Recognition of Foreign Divorce in Iran

Please note that **a divorce decree issued outside Iran must be recognized and validated by Iranian courts**.
Therefore, when obtaining a divorce abroad, it is essential to take the necessary steps for **its registration in Iran** and for **settlement of financial rights** in accordance with the Iranian marriage contract (*Aghd Nameh*) and Iranian law.

Failure to register a foreign divorce in Iran may cause serious legal complications for both spouses, including:

* Unresolved financial rights** such as *dowry (mehrieh)*, *alimony (nafaqah)*, and *compensation for domestic services (ojrat ol-mesl)* may result in **travel bans**, **detention of the husband**, or **seizure of his assets and bank accounts**.
*(Under Iranian law, divorce cannot be registered unless the wife’s financial rights are paid or she consents to waive them.)*

* In the event of the **death of either spouse**, as long as the divorce has not been registered in Iran, **they continue to inherit from one another**.

* The **wife may face difficulties in leaving the country**, since her husband’s permission is required for international travel.

*Neither spouse** is legally permitted to **remarry** until the divorce is officially registered in Iran.

If you have already divorced abroad and wish to **register your divorce in Iran**, you must obtain a **validation order (tenfiz-e talaq)** from an Iranian court.
However, this process often faces challenges because **religious requirements** — such as the presence of **two male witnesses** at the time of divorce — are not met in most foreign divorces.
In such cases, **alternative legal procedures** must be pursued.

You can review two examples of **successful divorce cases** finalized by **Attorney Ms. Marjan Ebrahimi**:

*Case One:** The divorce was initiated by the husband, who was unable to pay the full *mehrieh*. A **court order of financial hardship (Esa’ar)** was obtained, allowing the *mehrieh* to be paid in installments, after which the divorce was registered in the civil registry.

*Case Two:** The wife’s *mehrieh* was collected through **the Registration Enforcement Office (Ejra-ye Sabt)**, and the divorce decree was subsequently issued and registered.