A simple, sensitive and alternative method for the spectrophotometric determination of iron(III) has been established. The procedure is based on the formation of iron-azide complexes in 60% (v/v) tetrahydrofuran/ water medium. The high sensitivity obtained in this method is due to the use of an interesting absorption band not previously reported in the literature. In the recommended conditions, absorbances for the ferric complexes are measured at 400 nm where the molar absorptivity is 1.52 × 1041 mol−1cm−1. The organic solvent used increases the sensitivity and the stability of the measurements. The precision is shown by the average deviation of about 0.3%. This system obeys Beer's law and is suitable for iron(III) determination in the concentration range from 0.6 to 3.2 mg 1−1(ppm). The best experimental conditions were determined studying the different factors involved. The influence of various diverse ions was also studied.