What it means
اقامت (eqâmat) comes from the Arabic root ق-و-م (q-w-m), related to standing and settling, via the Form IV verbal noun إقامة. In Persian it means a stay, sojourn, or period of residence. It is the formal word you will see on visa documents, hotel registration forms, and official signage. In everyday spoken Persian it is used alongside the more colloquial موندن (moondan, “to stay/remain”). A common compound is اقامتگاه (eqâmatgâh), meaning a lodging place or accommodation facility, which appears on road signs across Iran.
How to use it
- مدت اقامت شما چند شبه؟ (Moddat-e eqâmat-e shomâ chand shab-e?) “How many nights is your stay?”
- اقامت در این هتل خیلی راحت بود. (Eqâmat dar in hotel kheyli râhat bud.) “The stay at this hotel was very comfortable.”
- ویزای اقامت سه ماهه گرفتم. (Vizây-e eqâmat-e se mâhe gereftam.) “I got a three-month residence visa.”
- اقامتگاههای ارزون توی شهر پیدا میشه. (Eqâmatgâh-hây-e arzoon tooye shahr peydâ mishe.) “Cheap lodgings can be found in the city.”
Cultural note
When foreign travelers stay in Iranian hotels, their passport and اقامت details are reported to local authorities as required by law, and the hotel reception will ask for this information at check-in. The word اقامت also appears in the phrase اجازه اقامت (ejâze-ye eqâmat), the official residence permit, which is relevant for anyone living in Iran longer than a tourist stay. In tourist literature and travel apps, اقامتگاه بومگردی (eqâmatgâh-e boomgardi) refers to eco-lodges and rural homestays, a growing sector in Iranian domestic tourism.