Recover Commercial Debts and Unpaid Invoices in Iran

An unpaid invoice does not become recoverable merely because the amount is clear. Dadparvaran helps foreign businesses document the debt, select the Iranian claim or enforcement route, protect reachable assets and pursue payment.

Commercial debt recovery in Iran begins with classification, not collection pressure. The file may concern an unpaid sale price, service fee, loan, account balance, contractual reimbursement or an amount already fixed by a judgment. The contract, debtor identity, governing-law and dispute-resolution clauses, performance evidence, due date and any acknowledgement or set-off defence must be mapped before a demand or claim is filed.

If liability has not yet been decided, the creditor generally needs an Iranian civil claim or another valid dispute-resolution route. Evidence may include signed contracts, purchase orders, delivery records, invoices, bank records, correspondence and accounting documents. Foreign-language records normally require a reliable Persian translation, while the evidential weight and authentication of each record remain case-specific.

Asset protection and final enforcement are different stages. Iranian procedure provides mechanisms for provisional attachment in qualifying cases, but availability, security requirements and the assets that may be protected depend on the claim and evidence. After a final enforceable judgment, execution may target non-exempt assets through the competent enforcement authority; locating an asset is not the same as proving that it belongs to the debtor and may lawfully be seized.

Cross-border recovery also requires a realistic payment plan. Currency, contractual damages, delay-related claims, banking restrictions, sanctions exposure, tax and the lawful transfer of recovered funds must be assessed separately. Dadparvaran does not promise collection; the service is designed to produce an evidence-led claim, an enforceability assessment and a practical Iran-side execution strategy.

Establish the debt before choosing pressure

The strongest first step is a claim map showing who owes what, under which instrument, when it became due and what defences are foreseeable.

  • Correct legal identity of creditor and debtor
  • Contract, invoice and performance chronology
  • Due date, notices and acknowledgements
  • Governing-law, jurisdiction or arbitration clause
  • Counterclaim, set-off or defective-performance risk

Demand, claim and enforcement are separate services

A lawyer's demand may support settlement or preserve the record, but it is not a judgment. A successful claim may still require a separate execution file and asset search.

    Interim measures require a specific legal basis

    A request to preserve assets should identify the claim, urgency, supporting evidence and proposed target. The court may consider statutory conditions and security rather than grant attachment automatically.

    • Identify reachable assets before filing where possible
    • Separate debtor-owned assets from third-party property
    • Assess whether the evidence supports provisional relief
    • Prepare for any security or undertaking required
    • Coordinate the interim request with the main proceeding

    A foreign judgment is not simply an unpaid invoice

    Where a foreign court or tribunal has already decided the debt, recognition and enforcement questions may replace or narrow the underlying contract claim. The judgment, award and forum clause should therefore be reviewed before starting fresh proceedings.

      How Dadparvaran structures recovery work

      • Conflict check and debtor-identity verification
      • Debt, evidence and limitation-risk review
      • Demand, settlement and forum recommendation
      • Claim and provisional-measures plan
      • Judgment execution and recovery-transfer assessment

      Our Specialized Services

      Reviewing contracts, invoices and payment evidence
      Identifying the debtor and assets located in Iran
      Sending a legally structured demand before proceedings
      Filing or defending the appropriate civil or commercial claim
      Assessing interim attachment and evidence-preservation options
      Enforcing an Iranian judgment against reachable assets

      Documents useful for an initial review

      A missing document is not a reason to wait — a short description and whatever records you have is enough to begin. Please send legible copies rather than originals.

      Transaction records useful for an initial review

      • Signed contracts, amendments and terms of business
      • Purchase orders, invoices and account statements
      • Delivery, acceptance and performance records
      • Bank records and payment correspondence

      Dispute and enforcement records useful for an initial review

      • Notices, demands and debtor acknowledgements
      • Evidence of objections, set-off or counterclaims
      • Information about the debtor's Iranian assets
      • Any court judgment, arbitral award or pending case papers

      The useful question is not only whether the debt exists, but how it can be proved and enforced against reachable assets in Iran.

      Send the contract, invoices, performance records, payment history and known Iranian asset information for an English-language recovery review.

      Request an Iran Debt Recovery Assessment

      Submitting an enquiry does not create a lawyer-client relationship or guarantee any outcome. Whether a legal route is available, and which one fits, is determined after the documents and the position of the case have been reviewed.

      Relevant legal framework

      These sources are listed for orientation. Article numbers and wording should be checked against the official consolidated text before being relied on.

      • Presidential Deputy for Legal Affairs, Iranian Civil Code, including general contract and obligation rules, consolidated text reviewed 28 July 2026 — https://qavanin.ir/Law/TreeText/?IDS=12021850837713548188
      • Presidential Deputy for Legal Affairs, Civil Procedure Code, including provisional attachment and civil-claim procedure, consolidated text reviewed 28 July 2026 — https://qavanin.ir/Law/TreeText/?IDS=502404499976366661
      • Presidential Deputy for Legal Affairs, Civil Judgment Enforcement Act, current judgment-execution framework, consolidated text reviewed 28 July 2026 — https://qavanin.ir/Law/TreeText/?IDS=12257143710724326112
      • Presidential Deputy for Legal Affairs, Financial Judgments Enforcement Act, current enforcement rules for monetary judgments, consolidated text reviewed 28 July 2026 — https://qavanin.ir/Law/TreeText/?IDS=4687546238878663724
      • Council of Ministers, Implementing Regulation of the Financial Judgments Enforcement Act, consolidated text reviewed 28 July 2026 — https://qavanin.ir/Law/TreeText/?IDS=4396424613001002960

      Frequently Asked Questions

      Answers to common questions in this specialty

      Can an unpaid foreign invoice be enforced directly in Iran?

      Usually not as if it were already a judgment. The contract, evidence, forum clause and any existing foreign decision must be reviewed to determine whether a substantive claim or recognition route is required.

      Can Iranian assets be frozen before judgment?

      Provisional attachment may be available in qualifying cases, but it is not automatic. The legal basis, evidence, timing, target asset and any security requirement must be assessed.

      Can we recover interest and legal costs?

      Do not assume a foreign contractual formulation will be awarded in full. The governing law, contract terms, Iranian mandatory rules, evidence and procedural basis require case-specific review.

      What if the debtor disputes delivery or performance?

      The claim should be built around delivery, acceptance, correspondence, expert evidence and the contract's quality or notice provisions. A disputed performance file is not treated as a simple invoice collection.

      Can Dadparvaran guarantee collection?

      No. Liability, asset ownership, exemptions, insolvency, competing creditors and procedural outcomes affect recovery. The service provides legal assessment, representation and an execution strategy.

      Can a foreign company instruct Dadparvaran without travelling to Iran?

      Many steps can be handled remotely through properly prepared corporate and authority documents. Translation, authentication and original-document requirements depend on the chosen procedure.
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      Our team of licensed attorneys at Dadparvaran Mehr Iran is ready to provide expert consultation and defend your rights.

      Mohammad Homaifar

      Mohammad Homaifar

      Licensed Bar Attorney

      7+ years
      Mohsen Aghel Mir Rezaei

      Mohsen Aghel Mir Rezaei

      Licensed Bar Attorney

      7+ years
      Aref Hossein Shahavandi

      Aref Hossein Shahavandi

      Licensed Bar Attorney

      5+ years
      Erfan Shahavandi

      Erfan Shahavandi

      Licensed Bar Attorney

      3+ years
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