New Delhi: Iran announced to waive the visa requirements for Indian passport holders starting from February 4, to boost tourism and attract more visitors. The move is aimed at showcasing Iran's commitment to global interaction.


Iranian Minister of Cultural Heritage, Tourism, and Handicrafts Ezzatollah Zarghami said that the decision is aimed at boosting tourism arrivals and attracting more visitors from countries around the world, reported Iran's IRNA news agency.


According to the approval of the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran, visa for citizens of India will be abolished starting from 4th February 2024 subject to the following conditions-


1. Individuals holding ordinary passports will be allowed to enter the country without a visa once every six months, with a maximum stay of 15 days. It is important to note that the 15-day period cannot be extended.


2. The visa abolition only applies to individuals entering the territory of the Islamic Republic of Iran for tourism purposes.


3. 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.


4. The visa abolition outlined in this approval specifically applies to Indian nationals who enter the country just through the air border.


In December 2023, Iran decided to cancel visa requirements for visitors from 33 new countries including India. 


Recently Malaysia, Sri Lanka, and Vietnam have waived Visa requirements for Visitors from India.  India has one of the fastest-growing markets for Outbound Tourism India with a McKinsey analysis showing 13 million outbound Indian tourists in 2022.


The 33 countries approved for Iran's new visa-waiver program are as follows: India, Russia, United Arab Emirates, 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, as per ISNA.


Earlier, Iran had visa waiver programs for visitors from Turkiye, the Republic of Azerbaijan, Oman, China, Armenia, Lebanon, and Syria.