The government of Iran has decided to lift visa requirements for 33 countries, a move that includes nations such as India, Saudi Arabia, Russia, and others. This visa-free initiative is a strategic effort to boost tourism in Iran and facilitate travel for global visitors.
With this decision, the total number of countries whose citizens can visit Iran without a visa rises to 45.
Iran’s visa-free access: Who gets in without a visa, and who needs one?
New countries added to the list of visa-free access include India, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Russia, Qatar, Bahrain, Belarus, Brazil, Tunisia, Mauritius, Indonesia, Cuba, Kyrgyzstan, Seychelles, Kuwait, Mexico, Tanzania, Cambodia, Peru, Mauritania, Uzbekistan, Croatia, Tajikistan, Japan, Serbia, Singapore, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Vietnam, Brunei, Venezuela, and Malaysia.
Countries whose citizens have been enjoying visa-free travel to Iran before this announcement include Oman, Kazakhstan, Iraq, Bolivia, Georgia, Türkiye, the Republic of Azerbaijan, China, Armenia, Syria, Afghanistan, and Lebanon.
India was recently placed on similar visa-exemption lists of countries like Malaysia and Sri Lanka, aimed at enhancing tourism and trade opportunities.
According to the Ministry of External Affairs, while India already maintains a visa-exemption agreement with Iran for Indian diplomats, the recent inclusion of ordinary Indian passport holders in Tehran’s visa-exemption list for the first time is a noteworthy development.
(Feature image credit: Blue Mist Film Studios/Shutterstock)
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