In the Name of Travelers, to the Benefit of Profiteers / The 15-Million-Toman Gap in iPhone Registration!
With the launch of the official registration of the iPhone 17 Pro at customs and the announcement of a 43 million toman registration fee, experts have warned about the ongoing gap between official and traveler-based registration. This gap has led to unfair competition and disruption in the smartphone market.
Sepedeh Sadig Baheran
According to the Sedaye Sama News Agency, Iran’s Customs Administration has activated official registration (IMEI) for the iPhone 17 Pro with a fee of 43 million tomans, while other models of the series are not yet available for registration.
Mobile market experts report a significant gap — up to 15 million tomans — between official and traveler registration costs, which has created two parallel import channels, unfair competition, and abuse of travelers’ passport information. As a result, some phones registered via the traveler route are sold as officially registered devices, risking network disconnection or IMEI cancellation. Experts emphasize that as long as the gap in exchange rates and customs duties persists, official imports will remain unprofitable while the traveler route stays lucrative.
They suggest that aligning tariffs and clarifying fees could reduce illegal registrations and stabilize the smartphone market.
