

Set up your mobile or tablet internet for Irancell subscribers

While most phones and tablets will be automatically set up, the following are some tips, if you can’t handle it.

Android 4 & newer versions 

1. Menu, apps, setting, more, mobile networks,
2. Data-enabled, access point names, new APN
3. Set Name as (Irancell-GPRS) and APN (mtn-irancell), save changes and back to mobile network setting tab again and set the network mode on (WCDMA/GSM).

IOS systems

1. Menu, settings, cellular (turn it on)
2. Cellular data options, voice & data, choose LTE to access to 4G internet.

SIM cards expiration rules

Your prepaid SIM card will be expired in 3months, if you don’t use it again, after the first call and your credit stay below 500T in 3months.