Iran is expected to remove visa requirement for Indian travellers. According to an official announcement from Tehran, India is on a visa-exemption list that has 32 other countries, including Russia, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Japan and the UAE.
According to a report in the official Iranian News Agency (IRNA), the move is aimed at helping the flow of tourists into Iran. India has recently been placed on similar visa-exemption lists of countries such as Malaysia and Sri Lanka that are seeking to boost tourism and trade.
According to the Ministry of External Affairs, India already has a visa-exemption agreement with Iran that caters to Indian diplomats but this is the first time that Tehran has added ordinary Indian passport holders on the list of visa exemption.
Also read: Wooing Indian tourists with visa-free entry | Explained
Iran’s Tourism Minister Ezzatollah Zarghami told IRNA on Wednesday that the decision of the Iranian government is aimed at bringing in more visitors as well as to fight “Iranophobia” that is visible in Western channels. India and Iran have a close relationship on multiple fronts and India is the major stakeholder in the Chabahar port project. Both sides have been in close contact over several recent moves, including Iran’s entry into the BRICS during the Johannesburg summit in South Africa last August. Iran will officially become a member of BRICS on January 1, 2024.
Tehran, which has been the target of Israeli verbal attacks in the backdrop of the Gaza conflict, hosted Foreign Secretary Vinay Mohan Kwatra on November 26 when the 18th India-Iran Foreign Office Consultation (FOC) was hosted by the Iranian side. A statement from the MEA after the visit stated that both sides had discussed further steps to boost trade and people-to-people ties.
According to IRNA, Iran already has visa-exemption agreements with Türkiye, the Republic of Azerbaijan, Oman, China, Armenia, Lebanon and Syria. The list with 33 countries is being viewed as a major Iranian initiative to revamp its ties as it is poised to enter BRICS.
