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Indian tourists will no longer require a visa to enter Iran. The Iranian government has abolished visa requirements for Indians visiting the country for short durations.
In a decision made applicable from February 4, Indians with ordinary passports will be allowed into Iran without a visa “once every six months, with a maximum stay of 15 days”. The new rule will apply to Indians entering Iran for tourism purposes only.
Commenting on the visa-easing regulation for Indians, the Iranian ambassador in Delhi, Iraj Elahi said, “In order to facilitate the relations between the two nations, as well as to deepen and expand the economic relations between the two countries, the Iranian government has decided to cancel visas for Indian passport holders. This action can strengthen the relations between New Delhi and Tehran.”
The Iranian ambassador, however, also hoped that the Indian government would reciprocate in easing the visa norms for Iranians coming to India.
“We hope that the Indian government will consider appropriate initiatives for Iranian citizens so that Iranian businessmen can travel to India more easily,” Elahi said.
Former Diplomat, Sanjay Bhattacharya said that India-Iran ties are friendly and rooted in history. Many have family connections and close cultural bonds. India’s economic growth and outbound tourism potential have encouraged several countries to relax visa requirements for Indian tourists and this trend is likely to grow further.
“Iran has lifted Visa requirements to boost tourist inflows, from countries with high potential; and support the economy,” Bhattacharya stated.
Moreover, Iran is now a permanent member of BRICS. “It will promote people-to-people exchanges and have a positive impact on other aspects of cooperation, including trade, economic cooperation and connectivity,” Bhattacharya added.
In recent years, Indians have emerged as big spenders in foreign tourism. Dr Subhash Goyal, Chairman, the Aviation & Tourism Committee of the Indian Chamber of Commerce, noted that Indians are among the number one spenders in Singapore, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Dubai, Switzerland, and the UK.
“Iran has realised the spending power and importance of Indian tourists and the visa-free policy for Indians in Iran is going to suddenly increase tourism to Iran and they will benefit in many ways because of the close proximity to India,” Dr Goyal said.
Data released by the Iranian government suggested a notable growth in travel from India to Iran, with 31,000 visitors in the first six months of 2023, experiencing a 25% growth compared to the same period last year. Overall, tourism in Iran experienced a growth of 48.5% in the first eight months of 2023.
Indian pilgrims visit the Sh’ia pilgrimage circuit in Iran (Qom, Mashhad, Hamedan) and Iraq (Najaf and Karbala) every year. In 2020, more than 1100 Indian pilgrims visited Iran including more than 900 pilgrims from Ladakh and over 100 from Jammu and Kashmir.
The Indian community in Iran comprises around 5000 Indian nationals including around 80-100 families in Tehran and 15 families in Zahedan. There are around 3000 Indian nationals in Qom, Mashhad and Esfahan consisting of students and their family members. A substantial number of Indian fishermen, seafarers, workers, university students and professionals also reside in Iran.
Annually, more than 20,000 Iranian tourists visit India, with Delhi-Agra-Jaipur, Mumbai-Pune-Goa and Hyderabad being the most preferred destinations. A large number of Iranian students pursue higher studies in medicine, pharma, engineering, humanities and other courses in India.
The Iranian government has been keen on abolishing visa requirements for passport holders from 68 countries aiming to encourage overseas travellers.
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