Visa-Free Travel for Indians to Iran: All you Need to Know
Indian nationals who fulfill certain requirements are now able to visit Iran without a visa. Although this was announced back in December of last year, the terms have finally been made public, and the relaxation is effective as of February 4.
Who can enter Iran without a visa?
As long as they are traveling to Iran for tourism, Indian nationals with regular passports are not required to obtain a visa. They have to fly into Iran as well. Those who travel for other reasons, such as business or education, are not eligible for the relaxation.
How much time can you spend in Iran?
A visitor’s stay in Iran without a visa is limited to 15 days. After six months, they are eligible to reenter the nation.
“If Indian nationals wish to stay for a longer period or make multiple entries within a six-month period or require other types of visas, they must obtain the necessary visas through the respective representations of the Islamic Republic of Iran in India,” an official release said.
Why did Iran remove the need for a visa?
Iran had declared the relaxation for India and thirty-two other nations in December 2023.
The goal of the action was to increase tourism and draw more tourists from around the globe. The Iranian Minister of Cultural Heritage, Tourism, and Handicrafts, Ezzatollah Zarghami, had stated at that time.
Zarghami had stated, “Iran aims to counter negative perceptions and rumours with this move, while combating the phenomenon of ‘Iranophobia perpetuated by the global arrogance system’.” The decision was made to demonstrate Iran’s commitment to global contact.
The 32 other countries included Russia, United Arab Emirates (UAE), Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Lebanon, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Tunisia, Mauritania, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, Mauritius, Seychelles, Indonesia, Darussalam, Japan, Singapore, Cambodia, Malaysia, Vietnam, Brazil, Peru, Cuba, Mexico, Venezuela, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Croatia, and Belarus.
Iran had earlier waived the need for visas for nationals of China, Turkey, Azerbaijan, Oman, Armenia, Lebanon, and Syria.
Which other nations permit Indian citizens to visit without a visa?
Recently, India’s citizens do not need a visa to enter Malaysia, Sri Lanka, or Vietnam.
Thailand, a neighboring nation whose economy also mostly depends on tourism, said in December 2023 that Indian citizens would not need a visa starting on November 10 and running until May 10, 2024.
Under a pilot project, Sri Lanka’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Ali Sabry removed the need for a visa for citizens of seven nations, including China, Russia, and India, in October 2023. This exemption will last until March 31, 2024. The government of Sri Lanka said in a statement that the action was taken as part of the nation’s attempts to increase tourism and reach a goal of 50,000 visitors by 2026.
At present, 27 countries provide visa-free entry to the citizens of India. These include Kenya, Indonesia, Barbados, Bhutan, Dominica, Haiti, Maldives, Mauritius, Nepal, Samoa, and Trinidad and Tobago, among others.
