Iran is making it easier for people from 33 new countries, including India, to visit without needing a visa.
This means that Indians can now travel to Iran without the hassle of obtaining a visa.
The decision was announced by Ezatollah Zarghami, Iran’s Minister of Cultural Heritage, Tourism, and Handicrafts.
The goal is to attract more tourists from different parts of the world and counteract negative perceptions about Iran, known as “Iranophobia.”
This move follows similar decisions by countries like Malaysia, Sri Lanka, and Vietnam, which have also waived visa requirements for Indian visitors.
India is considered one of the fastest-growing markets for international tourism.
The 33 countries included in Iran’s new visa-waiver program are India, Russia, United Arab Emirates,
Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Lebanon, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Tunisia, Mauritania,
Tanzania, Zimbabwe, Mauritius, Seychelles, Indonesia, Brunei Darussalam, Japan, Singapore, Cambodia,
Malaysia, Vietnam, Brazil, Peru, Cuba, Mexico, Venezuela, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Croatia, and Belarus.
Before this, Iran already had visa waiver programs for visitors from Turkey, the Republic of Azerbaijan, Oman, China, Armenia, Lebanon, and Syria.
The latest data shows a significant increase in foreign arrivals to Iran, reaching 4.4 million during the first eight months of the current Iranian year, which started on March 21.
This marks a 48.5% increase compared to the same period last year.
