Birth certificates, ID cards, marriage records and school papers from Iran are dated in the Solar Hijri calendar, and so are most Afghan documents. When I translate them into English, every date has to be converted to the Gregorian calendar, and it has to be exactly right.

How the calendar works

  • The year begins at Nowruz, around 21 March. The exact day can shift from one year to the next.
  • From Nowruz to 31 December, add 621 to the Solar Hijri year to get the Gregorian year. From 1 January to Nowruz, add 622.
  • The first six months have 31 days, the next five have 30, and the last has 29, or 30 in a leap year.

Iranian and Afghan month names

The months are the same in both countries, but Iran uses Persian names and Afghanistan uses the names of the signs of the zodiac:

  1. Farvardin / Hamal
  2. Ordibehesht / Sawr
  3. Khordad / Jawza
  4. Tir / Saratan
  5. Mordad / Asad
  6. Shahrivar / Sonbola
  7. Mehr / Mizan
  8. Aban / Aqrab
  9. Azar / Qaws
  10. Dey / Jadi
  11. Bahman / Dalw
  12. Esfand / Hut

Converting carefully

The year rule catches people out. A date in Mehr 1370 falls in 1991, but a date in Bahman 1370 falls in 1992, and the month of Dey straddles 1 January. For the exact day, a rule of thumb is not enough, so I convert every date properly and check it against your other documents.

One wrong day matters. In an application, a date of birth that is a day out from the passport can lead to questions, delays or a request for a corrected translation.

Common questions

Why does Nowruz fall on 20 March in some years and 21 March in others?

Because the Solar Hijri year begins with the March equinox, which happens at a slightly different time each year. The first day of the year usually falls on 20 or 21 March, and leap years follow from the same rule. That is why a fixed rule of thumb can leave a date one day out.

How can I convert a date myself?

Use my free Persian date converter. It works in both directions and shows Iranian and Afghan month names. For a certified translation, I convert and check every date myself.

What if a document gives only a year or an age?

Then the translation shows only what is written: a year stays a year, and I do not invent a full date. Remember that one Solar Hijri year covers parts of two Gregorian years: 1385, for example, ran from March 2006 to March 2007.