Iran Bans International Students from Recruiting Foreign Students
Iran’s Student Affairs Organization, affiliated with the Ministry of Science, Research and Technology, has prohibited international students from engaging in any activity to recruit or attract non-Iranian students to study at Iranian universities and educational institutions.
The decision follows approval by the Admissions Working Group of the Supreme Council for Planning and Managing Non-Iranian Student Affairs, issued on 17 Aban 1405 (8 November 2026). It stipulates that international students may not recruit foreign students or represent institutions operating in this field.
Under the decision, institutions licensed to recruit international students are also prohibited from issuing letters of representation or authorization to international students. Iranian universities must likewise refrain from accepting any form of cooperation with students identified as representatives of these institutions.
Legal Restrictions on Foreign Students’ Work in Iran
This policy is based on the regulations governing foreign nationals’ employment in Iran. A student residence permit does not automatically grant an international student the right to work. Under the announced regulations, foreigners may work in Iran only if they meet the legal requirements and obtain the necessary work visa and permit.
Accordingly, international students in Iran on student visas are not permitted to engage unlawfully in professional or commercial activities. Their student status or educational residence cannot be regarded as a legal basis for working in marketing, recruitment, or institutional representation.
The new decision aims to regulate the activities of institutions involved in recruiting international students, establish the legal framework for cooperation between them and universities, and prevent international students from performing representative or professional roles in this sector without meeting the legal requirements.
Issuing authority:
Student Affairs Organization of Iran’s Ministry of Science, Research and Technology – General Directorate for International Student Affairs – Department of International Student Recruitment Institutions.