English exams vanish from Iran, forcing students to pay for travel

Iranian students and job seekers now face high travel expenses and strict administrative barriers as international English proficiency tests have disappeared from the domestic market. The absence of local testing centers has forced applicants to seek out overseas venues, a shift that has increased the financial burden for working families and complicated migration plans.

The retreat of testing providers began in late December 2025. At that time, IDP Education, which administers the International English Language Testing System in partnership with the British Council, announced it would halt operations in Iran. The company cited financial and regulatory difficulties as the primary reasons for the decision. This initial withdrawal removed a central option for thousands of candidates preparing for study or work abroad.

Further restrictions arrived in late August 2026 when the United States suspended a sanctions license. That license had allowed American educational providers to serve people in Iran since 2014. Its removal cut off access to the Test of English as a Foreign Language and the Graduate Record Examination, both offered by the US-based Educational Testing Service. ETS stated it can no longer accept registrations or payments from residents of Iran, even if they plan to take the exams in other countries.

Administrative rules have tightened simultaneously. British Council regulations now prevent residents of Iran from taking the test in neighboring countries like Turkey or Armenia unless they hold legal residency outside Iran. Duolingo applies a similar restriction, excluding applicants whose only identification documents were issued by the Iranian government. These rules apply regardless of whether the candidate holds a foreign work or study permit.

The financial impact is substantial for those who can travel. A master’s student in dramatic literature told Radio Farda that she chose Armenia after two years of full-time English study. The local British Council center rejected her application, leaving her with a single available option. In October, she paid approximately $300 for the exam and another $300 for a travel package. That combined cost represented more than six months of the average wage in Iran.

Operational disruptions worsened the situation during the first half of the year. A source familiar with the industry identified a 2025 requirement from IDP that centers make payments from their own country as a starting point for the difficulties. Banking sanctions blocked transfers, leading to accumulated debts and reduced registration numbers. The 12-day war with Israel in June 2025, government internet shutdowns, and the September 2025 restoration of UN sanctions compounded the instability.

Testing capacity dropped sharply during the winter. After the initial suspension, only previously registered candidates could take exams through March 2026. A nationwide internet blackout in January reduced capacity at one center to just three candidates per day. The war that began in late February caused further outages and embassy closures, leading many applicants to miss admissions deadlines and semester start dates.

Some students have remained stranded abroad. A computer science graduate paid about $265 for a four-day exam tour to an Arab country, departing on February 26. He took the test the next day but was stuck when war began as he prepared to return. Flights were grounded, and he eventually emigrated to Canada instead of returning home.

The decline has affected the local education sector. One school founder reported that his private and semiprivate classes had dropped by roughly 80 percent. Access to other languages has also narrowed. Iranian authorities closed the French Language Center in Tehran in September, citing concerns about elite emigration, while the German center was shut in 2024. For Afghan residents in Iran, the barriers are higher, as they must secure visas before traveling to testing hubs in Turkey or Armenia.