Some local information

Here is some useful information that would be better to know them before you leave your country.

Important facts:

Please read these notes carefully:

• Hijab is obligational for ladies(I'll write about definition and details in another post)
• Bring your expenses in cash, there is NOT international banks/ATMs available.
• Some websites including social networks are blocked
• Showing affection in public places is not common
• Any kind of liquor is strongly forbidden
• It is not recommended to carry gambling stuff(even cards, yeah, regular cards!)

Phone numbers:

Police: 110 OR 911
Call based yellow pages: 118
Road information: 141

Cell phone operators:

Asking for your identity card or passport is obligational so possessing yours is a must. After taking the SIM, you need to activate it so follow the instructions on the package or ask the agent to do it for you. Keep the whole package with you because any further official request will be taking place just if you represent the package. You can also buy the SIM from cell phone shops but it is not recommended. For official purchase, some offices in the airport and some metro stations are giving services. 

Irancell www.irancell.ir Good customer service, Buy one SIM and get another as gift
MCI www.mci.ir Low service prices
Rightel www.rightel.ir Good internet access

Currency:

The official Iranian currency is Rials and notes are five, ten, twenty, fifty and hundred thousands Rials.  Sometimes you might get confused because of that much zeros on notes but the most confusing thing is calling them with one zero less and another currency name. For example, people call the ten thousand Rials, one thousand Toman. You should erase a zero and you get Toman.

10 thousand rials=1 thousand toman
20 thousand rial=2 thousand toman
50 thousand rial=5 thousand toman
The note is the same just people call it differently.

Calendar:

The Persian calendar is the official calendar of Iran. Dates in the Persian calendar start from the year when Islam’s prophet migrated from Mecca to Medina, which corresponds to 622 C.E. For example, the date March 21, 2012 C.E. corresponds to the first day of the month of Farvardeen in the year 1391. The Persian calendar is based on a solar year and is approximately 365 days long. The new year marks the first day of the month of Farvardeen, which is the first day of spring. Attention: Always dates are written in this pattern: yyyy/mm/dd

Weekend is Friday and most of offices are off on Thursday too. So please be careful about your cash money in Rials because exchanges do NOT work 24/7.

 

Safe trip, have fun