Iran cancels visa requirements for India, 32 other nations; know why

PTC News Desk: Iran has decided to unilaterally cancel visa requirements for Indian citizens, Iranian Minister of Cultural Heritage, Tourism, and Handicrafts Ezzatollah Zarghami said.

Iran decided on Wednesday to waive visa requirements for 33 nations.

Zarghami told reporters during a cabinet meeting on Wednesday that the decision is aimed at increasing tourism arrivals and drawing more people from around the world.

He believes that initiatives to enhance tourism can counteract Iranophobia campaigns.

Recently, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, and Vietnam lifted the visa restrictions for Indian visitors. According to a recent McKinsey report, India will have 13 million outbound Indian tourists by 2022, making it one of the fastest-growing markets for outbound tourism.

The following countries have been granted visa waivers by Iran: 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.

Previously, Iran offered visa-free entry to people from Turkey, the Republic of Azerbaijan, Oman, China, Armenia, Lebanon, and Syria.

According to the most recent data, the number of foreign arrivals in Iran reached 4.4 million over the first eight months of the current Iranian year (which began on March 21), representing a 48.5% rise over the same period the previous year.