How to Send Money To/From Iran

Updated October 2026

For U.S. persons, in most cases no longer without a specific license. Until August 2026, 31 CFR § 560.550 authorized noncommercial, personal remittances to and from Iran — family support sent through a U.S. bank and a third-country bank, or funds carried by the sender personally. On August 24, 2026, OFAC’s final rule, effective August 24, 2026 stayed that authorization indefinitely, so new family transfers, gifts and support payments to or from Iran are no longer covered by a general license. A short wind-down license, General License BB, allowed only transfers that were already in progress to be completed, and it expired on September 8, 2026.

Getting an individual (specific) license has also become harder: since September 10, 2026, OFAC reviews Iran-related license applications with a presumption of denial, except where the law requires otherwise or where there is a risk to life, limb or environmental safety, which the applicant must attest to in writing.

These rules bind U.S. citizens and permanent residents wherever they are, anyone in the United States and U.S. companies. Under 31 CFR § 560.215, foreign entities owned or controlled by U.S. persons are also bound. Non-U.S. persons outside the United States are not directly bound by them, but any transfer that touches a U.S. bank or U.S. dollars is caught, and many non-U.S. banks and payment services refuse Iran-related payments altogether.

A wire transfer from or through the United States to Iran is prohibited unless a license authorizes it. Iranian banks are blocked: under 31 CFR § 560.211, property in which the Government of Iran or an Iranian financial institution has an interest is blocked, and U.S. banks must block or reject such transfers. Routing the payment through a bank in Turkey, the UAE or Europe does not make it lawful for a U.S. person: sending funds to Iran indirectly through a third country is treated the same as sending them directly.

Before August 2026, a family remittance could be processed this way under § 560.550. Now a U.S. bank needs to see a specific license before it processes the payment. Banks also apply their own risk policies, and many will not process Iran-related payments even when a license exists.

Informal value transfer systems such as hawala, unlicensed exchange houses and “friends abroad” arrangements are not a lawful substitute. For a U.S. person they amount to an unauthorized transfer to Iran, and splitting or disguising payments to avoid bank checks can be treated as sanctions evasion, which carries criminal exposure. U.S. money transmitters and payment apps generally list Iran among prohibited countries in their terms of service.

Money coming from Iran is subject to the same rules. Section 560.543 authorizes individuals who are U.S. persons to sell real and personal property in Iran that they acquired before becoming U.S. persons or inherited from persons in Iran, and to transfer the proceeds to the United States; it does not cover winding down a business in Iran or reinvesting the proceeds there. It was not among the provisions stayed in August 2026, but banks review these transfers closely and the status should be checked before funds move. For inherited assets, see our guide to Iran inheritance and OFAC licensing.

Transfers completed before August 24, 2026 under § 560.550 were authorized when made, and those in progress could be completed until September 8, 2026 under General License BB. A transfer made after that without a license may be a violation. Civil penalties under IEEPA reach $377,700 per violation or twice the value of the transaction, and willful violations can lead to criminal fines of up to $1 million and up to 20 years in prison. If a transfer may have violated the rules, a voluntary self-disclosure to OFAC is a significant mitigating factor.

If a bank stopped your payment, a sanctions lawyer can establish whether it was blocked or rejected, deal with the bank, prepare a license application to release blocked funds and set up a documented process for future payments. See also how blocked funds are released.