Labour Ministry Launches In-Person Residency Verification for Subsidy Recipients; Deadline End of Shahrivar

Iran's Ministry of Cooperatives, Labour and Social Welfare announced the start of an in-person residency verification process to identify and permanently cut cash subsidies and electronic food coupon (kalabarg) benefits for Iranians whom police data suggests are living abroad. Under the notice, flagged recipients have from 12 Mordad (August 3, 2026) to the end of Shahrivar 1405 (September 22, 2026) to prove Iranian residency in person at designated Pishkhan e Dowlat service offices, presenting a national ID card and an address confirmation from the national real estate and housing registry.

Their Mordad kalabarg credit is being withheld for now and will be paid retroactively if residency is confirmed; otherwise the subsidy and kalabarg will be permanently removed. Some estimates suggest roughly three million Iranians living abroad may have remained on the subsidy rolls.